New Pilot Project for TractEasy
TractEasy has been launched at the Daimler AG truck assembly plant in Wörth, Germany. The autonomous tow tractor is transporting production parts outdoors cost-efficiently, safely and sustainably.
The deployment started in November last year, with the programming of the 900m cross indoor/outdoor route. The vehicle uses an innovative sensor set to navigate safely and reliably. EasyMile’s algorithm connects all data that the sensor set records and combines them with GPS data. With the help of this data, the vehicle orientates itself with centimeter-precision on the extensive production site in mixed traffic conditions.
All EasyMile’s solutions come with a fleet management system. On the software side, the tow tractor also offers an interface for integration into all common warehouse management systems so that operations can be monitored and controlled remotely at any time, allowing flexible material handling 24/7.
Industry 4.0 – Automation of the Material Flow
During the trial, TractEasy transports various parts and material from the storage area to the assembly line and will operate outdoors. This is a major step forward for the industry as conventional AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) are tied to indoor operations. At the Wörth site, the tow tractor operates at 10 km/h and tows up to 14t.
In order to ensure seamless integration into the factory environment and the logistics process, the otherwise driverless vehicle is initially being supervised by an employee. TractEasy is currently in pilot operation and covers two shifts per day.
The tow tractor is only one solution of the growing automated product portfolio of the technology company EasyMile. It was developed with TLD GSE, a market leader for ground support equipment. Applications for TractEasy are numerous: it premiered on the factory premises of automaker Stellantis in Sochaux, France in 2018, where it transported production parts to the assembly line and automated the material flow on site. To date, more than 20 TractEasy have been deployed around the world, both on industrial sites as well as airports including Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, Tokyo’s Narita International Airport and Singapore’s Changi Airport.
This article was originally published by EasyMile.
