snow covered Trumpf smart factory building

TRUMPF Smart Factory

The autonomous factory of the future relies on Jungheinrich® AGVs


 

TRUMPF Smart Factory


The TRUMPF Group is an industrial machine manufacturing company with a focus on automation. Known for being a leader in machine tools and lasers for industrial manufacturing, their technology is cutting edge, but their material handling process was stuck in the past – until they partnered with Jungheinrich® and Logisnext.

jungheinrich agv viewed from overhead

THE MOVE TO AUTONOMY

The TRUMPF Smart Factory outside of Chicago, Illinois is setup as a demonstration facility for their autonomous operations -- and is dedicated to bringing the concept of a 'Smart factory' to life for its visitors.
 
Inside the factory, sheet metal is cut with high-powered lasers, bent and shaped by robotic arms and loaded onto pallets by conveyor belts. Those pallets were then moved by human operators using traditional forklifts.
 
Customer and Central Services Manager for TRUMPF, Robert Leahy, describes TRUMPF’s philosophy as identifying waste and replacing it “with an automatic process.”
 
Their material handling process needed an overhaul, and the Automated Guided Vehicle Systems by Jungheinrich®️ was exactly what they were looking for.
 

jungheinrich agv in sunlit hallway

THEIR NEW NORMAL

The Jungheinrich EKS 215a is an automated vertical order picker more than capable of moving necessary material around the TRUMPF warehouse. Instead of taking an operator away from their station to move material back and forth, the Jungheinrich AGV is now bringing raw material directly to the operator and taking their finished product to the next station. 
 
“They make your life a lot simpler,” says Ivan Manrique, an operator at TRUMPF. “I can just focus on my work area and increase my production time.”  
 
And that’s exactly what is happening. 
 
Megan Baumgartner, system control engineering supervisor for TRUMPF, says she is “seeing an increase in productivity because [my operators are] not leaving their work center to go find a part.”

jungheinrich agv in trumpf smart factory hallway

SUPPORTING THE WORKFORCE

Jungheinrich AGVs supplement their workforce.
 
“The Automated Guided Vehicles are here to support the workforce,” says Megan. With the time savings and increased production they’re seeing, they can use their operators for more important tasks. “We are able to take our employee and increase their skillset.” 
 
Robert agrees. “They’re at the machines forming parts, assembling parts, shipping parts… actually what the customer is paying you for. And that’s only possible using the AGVs.”

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