Flexible logistics with automated solutions
Automation in logistics is booming due to several reasons such as driver shortage, reducing operational costs and increasing efficiency. However, automated solutions may not be the answer for every logistics flow. It all comes down to eliminating unnecessary processes and adding value where it makes most sense. Toyota can help you take the automation journey step by step, where man & AGV can complement each other.
Step-by-step automation
Modular thinking
Automating your material handling processes can seem complex, but often the material flow throughout your site is quite logic, regardless if it's a warehouse or a production site. With our systematic approach we can easily find common functions that can be identified as configurable modules for repetitive use. This is the Toyota way of working: separating repetitive flows from unique ones within the process.
Lean thinking
Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are ideal to use for your repetitive flows. Together we will identify the flows where automation will add the most value and take on your automation journey step by step. When we have identified which flows to automate, lean thinking will help us eliminate waste, and standardise processes to make automation smoother.
Let’s take a look at this manufacturing site to see which processes can easily be carried out by AGVs and take the first step...
Where would you like to start your journey?
In the put-away area pallets are transported from the inbound area, typically floor buffers, to a storage area, which is often a floor buffer or racking.
In production sites or warehouses there is always a need for replenishment of material such as pallets with parts that are taken to the production lines or picking areas that are restocked.
Where pallets are moved, there are often simple transportations from one specific station to another specific station. In distribution centres where pallets are directly transported from inbound to outbound this is called cross-docking.
In a warehouse or manufacturing site, there are always a lot of empty pallets as goods have been used or picked. Empty pallets are also needed to place picked items or finished goods from the production on.
Pallets with finished goods are picked up at a temporary storage or the wrappers close to production or picking areas, and dropped off at the outbound area, typically floor buffers or deep stacks, waiting to be loaded into lorries.
Our automated vehicles
Pallet transport, storage in racking or on the floor or just-in-time delivery of goods, our Autopilots and Radioshuttle can take care of all the repetitive load handling in your warehouse.
Automated horizontal carrier
- Fork-free automated single pallet handling
- Perfect for A-to-B and loop transport
- Seemless pallet handover to the automated warehouse trucks
Automated warehouse trucks
- Designed to automate repetitive pallet handling
- Allows for pallet transport, block stacking, mixed pallet handling and high-level storage
- Manual operation possible
Automated tow trains
- Fork-free automated pallet and item handling
- Perfect for just-in-time delivery and milkruns
- Manual operation possible
Semi-automated shuttles
- High-density, deep storage solution with 80% space utilisation
- Increased throughput
- Ideal for coldstore operations
- Also fully automated solution available with Swarm automation storage
AGVs at Jaylo and SKF
Toyota automated trucks support 24/7 operations
To cover the long-distance transport through the tunnel, 4 RAE160s, automated reach trucks were implemented at Jaylo and 2 SAE160s, automated stackers at SKF.
Pallets are now moved via a fully automated tunnel with the help of the AGVs continuously in both directions. This has helped to establish just-in-time deliveries with minimal waiting times, reducing the costs of the deliveries and gaining productivity and efficiency.
Integrated solutions
Wide expertise
Our systems integration group specialises in state-of-the-art automation applications for order preparation, product sortation and high-density storage technologies. Controlled with modular Warehouse Execution Systems (WES), these are designed to optimise our customers’ material handling operations.
Close co-operation with Vanderlande
We also work together with our sister company Vanderlande, global market leader for value-added logistic process automation, along which we offer a wide range of fully automated solutions for airports, warehouses and the parcel industry.
Our automated offer
In order to optimise efficiency and flexibility in your warehouse, Toyota offers different types of automation products and components. These will support you in your journey to automate material handling processes.
Contact us
Contact us
First name Last Name
Logistics Solutions Manager
+12 345 6789
firstnamelastname@toyota-industries.eu