DYCONEX AG, an MST company and the world’s leading supplier of ultra-complex printed circuit board solutions, successfully tests the production use of self-driving transport robots with a view to automating internal goods flows between departments and clean room zones.

Introduction of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) at DYCONEX marks a further step in the company’s methodical automation of production processes. The AGV system’s primary task is to transport materials between departments. “We aim to make good use of automation technology by relieving our staff of time-consuming transport tasks. For example, there is no need for people to step away from operating machinery or exit beyond clean zones,” explains Stephan Messerli, VP of Operations at DYCONEX.

The AGV system is comprised of various components working closely together to enable completely autonomous transport from shelf to shelf. The transport robots have been adapted to DYCONEX requirements and navigate by themselves, aided by a laser scanner. They react to changes in the working environment, avoiding people and obstacles on their own. Each vehicle calculates an optimal route to its destination on the basis of a stored map. The routing integrates processes for opening doors as well as autonomous floor-to-floor transfers via goods lift. Vehicles communicate via WLAN and organize transport tasks among themselves. Panels for entering transport orders complement the infrastructure. After a test phase lasting several months, the AGV transport system has been in productive operation since last December.