Mobility, Flexibility, Productivity - Mobile Robots in Production: Mesh-up
Premiere: the Mesh-Up 2023
Mobile robots are not only revolutionizing logistics applications, but also production. But there is one challenge: a common language to prevent information and communication breaks that can occur when using robots from different manufacturers. The open communication interface VDA 5050 developed by the VDA and VDMA provides a remedy. Our new showcase, including a mesh-up, offered insights - for the first time in the application context of production logistics in batch production.
2023: Premiere of the mesh-up
The segment is booming: according to the International Federation of Robotics, the number of mobile robots installed rose by 47% from 2021 to 2022. However, the combination of different brands is rarely flexibly adaptable and expandable in operation and integration is complex. Our new showcase had a future-proof solution for this. Here are a few impressions:
From individual mobile robots to an orchestrated fleet
Ready for the test run of a mixed AGV fleet? With its live test event on a 850 m2 course, the large automatica special show demonstrated how driverless transport vehicles and mobile robots can be operated flexibly and efficiently across manufacturers - via a control system and on shared routes. At the heart of this previously complex task was the open communication interface VDA 5050, which enabled mobile robots from different brands to be orchestrated by a central control system so that they could use the same routes as a heterogeneous fleet.
Mesh-Up - the exclusive live experience
How practicable is VDA 5050? How do vehicles and control systems behave under real-life conditions? The AGV Mesh-Up@automatica offered its audience a unique opportunity to experience the interface live and in action. And created the ideal conditions for manufacturers to test the fleet suitability of their vehicles and software - naturally in the presence of the developers and product managers involved, who were available for a personal exchange.
The showcase production logistics in battery production
From practice for practice. The special showcase for production logistics focused on the interaction between logistics and production, material supply and transfer as well as the interlinking of systems and workstations. Hahn Automation presented two production scenarios from the context of battery production, while SYNAOS presented the central control system as software as a service from the cloud with its Intralogistics Management Platform. Also present: numerous renowned and innovative manufacturers of mobile robots, who showcased their vehicles as part of the heterogeneous fleet.
Mobile Robots in Production – the spectrum
- Automated guided vehicles and mobile robots of different manufacturers, dimensions and technology on a common driving surface using the same routes
- Mapping of numerous different transport processes
- Connection of mobile robots to production systems and workstations
- Transfer of workpieces to production systems and process interlinking with mobile robots
- The VDA 5050 communication interface in a live test
- Demonstration of interface suitability in the interaction between master control and vehicles
- Exchange with developers, manufacturers and experts
VDA 5050 - the most important background information
Coordination between automated guided vehicles (AGVs) is becoming increasingly important in warehouses and production. This is because the number of material transports is growing, but not the available space. The number of manufacturers and systems is also increasing, which makes it difficult to design a uniformly operating fleet. These framework conditions led to a special collaboration in 2017. Since then, a project team of AGV users, control system providers and AGV manufacturers has been working on the development of the VDA 5050 communication interface under the coordination of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association. The aim and result: vehicles and control systems should be able to communicate with each other regardless of the manufacturer. The current version 2.0.0 is being continuously developed via a public GitHub repository.
