Tech Briefs Magazine - April 2024 - MD-18

Achieving Flexibility, Reliability, and Safety with
Autonomous Mobile Robots
W
ith 40 years of experience to its
name, Sunview Patio Doors Ltd.
(acquired by Novatech Group in 2021),
has solved one of the industry's top challenges:
meeting customers' increased
demands for faster and better services,
while providing an option for product
customization. Its ability to adopt digital
technology allowed the company to satisfy
its customers and compete globally
in the marketplace.
Efficiency is key to Sunview's success,
which is evident in its ability to manufacture
70,000-80,000 units annually.
However, over time, the industry had undergone
significant changes. Windows
and patio doors were no longer a standard
size, thickness, and material. There
were now endless options for customers
who began to expect customized options,
but the manufacturing facility at
the company wasn't set up to operate
that way.
Sunview knew they required more
flexibility and efficiency in their production
to meet increasing market demands
for faster delivery times and more customized
products. They needed a lean
manufacturing model to ensure the
right materials were delivered to the
right spot at the right time.
While addressing the need for flexibility
and efficiency was the main priority,
Sunview also valued safety and wanted to
find a more optimal solution than adding
more pump trucks and tow-motors
(forklifts) on the factory floor.
" It's very easy to become complacent
when you deal with something repetitive
every day. Tow-motors can be extremely
dangerous for this reason - they're
stronger
When it came to choosing the best
solution to address their problems of
safety and meeting customers' growing
demands, the leadership team at
Sunview considered many options. They
initially looked at automated guided vehicles
(AGVs) but found limitations that
ultimately proved to be insurmountable.
AGVs often rely on guidance devices
such as magnetic tape that allow the
vehicle to travel on fixed paths in a
controlled space. If something or someone
blocks the AGVs path, the vehicle
and operation remain stops until the
obstacle is manually removed. In some
cases, AGVs can't operate around humans,
which was simply not an option
for Sunview.
than a car, driving around
within inches of people which obviously
impacts safety, " said Kurt Oberparleiter,
Vice President of Operations at Sunview
Patio Doors.
" In our case, that magnetic strip
would probably be cut on day one, or
someone would put something in front
of the signposts stopping the entire operation, "
said Oberparleiter.
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)
provided Sunview the flexibility, reliability,
and safety benefits it required. AMRs
utilize laser-based perception and artificial
intelligence to dynamically move
through facilities,
infrastructure-free.
The robots use onboard sensors and software to understand their environment and adapt to changes in
real-time, safely detecting and avoiding obstacles, people, and equipment. (Image: OTTO Motors)
18
The robots use onboard sensors and
software to understand their environment
and adapt to changes in real-time,
safely detecting and avoiding obstacles,
people, and equipment. Sunview ultimately
selected OTTO Motors as their
AMR provider and deployed OTTO
1500, an AMR which has a payload capacity
of 1,900 kg (4,200 lb).
In the facility, OTTO 1500 takes finished
product from the end-of-production
line to the warehouse, then reloads
and brings the empty pallets back.
This process begins in the warehouse,
where OTTO, with an integrated lift
attachment, arrives at the pick-up and
delivery station (P&D Station) to pick
up an empty pallet. The AMR drives
to the end-of-production line with the
empty pallet and picks up the finished
goods from the P&D Station. Lastly,
OTTO drops off the finished goods
at the warehouse's automated storage
retrieval system, where the product will
be shipped out, and then begins the
process again.
Motion Design, April 2024

Tech Briefs Magazine - April 2024

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