Autonomous mobile robots simplify
intralogistics at Diva International
Diva International has upgraded the transport of
wet wipes in its production facility using a machine
controller and ve autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)
from OMRON. This has resulted in a safer, more e cient
process, which keeps track of each step - from the order
through to ful lment in the warehouse.
For over 30 years, Diva International has produced and
distributed products for personal care and cleaning.
Based in Umbria, Italy, the company has grown considerably.
Its production plant in Spello currently occupies 20,000
square metres. The site recently decided to deploy a new
robotic system for palletising the wet wipes it produces,
to optimise effi ciency and the use of limited space.
Diva International has upgraded the transport of wet wipes in its
production facility.
The modernisation project was handled by FM Vision,
which works closely with OMRON Industrial Automation.
OMRON helped the company to develop a fully automated
solution that uses fi ve AMRs for loading and unloading
packaged batches of wet wipes from the end of the line
to the palletising stations.
The year-long development project also involved a
complete revision of the control architecture. An OMRON
Sysmac NJ machine controller (NX701) was installed to
provide holistic management of the data, from ordering
to fulfi lment. A tracking history was also created for the
plant’s coordinated activities.
Improving end-of-line logistics
The new robotic system met Diva’s need to upgrade
its end-of-line logistics without having to expand the
existing warehouse, which contains fi ve production lines.
The complete automation of the manual process of sorting
the packages to pallets had to take into account a series
of challenges in terms of safety, speed and cleanliness.
The biggest challenge was to design a system for loading
12 cardboard boxes in the shortest possible time, whilst
managing 60 diff erent formats (from 40x60 to 400x600mm)
and weights ranging from 300g to 12kg.
The modernisation project was handled by FM Vision that developed a fully automated solution with ve AMRs.
Augusto Falchetti, Owner of FM Vision, observes: „A sorting
and conveyor system for packages with such different
formats would have proved too difficult, due to problems
of space, cost and safety. A flow of 120 pallets, each with
70 packs, means that over 8,000 packs needed to be moved
each day.“
Another challenge was that the production area had to be
kept separate from the palletising area, due to potential
contaminants and fire regulations. This was why the sorting
operations were entrusted to five mobile robots from
OMRON. These were programmed to transport the boxes
leaving the production lines to the palletising stations.
Overcoming the challenges
OMRON’s AMRs can move independently within the
work environment, deciding which path to take to the
destination. Their navigation system is based on a map of
the premises and a dynamic reading of the environment.
A laser scanner allows the AMRs to ‘see’ up to 15m away
and at an angle of 250°. Their movements are managed
by a series of sensors and controls. The big advantage over
traditional automated guided vehicles (AGVs) lies in their
ability to avoid obstacles, including people.
“All this translates into a dramatic reduction in waiting time,”
explains Luca Polzoni, Data Analyst at Diva.
“When an obstacle is detected on the path, the robot
can always find an alternative route by performing a
recalculation in real time.”
An important part of the project focused on the
engagement and disengagement operations between
the AMRs and the conveyor belts at the loading and
unloading stations. The challenges included some design
constraints, as the robot wasn’t allowed to move beyond
800mm from the conveyor belt.
The frame of the fixed station was therefore designed to
have an adjustable height so that it could manage the
batches of four boxes on each of three levels. Augusto
Falchetti explains: “Between the trolleys mounted on the
robots and the belts on the loading and unloading stations,
the positioning has to be calibrated almost to the millimetre.
The robot engages the trolley frame by intersecting its
combs with those of the fixed station for the entire length
of the belt. When the engagement is complete, the levels of
the fixed station are raised by 2cm by a series of motorised
rollers, which remove the packages from the robot.“
Everything happens within very narrow tolerances of
position and speed. The robot’s movement must be precise:
even one degree of error could compromise the process.
Therefore, magnetic strips with a maximum tolerance of
about one degree were used in the final section. The robot
moves autonomously until it places itself on the magnetic
strip, whilst the navigation system monitors the surrounding
environment.
By using autonomous robots, FM Vision also minimised
energy consumption. On average, the robots have been
programmed to recharge every 20 minutes, going from a
minimum of 70% residual charge to approximately 90%.
This prevents the stop from being too long or too frequent.
In addition to the five AMRs, OMRON also supplied the
Sysmac machine controller. This guides the whole process,
from the arrival of the order to the sorting of packages on
the palletising islands and their dispatch to the warehouse.
It presides over all operations that involve interactions with
the company’s databases.
Paolo Capezzuoli, Field Application Engineer Motion
Specialist at OMRON Industrial Automation Europe, says:
“We worked with FM Vision to protect the whole system by
isolating it in a software bubble. This creates a customised
communication channel for interfacing with third-party
software and managing the robot very easily, solving any
difficulties generated by the machine programs and the
stop and restart procedures. When the machine controller
sees a problem in the real world, it can stop the palletising
robot with a single stop sequence.”
The most complex aspect involves the wireless
communication with the AMRs for generating jobs.
This activity passes through the mobile planner: a fleet
manager developed by OMRON that assigns tasks to the
mobile robots based on certain conditions (such as battery
level and proximity to the pick-up point). It also defines
the most intelligent routes for avoiding collisions and
reductions in speed.
Once a task is assigned, there is direct communication with
the AMR through the wireless communication protocol.
From the user interface, all AMR data can be monitored.
The machine controller informs each assignee of the relative
position of the other robots, whilst allowing autonomy
on the route. It can also be used to take advantage of a
procedure for restoring and releasing missing or damaged
packages through a special fault area: a ‘free zone’ in which
pending tasks can be reworked.
In addition to the ve AMRs, OMRON also supplied the Sysmac machine
controller.
Increased eciency, safety and exibility
The new automated solution has enabled Diva to streamline
its logistics operations, especially those related to transport
from the end of the line to the palletising island. Without
changing the space available, the company can now take
advantage of two separate areas - one for the end of the
line and the other for palletisation. These are connected
continuously by the automated transport of the packaged
products via the AMRs.
Luca Polzoni says: “The mobile robots self-adapt to the
available slots and have the necessary certifications,
including safety, to operate in the same environment as
the operators. In about one and a half minutes, they
complete their journey, which averages 10 metres, plus
loading and unloading, carrying a dozen packages to
the palletising island.”
Apart from labour savings (allowing employees to be
retrained for less menial tasks), the new automated system
has helped to eliminate human errors relating to data
management in the warehouse. It has also provided a more
effective management of anomalies. The integration with
the IT system is vital. On one hand, it takes the information
for generating the production batch and bringing it to the
forklift driver, who takes away the pallet. On the other hand,
it recovers all the data and processing steps for traceability.
The flexibility of the OMRON robots, and the ability to
create a dynamic association between the database and
a real task, allow Diva to have a complete view of orders
and individual data transfers from its information system.
This level of integration allows the company to be open
to the world of artificial intelligence - in which data isn’t
a simple repository of information but also a useful asset
for improving application conditions.
Paolo Cocchioni, Diva International’s Commercial Director,
concludes: „For a world leader in the sale of wet wipes,
it’s essential to be able to rely on a level of automation that
can support the production of about 60 million packs a
year. This modernisation allows us to carry out the work
even in the presence of staff, meeting deadlines whilst
also complying with hygiene and safety rules.“
The AMRs can move independently within the work environment, deciding which path to take to the destination.
Results: A safer, more ecient process, which keeps track of each step - from the order through to fullment in the warehouse.
About Diva International
For over 30 years, Diva International s.r.l. has produced and distributed products for personal care and well-being, home hygiene
and pet cleanings, both under its own brand and on behalf of third parties. In the Umbrian factory in Spello, the company follows
every single design and production phase. The adoption of modern data detection, automation and robotics solutions allow the
achievement of high production performance in compliance with rigorous quality standards for the finished product. In order
to measure and reduce its ecological footprint, the company supports and develops sustainable projects for people and the
environment, from the choice of materials to the resources used for the production and handling of its products. For more details,
visit www.divaint.it
About FM Vision
FM Vision specialises in automatic inspection machines with artificial vision systems in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors.
The company has been involved since 1997 in the design and construction of machines and automatic systems for online quality
control, using 2D and 3D artificial vision. FM Vision is the head of a consortium of companies with a high level of specialisation for
covering all needs, from the feasibility study, to the design and production of mechanical and electrical components, through to
commissioning. Since 2007, it had been an OMRON Solution Partner and since 2015 it has made use of a division (FM Vision Robotics)
that designs and manufactures automatic end-of-line systems that use OMRON mobile robots and industrial robots. For more details,
visit www.fmvision.it
About OMRON
As a leading company of automation centred on its proprietary Sensing & Control + Think technologies, OMRON Corporation is
engaged in a wide range of businesses, including control equipment, electronic components, social systems, healthcare, and the
environment. OMRON, founded in 1933, has approximately 30,000 employees worldwide and provides products and services in
approximately 120 countries and regions. In the field of industrial automation, OMRON supports manufacturing innovation by
providing advanced automation technologies and products, as well as through extensive customer support, in order to help
create a better society. For more information, visit OMRON‘s website: www.industrial.omron.eu.
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