Challenges in Combining Real-Time Locating Systems and Automated Guided Vehicles to Facilitate Transformable Production Systems

Production in industrial companies is exposed to more and more frequent cycles of change, while at the same time, the market demand in terms of flexibility, high logistical performance and low costs are constantly increasing. Production systems must thus be designed to be capable of change. In order to increase the transformability of production systems and thus improve the market competitiveness of companies, it is, therefore, necessary to meet changes in the product portfolio, demand quantities and other drivers of change efficiently. An aspect to be considered is internal transport, which is increasingly performed by automated guided vehicles (AGVs), which, however, are often relatively inflexible concerning the routing and thus require complex reprogramming in case of changes.This is why researchers in the Learning Factory of the Institute of Production Systems and Logistics (IFA) investigated how in-plant transportation by AGVs can be realized more effectively through the use of real-time locating systems (RTLS), even in rapidly changing production environments. The following contribution describes the challenges of designing and planning internal transport using AGVs and how new routes can be automatically created based on information about the current factory layout through RTLS. In particular, the paper provides insights into the central problem that arises in the adaptive planning of routes, the solution adopted and shows what advantages arise from the combination of AGVs and RTLS