❱❱ The historic VW Wolfsburg factory is adapting to modern manufacturing methods, with improved processes and Industry 4.0 implementation, below left; the 1.9kg Paexo exoskeleton takes the strain out of performing prolonged overhead work in Bratislava, inset
AUTONOMOUS TRANSPORT ROBOT
Škoda Auto is using the latest advances in fully autonomous transport at its Vrchlabí plant in the Czech Republic. With an ability to transport payloads of as much as 130kg, the compact robot needs only to be guided between the stations it serves once in order to learn the route. Once it has memorised the route, it can recognise changes
to its surroundings autonomously using sophisticated, state- of-the-art technology that gives the robot its ability to navigate the environment. Using sensors and laser scanners, it recognises vehicles and
stationary obstacles as well as people crossing its path. The control system calculates the approach speed and detects if a collision is imminent. In this case, the robot stops by itself or takes evasive action. The use of the autonomous robot is contributing to the
continuous improvement of workplace safety at the Vrchlabí factory and is helping to minimise working risks for the site’s employees.
❱❱ Environmentally aware self-guiding autonomous vehicle uses sensors and lasers to safely navigate the Škoda Vrchlabí plant
R
apid changes in automotive technology are accompanied by corresponding upheaval in test, simulation, design and manufacturing technologies supporting the industry. Given this, it is no surprise that large car producers are emerging as some of the prime
movers in implementing such cutting edge approaches to production engineering as 3D printing, advanced automation and the connected world of Industry 4.0. The Volkswagen Group has seen a flurry of activity in recent
months at its main manufacturing sites as well as at its subsidiary Škoda factory in the Czech Republic. The investment and development that VW has put into its manufacturing infrastructure has paid off this summer, with industry accolades as well as record-breaking success on the track.
EXOSKELETONS IN BRATISLAVA Keeping people at the heart of skilled production is a pervasive theme in industry, with a rise in the use of collaborative technology, including cobots and automatic systems designed to aid, rather than replace, workers.
At its Bratislava plant, Volkswagen is ensuring the continued
health, safety, efficiency and satisfaction of its staff through the use of physical and behavioural ergonomic support systems for use at manned workstations where the ergonomics of the operation cannot be improved or automated. In such physically demanding environments, the company is
using support devices, including exoskeletons, to enable a considerable reduction in the amount of effort required to carry out the task. Currently being tested by 30 workers at the plant, VW expects to roll the approach out to more workers in Bratislava and its other plants. The “Paexo” exoskeleton is the result of research work that has
been going on since 2012 and is designed to assist workers involved in prolonged static overhead working. According to VW’s Eric Reuting, the pilot project to use
30 Paexo exoskeletons in Bratislava is the largest evaluation project of its kind in Europe. The project involves the use of a physical support system worn by the worker which weighs just 1.9kg and takes considerable strain out of arduous overhead working.
September 2018 /// Environmental Engineering /// 11
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