Technical 45 www.aftermarketonline.net SEPTEMBER 2024 *XLGLQJ $*9 ᎯHHWV IURP WKH FORXG Sports car manufacturer Porsche is integrating automated guided vehicles (AGVs) into its intralogistics, and these are now controlled via the MHP FleetExecuter. This is the first time in the company’s history that a centralised fleet management system has been used. Integrated into the existing IT infrastructure, this cloud solution is in use at the main plants in Zuffenhausen, Germany, where it serves as a functional core for automating the logistics process. Further rollouts are intended in the near future for manufacturing the Taycan, for example. Plans include numerous projects in which a total of several hundred vehicles will be deployed in various AGV fleets with over 300 functions. The Porsche AG subsidiary MHP is responsible for consulting, implementation, product development, service and support. There are currently 27 AGVs carrying out up to 1,600 material transports daily, including loading runs, over a distance of 750 metres. The MHP FleetExecuter coordinates various new and older assets, such as lifts, highspeed doors and existing systems. The AGVs also negotiate four automatic gates, a double lift system and four intersecting third-party systems between the various high-bay racks. Henning Hiebsch, partner and business owner FleetExecuter at MHP, which is owned by Porsche, said: “We are dealing with a completely new type of architecture here. In order to meet the individual requirements at Porsche, we have configured and enhanced the solution to fully guarantee processcritical production supply to 100%. Despite its technical complexity, its use remains intuitive for the operator.” To this end, the application was digitally modelled and simulated completely in advance and then physically tested in the MHPLab, an MHP test area in Ludwigsburg, as well as in a customer-friendly cloud infrastructure. As a result, the software could be put into operation just a few months after the project was started. Marc Lösken, head of Porsche Brand Logistics said he was pleased the project got off to such a successful start despite within just nine months. Four parties with 100 participants were involved in the project and a number of connections had to be made to internal and external systems. But despite this, the FleetExecuter was able to go into automatic operation on time. Plants 2 and 3 at Porsche in Zuffenhausen went live last year. Ten more projects will follow, including in ‘Bau 70’, the assembly hall for the Porsche Taycan, where new AGVs will be supporting production supply. The MHP FleetExecuter fully exploits the potential in intralogistics: the software can increase efficiency by up to 20%. It offers more transparency and resilience on Porsche’s shop floor, providing the basis for improved processes. It can also be used to achieve reliable system availability and costs can be reduced through processoptimised energy management. Albrecht Reimold, member of the executive board for production and logistics at Porsche said: “By using the MHP FleetExecuter we are much more efficient and flexible in our internal plant logistics. It allows us to control our ever-increasing number of driverless transport systems precisely. At the same time, the softwarecontrolled transport systems allow us to cut out some trips previously made by HGVs and so make a contribution to sustainability.” As companies are increasingly using AGVs, cross-manufacturer software is needed for fleet management to ensure that AGVs from different manufacturers can all be controlled. Management and IT consultancy MHP launched FleetExecuter as a cloud solution to do just that: centralised and consolidated control of a company’s entire fleet regardless of the manufacturer — and equally regardless of the communication interface, data source and the individual system’s degree of automation. MHP said the integration of FleetExecuter is a prime example of how it is transforming itself from a consulting company into a full-service IT and software provider. Since spring 2023, MHP has been offering software-as-a-service solutions (SaaS solutions) together with technology and industry partners. Companies from the automotive, manufacturing and logistics sectors receive tried-and-tested, ready-to-use software products, which enable them to digitalise their processes. Visit https://www.mhp.com/de/ solutions/industrial-cloud-solutions/ fleet-executer to find out more.
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