Ashok Leyland, headquartered in Chennai, is a leading Indian multinational automotive manufacturer. It ranks as the second-largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in India, the third-largest bus manufacturer globally, and the tenth-largest truck manufacturer worldwide. The company operates seven factories in India and has two overseas plants in the UAE and the UK.
Ashok Leyland’s engine production process required operators to manually push heavy engines, weighing up to 400 kg, on trolleys from the test cell to the dressing area. The test cell is the section of the factory where each engine undergoes rigorous testing to ensure it meets performance and safety standards before proceeding to the next stage. Once testing is completed, the engines are moved to the dressing area, where final fittings and assembly work take place before they are prepared for delivery.
This task involved multiple operators, creating ergonomic challenges and safety risks. Additionally, engines were not promptly picked up once ready from the test cell, which created bottlenecks at the dressing cell and delayed the delivery timelines. The client sought an automation solution that could efficiently and safely transport the engines, working seamlessly alongside human operators to eliminate delays and improve operational efficiency.
Fleet of 3 MAG300 Lifters to Automate Engine Transfer
Botsync designed a solution that utilized 3 MAG300 Lifters alongside a custom designed call panel system. The call panels were designed to let the operators confirm whenever an engine is ready for pickup. The system which was integrated with SyncOS™ would then automatically assign the most suitable MAG300 AMR to pick up the engine and transport it to the dressing area for further processing.
In parallel, SyncOS™ would also instruct the MAG fleet to deliver an empty trolley to the original pick up point to ensure that the operators are able to continue their operations without any downtime.