Driverless transport systems (DTS) are used in the production of the Audi A8. These move item supply trolleys autonomously from the warehouse to the assembly hall. The transport trolleys can be easily adapted to new production requirements. Another advantage is the ergonomic design of the lightweight structures.

The warehouse and production line for the Audi A8 at the Audi AG site in Neckarsulm are separated from each other and on different levels. Goods elevators and AGVs are used to transport the components for vehicle production from the warehouse to the second level. The company was looking for a system that would make optimum use of the storage space in the elevators and could be combined with the automated guided vehicles. At the same time, it had to be stable and flexible enough to be modified.

Audi turned to its long-standing partner, item Industrietechnik GmbH, with these requirements. The company had already implemented numerous Karakuri applications, machine housings and other solutions based on item profile technology at Audi in the past. item designed and supplied a total of 200 staging trolleys using components from the item Building Kit System. The frame consists of aluminum profiles and matching connection technology, including four swivel castors. The connections between the individual components are durable and insensitive to unevenness in the floor. Each provision trolley is configured for a specific task and can be loaded by employees with up to 24 components in one area.

After picking, AGVs transport the staging trolleys to the production areas in the assembly hall. This means that the material is available for assembly as required. If production requirements change, the staging trolleys can be modified within a short space of time. Further advantages of the supply trolleys are their low weight, ESD protection and ergonomic design. Numerous retrieval trolleys have integrated turntables and drawer systems and can be loaded on both sides. The modular systems can be easily retrofitted and extended with tablet holders or additional transport locks, for example.