In today's Success Story, Andreas Fink, Production Manager at Geberit, and Norbert Brammer, Supply Chain Specialist at Geberit, share why Geberit, using AGILOX Autonomous Mobile Robots, relies on a manufacturer of AMRs that is technologically miles ahead of other providers.
Machines are being moved, production lines change, Kanban racks are enlarged, or downsized, and pick-up stations are altered – Geberit’s production at the Pottenbrunn site is constantly changing. Norbert Brammer can tell you a thing or two about that. “A key requirement for Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) is that they should not only fit seamlessly into our existing infrastructure, but also adapt to changes in the environment,” says the Supply Chain Specialist.
Having emerged from a local plumbing business, Geberit Group is the European market leader for sanitary products and a real Global Player. Thanks to its strong presence in most European countries, Geberit provides unique added value when it comes to sanitary technology and bathroom ceramics. What unites the almost 12,000 employees in over 50 countries? A shared mission – after all, sustainability is part of the company’s identity. Designing and manufacturing environmentally friendly, resource-saving, and durable products and solutions for green building, implementing production processes that minimize water and energy consumption, and the delivery of clean, potable water have been central themes at Geberit for many years.
“We were looking for a provider of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) whose equipment allowed for a simple and, above all, uncomplicated integration into the existing environment,” explains Andreas Fink, Production Manager at Geberit. “With the AGILOX system, commissioning was completely effortless. It took just under 15 weeks from the initial contact to final commissioning,” adds Norbert Brammer proudly. Geberit sees benefits not only from the plug-and-play commissioning process, but also from the almost limitless expansion possibilities of the autonomous intralogistics system from AGILOX, which does not require any interfaces. One of the reasons: All components of the AGILOX Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are developed and manufactured under one roof. In fact, this is the only way we can live up to our motto of developing a driverless transport system that is conceived from scratch and way ahead of its time. Our customer Geberit proves us right: “With AGILOX, you quickly realize that their AMR solution has been developed from the ground up. With other suppliers, you often get the feeling that a forklift has been converted into an AGV and you can tell the difference,” Andreas Fink emphasizes.
“In our production facilities, employees, manual forklifts and AGVs share the same route. You won’t find any demarcations in a mixed operation like the one we have. It is for this reason, that in the beginning we were not sure if the introduction of AMRs would work without any bigger issues. However, we quickly realized that the initial skepticism was completely unfounded. We didn’t even have to change or redesign walkways or driveways, and the AGILOX system works perfectly,” says Norbert Brammer. Soon, Geberit saw the benefits of the automated intralogistics solution and put a second unit into operation. “Currently, our two vehicles are running at 85 percent capacity, and we soon expect the utilization rate to settle at over 90 percent. For us in a three-shift operation that means an ROI of well under two years,” adds the Supply Chain Specialist.