The special feature of these automated guided vehicles is their stainless steel body. This special development enables them to be used in ISO 6 class cleanroom applications, for example in controlled infeed and outfeed processes.

For a long time, Asian companies in particular have gained a head start in battery cell production. The increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries in the mobility sector and for stationary applications has led to rapid growth in this market segment in recent years, in which European suppliers urgently need to catch up. Battery production requires plant technology that meets the high demands on process quality and throughput. The key to this is automation.

The Norwegian company Tronrud Engineering AS is a specialist in this field. The mechanical engineering company has been developing, producing and supplying automation solutions for more than 40 years. Around 200 employees work at the Eggemoen and Moss sites in the Oslo area. Moss, on the eastern shore of the Oslofjord, is also home to the Norwegian subsidiary SEW-Eurodrive AS.

Special cleanroom requirements

The client wanted to automate transportation tasks using driverless transport vehicles. The vehicles and other systems had to be designed to meet cleanroom requirements. Together with SEW-Eurodrive, Tronrud implemented a fully automated pallet and container transport system using driverless transport vehicles from SEW-Eurodrive's Maxolution portfolio. The use of mobile systems in a production environment with high cleanroom requirements and numerous interfaces such as elevators, continuous conveyors and special machines is a complex challenge. The vehicle-to-vehicle transfer in the airlocks places high demands on positioning accuracy and safety technology. In addition, different levels (ground floor and mezzanine) have to be overcome. For this purpose, the driverless transport vehicles and their loads are transported in elevators.

From test system to series production

Initially, a test system was installed in a pilot factory of the end customer as a feasibility study. "The transfer from one vehicle to another vehicle with a load of over 1,000 kg was a challenge," recalls Cato Horten, Senior Project Manager at Tronrud Engineering: "Thanks to several tests and good cooperation, a solution was found."

Following the successful test, the two companies jointly implemented the material flow using an automated guided vehicle system in the series production of a new "greenfield" plant. Tronrud Managing Director Skule Edvard Smørgrav emphasizes: "I would like to highlight the importance of SEW-Eurodrive AS in Norway. As a key partner, it ensured that the right information reached the right people at both SEW-Eurodrive Germany and Tronrud Engineering."

Two strictly separated AGV areas

Various routes distributed throughout the plant ensure that the specified material flow is maintained. There are basically two separate AGV areas: In the so-called "gray area", the vehicles do not have to meet any special cleanliness requirements. In contrast, the cleanroom requirement in accordance with ISO 14644-1 class 6 applies to the so-called "white area". The transfer of the load to the cleanroom version of the mobile systems enables a clean separation between the two areas. To avoid cross-contamination, this load transfer takes place in special airlocks.

One main route is to connect the central warehouse with the production areas to supply them with the required materials. They include the process steps of coating, calendering, slitting, stacking and cell assembly. Additional material is also transported from the central warehouse to the production area. Within the "white" clean room area, the materials are transported to the respective place of use.

The material is either delivered directly or it undergoes further processes before delivery, such as picking or the separation and interim storage of pallets on individual small load carriers (SLCs). This also involves a transfer from one vehicle to another. AGVs are also used to transport pallets from the warehouse to the "supermarket" (provision of components for production near the installation site) and from there to cell assembly.

The standardized, interoperable VDA 5050 communication interface is used between the fleet manager and vehicles. This makes it possible to use an AGV control system from a third-party provider in this project without any problems. A total of 42 AGVs will be used in the first expansion stage - 31 vehicles for pallet transport and 11 for small load carrier transport. The longest distance to be covered is 345 meters, including several elevator runs.

Shared responsibility - double the customer benefit

Tronrud Engineering assumes overall responsibility for the stationary and mobile handling systems for pallets and containers and has given SEW-Eurodrive responsibility for the entire driverless transport system. SEW also realizes the integration of the Tronrud load handling device on the vehicle, provides the complete vehicles including the declaration of conformity and integrates the vehicles into the overall system including planning, parameterization and commissioning. Both partners support each other on site during commissioning at the end customer's premises. The European and global presence of SEW-Eurodrive and Tronrud Engineering will continue to ensure fast, local support in the future.

Hardware and services

In the field of mobile and rail-guided conveyor technology, SEW-Eurodrive offers innovative, scalable and sustainable system solutions. The focus here is not only on the vehicles themselves, but also on the associated services - from system planning and simulation to commissioning, maintenance and repair.

Following the example of the modular system used worldwide for geared motors and electronic products, the engineering of the driverless transport system is also based on an innovative technology and software kit. It enables individual vehicles to be configured while keeping complexity to a minimum.

Contactless energy supply

The driverless transport vehicles can be charged contactlessly and maintenance-free using the Movitrans energy supply system from SEW-Eurodrive. It is therefore particularly suitable for sensitive areas such as food production or clean rooms. There are various installation options for the Movitrans components, which enable simple and decentralized installation.

Energy is absorbed without wear, either at certain points when stationary or during travel via line conductors laid in or on the floor. Downtimes can be avoided by charging while the vehicle is in motion or during load transfer. This makes it possible to use the optimum number of vehicles for the internal material flow. The system also has an automatic energy-saving mode that contributes to the effective use of energy.

Security technology and navigation

Comprehensive safety technology protects the entire vehicle - and above all the people working around it. The integrated safety control system ensures speed-dependent protective field switching, safely switched-off torque, safe speed and other functions. The load handling attachment has also been fully integrated into the vehicle safety system.

Laser SLAM is used for navigation in the production halls (simultaneous localization and mapping of the surroundings). In combination with laser parking and fine positioning using a data matrix code, this enables precise and reliable vehicle positioning. This is particularly important for safety-relevant areas. This also includes load transfer from vehicle to vehicle.

The article also appears in materialfluss 10/2023