Outcomes, Insights, and Best Practices from IIC Testbeds: Track & Trace Testbed
of these forklifts but were missing the
transparency into the data that would allow
them to meet these goals. So, they began to
equip a forklift with sensor technology, a
solution from a Bosch subsidiary company
(view related video). This technology not
only provides the localization data, but also
provides data about shocks and additional
information from the forklift. Bringing this
data together, Bosch achieves a much better
picture of what is going on in their
production.
with empty loads – results in noticeable
direct savings. They analyze usage, driving
time, brake times, and so on. Feedback from
this analysis enables Bosch to increase
utilization. With detailed understanding of
utilization, new insights may result in
unexpected recommendations, such as
finding it possible to perform the same work
with fewer forklifts. Data is easy to capture
from connected machines standing in one
place, connected to the local area network.
For moving assets, such as forklifts, it is more
and more difficult to capture real-time data
from these moving objects. In a plant, there
are many types of forklift and many suppliers
of these forklifts. So, integration with
different partners was required. Bosch now
has the opportunity to perform analyses on
data that is often not found in a production
environment.
While Bosch was talking to SAP, they learned
of an SAP tool used for external fleet
management – expertise outside of the
Bosch action plan, but sharing certain
logistics principles. The two companies
combined their technologies to create an
intelligent
forklift
solution.
Bosch’s
technology was used to retrofit the forklifts
to collect the data in the plant. Different data
sources are brought together and delivered
to SAP where visualization – heat maps, of
sort – are created to show the movement of
the forklifts and ascertain their loads. This
new generation of innovation has an
ultrasound sensor attached to the front of
the forklift, to detect whether there is a
payload on the forklift or not. They now see
the paths of the forklifts and avoid crashes,
and Bosch also sees which forklifts are
moving along empty and which forklifts are
moving along with a load – creating business
value by providing the data and analysis to
optimize forklift loads.
With localization, a primary objective is to
mount the data on the forklift. In the case of
the forklift, the localization vendor is the
camera system. The camera system detects
the exact movements of the forklift, using
embedded systems to obtain the localization
data. That data is collected while the forklift
is moving, then is transferred as soon as
there is a connection to the local network.
The forklifts are usually connected to the
wireless network. However, if there is a
certain time when they have no connection
as they drive behind small buildings, shelves
and stacked materials, part of the data –
especially the data for safety purposes – is
processed on the camera, on the embedded
system.
With new data transparency for the forklifts,
Bosch gains in process optimization. When
managing a large fleet of forklifts, a small
process improvement – reduction in efforts
of running the forklift; reduction in operating
The camera-based system detects certain
markers on the shelves and on the floor to
obtain the general positioning. The camera
40
June 2017