AMAG is Austria's largest aluminum producer and a leading supplier of primary aluminum as well as cast and rolled products. Aluminum strips, sheets and plates are produced at the Ranshofen site in Austria. Its customers include clients from the aviation, automotive and packaging industries. With the aim of increasing the level of specialization, a new rolling mill was added to the production site in July 2014. In the previous rolling mill, products were limited to a maximum width of 1,650 millimetres. In the new plant, products with a width of up to 2,300 millimetres can now be manufactured. At the same time as the expansion, digitalization was also to be driven forward. Part of the digitalization strategy was to convert intralogistics to Industry 4.0 and automate it. To this end, the new plant was to be supplied by an autonomous goods transport system. The numerous advantages of the KUKA omniMove transport platform, such as its omnidirectional maneuverability and high positioning accuracy, convinced AMAG. The company decided to integrate two mobile heavy-duty platforms into the production line. The 8.70-metre-long omniMove is used by AMAG to transport aluminum plates within the company. Another decisive factor in choosing the heavy-duty platforms was their load capacity of up to 68 tons in combination with high precision and flexibility.

Freedom of movement in all directions
The KUKA omniMove can be controlled manually by remote control, but can also move autonomously. The targeted navigation of the autonomous omniMove transport platform through the plant is made possible by the KUKA.NavigationSolution. This also ensures that the safety of employees is guaranteed at all times. To this end, the software records all data from the safety laser scanners and radar sensors and creates a map of the surroundings. It reacts to obstacles in real time and enables the transport platforms to drive autonomously. Omnidirectional wheels based on Mecanum wheel technology provide the necessary freedom of movement for the KUKA omniMove. The wheels allow the vehicle to move in any direction and to turn from a standing position. The omniMove operates with a precision of plus or minus five millimetres - even at maximum payload.

Autonomous delivery to the finishing plants
At AMAG, the omniMove is responsible for delivering and collecting the rolled aluminum plates to and from the respective finishing stations in the plate production center. Finishing is the final processing step in the production of aluminum plates. The panels are given certain properties, tested and sawn. Various systems are available depending on the desired processing.

In the first step, the operator assigns a work order to the omniMove. Communication takes place via WLAN. The transport platform then moves autonomously to the workstation. The aluminium panels, which can be up to 12 m long and weigh up to 8.5 tons, are ready at the incoming goods area. A QR code is attached to the underside of the carrier on which the panels are stacked. The omniMove, which is equipped with a camera, uses the QR code to identify the aluminum plates assigned to it. The omniMove picks them up from there by moving under the stack with millimeter precision. The lifting spindles are extended and the omniMove lifts the carrier together with the aluminum plates. Loaded with the XXL package, it navigates independently through the hall and unloads the panels at the predetermined processing system. As soon as the finishing process is complete, the heavy-duty platform picks up the aluminum panels again and transports them to the next system.

Automation brings the desired success
AMAG says it is very satisfied with the omniMove. The automation of intralogistics has brought the company many advantages. Compared to a crane or forklift solution, the omniMove allows the company to work more flexibly, quickly and safely. The use of the transport frames has also greatly reduced the amount of packaging required. In three-shift operation, the finishing systems are supplied with aluminum sheets around the clock by the two heavy-duty transporters.