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Automated Solutions for the Automotive Industry

Quality, reliability, performance, and cost have competing needs in manufacturing, but are all critical in the automotive industry. At the same time, customer demands have to be met and laws and regulations complied with.

To meet all of these goals, companies in the automotive industry have to take advantage of innovative technologies throughout their manufacturing and distribution processes. This is especially true as the industry is shaken up in the move to EVs.

PeakLogix is a brand agnostic material handling systems integrator specializing in innovative, bespoke automated solutions that increase consistency and efficiency throughout the manufacturing and distribution processes. We deliver customized solutions tailored to our partner’s needs that address issues ranging from ergonomics and employee safety to fully automated warehousing.

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Current challenges of the automotive industry

Labor cost and scarcity

Even before COVID-19, labor scarcity was an issue for manufacturing and distribution in every industry. Demands for higher wages, the level of education needed to operate modern machinery, and a perception that manufacturing and distribution weren’t viable long-term careers were all issues.

Since the pandemic, Baby Boomers who were qualified to operate machinery either have retired or will soon, and younger generations continue to perceive automation as a threat to jobs in many industries, including automotive. At the same time, they’re re-evaluating their work-life balance in ways that lead them to less physically demanding work than traditional manufacturing jobs could offer.

Frequently updated safety standards

Safety standards in the automotive industry are mainly designed to increase driver and passenger safety, or to mitigate negative environmental effects — which are all laudable goals. Regulations cover everything from a vehicle’s tires and brakes to its batteries and lights, and are created and overseen by both global and local agencies.

Meeting these wide ranging standards is challenging, especially for international businesses dealing with multiple regulatory entities. Even more difficult is meeting the regulations in an industry whose product is constantly innovating to meet consumer demand, and whose regulatory agencies are also trying to innovate — often with little regard to design or manufacturing challenges.

Equipment utility costs

While water, natural gas, and even hydrogen fuel are components of many facility’s utility costs, electricity is the largest monthly charge. Like most facilities in any industry, electricity powers basic processes like lighting and HVAC. But in automotive manufacturing, electricity also powers industrial welders, lifts, robotic painting stations, and more.

Large facilities can easily be overcharged tens of thousands of dollars each year. From New York to Florida, and as far west as California, utility companies everywhere seem to fail to prioritize accurate billing. Using innovative, smart robotics can not only lower utility costs, but also help ensure that the utilities are properly monitored.

Investment in machinery

Especially as the industry shifts to electric vehicles, investments in machinery are at the forefront of the minds of auto manufacturers. Unlike hybrid vehicles, which often use the same powertrain, frame, and overall design of the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle it replaced, electric vehicles require changes in the entire assembly process.

The decisions made today about what machinery to invest in, and how the assembly, storage, and distribution of these new vehicles and all of their parts will be handled, will impact facilities over the next decade or more.

Greenfield vs. brownfield strategies

In deciding where to manufacture a new product, auto manufacturers face the same decision as most industries: To overhaul a brownfield site, or start from scratch on a greenfield site. Greenfield sites have the benefit of being customized to the facility’s needs, but are often farther from urban infrastructure. Brownfield sites, on the other hand, are often closer to industrial centers, but laid out imperfectly for modern, automated, smart manufacturing.

Due to the difference in ICE and electric vehicles, auto manufacturers face an additional challenge. While many OEMs already have facilities that can be refitted for EVs, doing so requires shutting down the operational line of an ICE vehicle. Balancing this loss against the projected gains of a new line can be a gamble, but many manufacturers find this trade off to be the better short-term investment, with plans to scale up to greenfield facilities as sales of EVs increase.

Important considerations when evaluating a systems integration partner for the automotive industry.

Are they consultative?

When partnering with a systems integrator, one of the risks automotive manufacturers face is trying to work with a partner that promises more than they can deliver. The integration partner smiles through consultations and then, behind the scenes, desperately tries to invent the technology they need to deliver on their promises. They miss deadline after deadline until the manufacturer reaches a point of no return – they’re willing to justify their costs by seeing any kind of benefit from their investment. Even if those benefits are well below what was agreed to.

PeakLogix is not that kind of partner. We are fully consultative, and prioritize your goals and needs. We undertake a thorough discovery process so that we understand both the roadblocks you face now and the goals you have for the future. Our solutions are designed to help you move past your roadblocks and scale with your business growth. We don’t offer solutions in a top-down fashion that refuses input and denies questions, but collaborate with you and provide the recommendations we believe will best suit your needs.

Are they vendor agnostic?

Vendor agnostic solutions providers like PeakLogix don’t push their favorite suppliers onto their customers. Instead, we work with our suppliers to find and test the applications for which their product is the best fit. We don’t pitch untested products as viable solutions, but rather look for the best solution that already has a track record of solid performance.

Being open to integrating the best solutions on the market — regardless of their manufacturer — means we can truly optimize solutions for our clients, and quickly adjust to changing demands.

Do they develop tailored solutions for your unique challenges?

Being a consultative, vendor agnostic firm means that we look at every project with fresh eyes. Yes, we have decades of experience that inform our decisions and help us quickly find solutions to problems — but we don’t try to force the same solution onto every client.

Instead, we work with our clients to discover both their pain points and goals. And our approach often leads to two positive outcomes. First, the discovery of unknown root causes to problems that allow us to address systemic issues with solutions of a customized design. And second, the application of scalable solutions that will both meet today’s challenges, and scale in ways the company needs to meet its future goals.

Can they scale to your needs?

The changing urban landscape, an aging workforce, the large-scale adoption of ecommerce, and the increased use of artificial intelligence and machine learning have created challenges and brought opportunities that are continuing to change industries in every sector. Businesses need solutions that are more responsive than ever, with the ability to scale both up and down to meet a company’s growth as well as periodic changes in demand.

PeakLogix has been solving the material-handling needs of companies of every size, and in many industries, for over 30 years. We are dedicated to our own continuous improvement because we know that designing systems that will adapt to your changing business needs means being knowledgeable about changes in the industry. By offering adaptive solutions where appropriate, we bring added value to our partners.

Are they available when you need them?

PeakLogix started in 1989 as a material handling and systems integrator serving clients across the Mid-Atlantic. Over the past 30 years, we’ve completed thousands of successful projects and have grown to become a thought leader in the industry and a national provider of innovative solutions, software systems, and automated technologies.

From the beginning of our working relationships with clients, our team works to discover your goals and challenges. We collaborate with you to develop solutions that meet your needs today and also lay the groundwork for your future growth. When your project is complete, we offer services including 24/7 system support, operator training, and maintenance and repairs.

At PeakLogix, our partnerships are our priority.

What logistics, automation, and distribution solutions should you consider for your automotive operations?

WMS Software (PickPro®)

ScottTech PickPro® is our proprietary Warehouse Management Software (WMS). It’s a fully independent, system-agnostic, web-based software solution that can control all aspects of distribution, and can be tailored to meet the specific needs of the automotive industry.

ScottTech PickPro® can serve as a standalone solution, or integrate with your ERP. It can incorporate AS/RS equipment and all the peripherals, track and manage inventory of both parts and goods, and layer seamlessly with your software architecture to provide granular feedback on, and control of, your operations.

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Pick Modules

Pick modules use pallet or carton flow racks to push eaches, cartons, totes, or containers through a facility. PeakLogix integrates a variety of pick modules that can be tailored to your facility’s needs.

Pick modules can allow operators to pick small parts quickly and reliably, increasing speed and accuracy in assembly, manufacturing, or distribution processes.

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Robotic Palletizers

Robotic palletizing increases the accuracy, consistency, and efficiency of palletizing operations. This not only increases throughput, but also lowers shipping fees and optimizes the use of space in a warehouse by palletizing items more compactly.

Automation can eliminate, or at least reduce, the manual labor associated with palletizing, freeing that labor to move on to more value-adding and rewarding tasks. With the right end-of-arm tool, they can handle everything from the heaviest boxes and pails to the thinnest slip sheets and dunnage.

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AS/RS

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RSs) optimize productivity and operational throughput through the combination of data-driven optimization, warehouse management software, and labor reallocation. In automotive manufacturing especially, the manual storage and retrieval of parts can drain a facility’s profitability. By automating this non-value-adding task, companies can increase both profitability and employee morale.

Any business that deals with the movement and storage of physical goods needs fast, accurate, and efficient storage and retrieval systems. AS/RSs integrate with a facility’s WMS to allow for increased throughput in decanting, reracking, and conveyance of goods; expanded floorspace through the maximization of vertical storage; reduced or avoided capital expenses related to expansions and reallocations; and lowered labor costs.

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AGV

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) enhance productivity and workflow in both manufacturing and distribution facilities. AGVs help streamline processes, decrease delays, and move heavy, bulky materials efficiently and safely.

Guided vehicles use a number of navigational methods, tailored to your facility’s needs. They can be customized and programmed to follow the paths in a facility that are safest for staff and most efficient. They can be an integral part of a facility’s material handling and also programmed for complementary tasks such as trash collection or other housekeeping tasks.

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Vertical Lift Modules

Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs) are ideal for expanding a facility’s footprint by maximizing vertical storage while also improving throughput rates and reducing labor costs. Vertical lift modules can be ideal for small parts and pieces, as they use inserters and extractors to automatically move trays of goods in and out of compact storage. They can also work with cases, totes, and large items.

VLMs provide user-level access for restricted goods, have basic user controls, and integrate with existing software management systems. Because of their small footprint, they optimize vertical space while freeing up valuable floor space.

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Advance your automotive operations.

Schedule a consultation.

Tell us about your needs and we’ll have someone contact you to talk about the various automated material handling solutions for the automotive industry.

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