For the first time in Germany
Drones relieve plant traffic at ZF
At the ZF Friedrichshafen site, a drone prototype flies spare parts from the central warehouse to decentralized workshops.
These are still test flights that bring parts such as sensors or control cards to the delivery locations over a distance of up to 1 km - often to the upper floors of buildings. ZF Friedrichshafen is the first company in Germany to receive official approval for automated drone flights on factory premises.
As soon as the test phase has been completed, drones will relieve the burden on plant traffic and save time. In the medium term, other companies could also use the delivery drones industrialized by ZF on their premises. In the long term, according to ZF, they could even be used outside the factory premises, for example to facilitate parcel delivery in residential areas that are difficult to access.
3 kg pure payload
The six-engine drone can transport up to 5 kg of weight by air - after deducting the gripper and transport box, 3 kg of pure payload remains. This is sufficient for the vast majority of spare parts and tool transports on the company premises.
Safety is of course also the top priority when transporting goods by drone: the 30 km/h hexacopter flies mainly over the roofs of the factory buildings and only crosses driveways and footpaths where it cannot be avoided. In addition, the battery, which lasts for around 30 to 40 minutes of electric flight, is designed to be just as redundant as the propellers and motors. The drone remains maneuverable even if one motor fails.
"At the IAA Commercial Vehicles, we recently demonstrated the technology we are using to drive forward the automation of the depot; with the drone, we are now adding another stage to the transport chain," says Fredrik Staedtler, Head of the ZF Commercial Vehicle Technology Division. "With approvals from the Stuttgart Regional Council and German Air Traffic Control for the automated drone flights, we can speed up the logistics processes at the plant."
You might also be interested in
Drone use in the business environment
Intel and Deutsche Messe want to demonstrate the wide range of applications for drones in companies at Cebit 2017: In the 'Intel Cebit Drone Park', visitors will be able to experience the digital value chain surrounding unmanned aerial vehicles.
read more...Flying cabs about to enter the market
Cab drones are to transport passengers in Dubai from summer 2017 - this has now been announced by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The 'Ehang 184' vertical take-off aircraft, which has successfully completed all flight tests, is to be...
read more...Drones as flying plant guards
The future of pipeline, plant and overhead line monitoring could lie in flying inspection systems. Siemens has already taken up this topic and is relying on sensor-equipped drones and intelligent 3D image analysis, among other things.
read more...MTCON and Sensor-Technik Wiedemann combine expertise
MTConnectivity power2pcb (MTCON) has a new shareholder: Sensor-Technik Wiedemann (STW) has held a stake in the power element manufacturer since the end of 2019.
read more...Electromobility / green electricity
Intelligent charging saves fossil fuels
Charging electric cars can overload the electricity grid and lead to fossil fuel power plants having to step in. This is unnecessary and leads to high costs for grid operators. BMW and Tennet want to change this.
read more...Service robotics at Conrad Electronic
Sales robots in use around the clock
To provide its customers with a 24/7 shopping experience in Berlin Schöneberg, Conrad Electronic has now deployed a sales robot. The robot 'Alex' is designed to provide a high-tech shopping experience. It comes from the manufacturer pi4_robotics.
read more...Ridesharing field test in Paris
Renault tests Zoe as a robo-taxi
Renault launches a ridesharing field trial in Paris with two autonomous Zoe robo-taxis. The two prototypes have been specially modified. In addition to the technology for automated driving, they have a modified interior with multimedia and on-board...
read more...Robots for the hospital of the future
ABB has opened its first global Health Care Hub dedicated specifically to healthcare research on the campus of the Texas Medical Center (TMC) in Houston, Texas. A number of technology concepts were presented at the opening, including a mobile YuMi...
read more...Weidmüller, Enercity and Wallbe form alliance
Weidmüller Mobility Concepts, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Weidmüller Group, has acquired a 25.1% stake in Paderborn-based Wallbe GmbH from Hanover-based Enercity AG. Wallbe is a full-service provider of e-mobility charging solutions.
read more...