Electric overhead monorail system and rack storage for BMW Berlin, Germany

The BMW plant in Berlin is the main plant of BMW-Motorcycles. Since the late 1960s Motorcycles have been produced there.

Now, the production facilities is to be adapted to the latest requirements. So, the electric overhead monorail system (EMS), which transports the motors from the motor production to the assembly line for shoring, is now being completely renewed after 34 years of use.

In the future, the motors will be delivered on trays either directly to the assembly line or will be temporarily stored in a two aisle rack warehouse and accessed from there as required. The warehouse holds the motors on trays on 2 levels. It is approx. 2 m high and has 390 double-deep storing spaces.

We are pleased to have received this order from BMW, because we can look back on a long cooperation: As early as 1997, the driverless floor transport system, which allows the ergonomic assembly of motorcycles, was also supplied and put into operation by AFT. In 2015, the system was expanded to include additional vehicles.

AWT project – Connection to the new children’s and youth’s clinic at the Haukeland University Hospital

Source: Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen

The University Hospital Haukeland in Bergen is the largest hospital in Norway by number of beds and is also the largest employer in the region with approximately 12,000 employees. The building complex has already been expanded several times and adapted to the new requirements.

A new children’s and youth’s clinic has been planned at the Haukeland University Hospital since the late 1990s. In 2016, the first construction phase called BUS1 was completed and put into operation. By 2023, further construction phases (BUS2) will be finished.
The BUS2 project has a total gross area of approximately 50,000 m². The building consists of three underground floors (levels U3, U2, U1) and four above-ground building complexes of different sizes and heights from level 01 to level 06.
The route for the automatic container transport system (AWT) runs on the underground floors. The AWT-system is required, among other things, for the supply and disposal of waste, laundry and food. At the beginning of the 1980s, the AWT system was supplied and installed by Translift Schweiz AG. The facility has been expanded several times since then as the hospital complex has continued to grow. The last expansion took place in 2008 when the new laboratory building was connected to the AWT-system. This expansion has already been carried out by AFT Schopfheim.
Now the new children’s and youth clinic is to be connected underground to the existing AWT-system. AFT supplies and assembles 5 tons of steel auxiliary / suspension constructions, several meters of electric overhead monorail, various single and double switches, lifting / lowering stations, a total of 33 accumulating conveyors, 3 simple transverse transfer carriages and 1 transverse transfer carriage with rotating device.
The electrical system is contributed by Siemens Bergen.

Intercompany order for the BBA plant in Shenyang Tiexi (China)

In early June 2020, AFT Shanghai received an order to integrate new model series, including electric cars, into the existing body shop at the BBA plant in Shenyang Tiexi (joint venture with BMW, China).

Here the electric monorail systems (EMS) are expanded, new EMS vehicles are delivered and numerous hangers are adapted to the new requirements. AFT Schopfheim will carry out the engineering and purchasing of relevant purchased parts. All work on site in China, such as steel construction, manufacturing, assembly and commissioning, will be carried out by AFT Shanghai.

Modernisation of conveyor technology in the body shop at BMW Dingolfing, Germany

In October 2019, AFT Schopfheim received the order for modernisation measures at the body shop in Dingolfing plant.

Here the conveyor technology is raised to the new technology standard and thus made fit for a third runtime. In particular, all drive technology is brought up to date. Since the conversions are only possible in production-free time, the project will run for about 3 years.

Conversion at the Volkswagen commercial vehicle plant in Hannover, Germany

As part of the drive for electromobility, the fully electric version of the VW Transporter, the ID.BUZZ, is also to be produced at the VW plant in Hannover.

The ID.BUZZ requires a different kind of “wedding”, unlike the common VW Transporter, so that an additional assembly line must be set up. AFT Schopfheim convinced the customer in the offer phase with sophisticated technical solutions and received the order to adapt the existing electric monorail system in the final assembly to the new requirements. AFT adjusts the new conveying flow accordingly and delivers additional heavy-duty vehicles with hangers. In order to achieve the highest possible degree of ergonomics when working on the vehicles, the hangers are also equipped with lifting devices. The special feature of this conversion is the automatically changeable body mounts, so that both vehicle types, the T7 and the ID.BUZZ, can be produced on the same system.

“After the huge project for VW in Zwickau, we are very happy to support VW’s electromobility initiative in the commercial vehicle plant in Hannover,” says Heiko Hofmann, CEO of the AFT-Group. “We very much appreciate the great trust that VW has in our company.”

DAW commissions AFT as general contractor for a modification of the logistics center

In February of this year, AFT successfully received an order as general contractor for the delivery of a highly automated order picking system with a 6-aisle rack warehouse, cross transfer conveyor, pallet conveyor technology, EMS system and control system to DAW SE.

With an experience of 125 years in the field of coating systems, the family owned company DAW SE with its headquarters in Ober-Ramstadt, Germany is the largest private manufacturer of construction paints in Europe with its well-known brands such as Caparol or Alpina.

In order to automate the warehouse for the transport of paint buckets and containers on pallets, the installation should begin in late summer 2021. Already in the offer phase, AFT was able to support the customer in cooperation with the planning office Dobülog with experience and know-how in the finalization of the offer concept. The customer’s wishes, both in terms of technology and processes, were always in the foreground for AFT and were taken into account in the concepts presented on site and implemented accordingly. The constructive elaboration has already started, so that the first manufacturing of the components can begin soon.

AFT is looking forward to a good and successful cooperation!

Electric overhead monorail for cockpit assembly at VW in Hannover

In 2018, AFT Schopfheim was commissioned to extend the electric overhead monorail system in cockpit assembly,

to equip it with two scissors lifts and two lift tables and to supply 65 new drives for accommodation of the load carriers. A challenge in the conversion was the complete replacement of the electrical control, without disturbing the production – which was successfully accomplished. The entire conversion was completed on time and to the great satisfaction of the customer.
In the VW commercial vehicles plant in Hanover, the so called “Bulli” transporter is produced. The converted cockpit system transports the cockpits from production through an adhesive system to the installation site. Here, the cockpit of the VW transporter is installed with the help of a handling device by the worker. AFT is currently preparing the system for the fully automatic installation of the cockpit by the handling device.
In September, AFT Schopfheim received the order to extend the electric monorail in the cockpit assembly and connect it to another cockpit assembly line.

Conversion of Electric overhead monorails (EMS) and floor conveyors in the final assembly of the Volkswagen Zwickau plant

Following the contract for the body shop last year, AFT received the order for the conversion and adaptation of the conveyor technology in the final assembly.

As part of the transformation of the Zwickau plant into the competence center for electromobility of Volkswagen, existing conveyor technology must be adapted and expanded. Thus, various conveyors, including heavy load conveyors, need to be adapted and converted. Even existing AFT systems must be prepared for the changing requirements of electromobility. As it was already the case with the body shop contract, AFT Schopfheim was commissioned with the adaptation and new delivery of various electric overhead monorail systems. AFT Bautzen, the specialist for floor conveyor technology in the AFT-Group, will be responsible for the modification of converters and push-skid technology. Two new skid conveyor systems are also needed for the delivery of the battery and for wheel installation. In addition, belt conveyor technology in the finish must be adapted to the new vehicle types. In the autumn 2020, these plants will go into operation. According to VW’s plan, only electric cars will be manufactured in Zwickau at the end of 2020.
“We are pleased to continue to take our part in Volkswagen’s electromobility offensive,” said Heiko Hofmann, CEO of the AFT Group.

Construction completion and first ID. Offline ceremony of SAIC VOLKSWAGEN MEB Plant

BDC (body distribution center) ASRS system

The SAIC Volkswagen MEB plant is the first in the world to be newly built for the MEB platform model.

It is the most efficient and purest electric vehicle factory in China. AFT implemented the BDC (body distribution center) ASRS system, which achieves an excellent and efficient sorting painted body storage function from paint shop to the final assembly shop.

Launch celebration of 58 days GA shop modification at FAW-VW Changchun CP2 plant

Project Team of AFT Shanghai

The modification of final assembly shop of Changchun No. 2 plant will improve the production capacity, improve efficiency, reduce logistics costs, reduce the number of stations and integrate production lines.

Under the 58-days serious timing, AFT project team completed an efficient and reliable chassis line modification project.