Assistance from Driverless Forklift Truck Secures 30% Growth
Driverless Forklift Truck Eliminates Bottlenecks and Drives Growth at Fasterholt Maskinfabrik
Previously, employees at Fasterholt Maskinfabrik spent 700 hours a year transporting parts from the warehouse to the assembly department. This created a bottleneck when demand for irrigator machines surged after a drought. The staff couldn’t keep up. That problem has now been solved by a driverless forklift truck, making room for growth once again.
Frees up resources for value adding tasks
Scalable and built to last
Enhanced work environment and high employee satisfaction
30% increase in efficiency
Challenge
Fasterholt Maskinfabrik experienced a significant increase in demand for irrigation machines following the drought in 2018. Internal logistics became a bottleneck, as employees spent 700 hours annually on pallet transport. The lack of labor and efficiency threatened both production and the company’s growth potential.
Solution
The company implemented a driverless forklift truck from Global AGV to automate transport from the warehouse to assembly. The system is user-friendly, flexible, and requires minimal external support. It frees up resources and time, allowing employees to focus on core tasks such as picking and assembly.
Gain
Fasterholt has become 30% more efficient – with the same number of employees. The working environment has improved thanks to reduced manual labor, and the employees have embraced the AGV, which is now a valued part of the team. The flexible solution supports both growth and future scalability.
Whether a drought hits potatoes in Denmark, strawberries in Germany, or lettuce in France, Fasterholt’s irrigator machines can ensure the crops sprout and grow.
All it "just" takes is that the company near Brande can keep up with the demand for irrigator machines - of which the family-owned business has produced more than 10,000 since 1958. That became a challenge in 2018, when Denmark experienced its worst drought in 99 years.
The internal supply became a bottleneck
On the background for investing in a driverless forklift truck from Global AGV, Danny Hansen, Plant Manager at Fasterholt Maskinfabrik, says:
"We simply couldn’t keep up with the demand for irrigator machines. That’s why we had to take a close look at our production setup to make it more efficient. It turned out we were spending 700 hours a year transporting goods from the warehouse to the assembly department, and our employees who pick components couldn’t keep up. The driverless forklift truck from Global AGV has freed up time previously spent on transport, which can now be used for component picking - allowing us to keep up with demand."
30% more efficient with the same number of employees
The current setup is that the driverless forklift truck picks up goods from the warehouse and transports them to an internal drop-off point in the assembly department, where a warehouse worker then distributes the individual components to the various workstations.
"The result is that, with the driverless forklift truck from Global AGV, we've become 30% more efficient - with the same staff and in the same amount of time," says Danny Hansen.
Fasterholt Maskinfabrik is Scandinavia’s leading manufacturer of irrigator machines and is experiencing steadily increasing demand - not only in Denmark and Scandinavia, but also throughout the rest of Europe - as farmers seek to water their crops during periods of insufficient rainfall.
Simple and future-proof
Fasterholt Maskinfabrik chose Global AGV after surveying what was available on the market.
"Global AGV stands out by being easy to get familiar with, easy to configure for new and additional routes, and easy for our employees to use in day-to-day operations. There's a control handle that makes it quick and simple to restart the AGV if it stops - or to use it as a regular pallet jack if needed,"
Danny Hansen, Plant Manager at Fasterholt Maskinfabrik
At Fasterholt Maskinfabrik, there are big ambitions for new tasks that the driverless forklift truck will take on in the future. The plan is for it to also deliver goods directly from the cutting machines and lathes to various workstations within the company. And those routes can be programmed by Fasterholt themselves.
"The driverless forklift truck is future-proof, and that’s important. We’re in the process of building a new warehouse with a more central location in relation to our assembly department. So it will take on more tasks and be in much greater use than it is right now. We’ll have nearly 18,000 square meters under roof, where it will be able to move around and handle a wide range of assignments," says Danny Hansen.
Hard to find enough skilled employees
The prospect of continued high activity at Fasterholt Maskinfabrik, combined with smaller graduating classes entering the labor market, has also contributed to the company's focus on automating work tasks.
"The labor we need is becoming harder and harder to find. So we have to automate the kinds of tasks that can be handled by, for example, a Global AGV or robots. And then we need to train the hands we do have as well as we possibly can. The goal is always to increase efficiency to remain competitive - but without working harder," says Danny Hansen.
Less manual labor creates a better work environment
At Fasterholt Maskinfabrik, a good work environment is a high priority, and the driverless forklift truck has helped improve it.
"The employees have welcomed the new driverless forklift truck very well. Initially, the Global AGV has created a better work environment for our warehouse staff, who are now spared a lot of the manual labor that comes with using a traditional truck," says Danny Hansen.
The employees quickly got used to the new blue AGV, which assists with daily tasks. It has even been given the nickname “Tøffe.”
"Everyone values Tøffe just as much as their other colleagues, if you can put it that way. It has become part of the family. It’s called Tøffe because it 'tøffer' (ambles) around among the employees, who actually have ended up working less hard since we got Tøffe. Now they don’t have to use as much physical energy moving pallets and such. So it’s a really great investment," says Danny Hansen.
Excellent service – no downtime
Fasterholt Maskinfabrik places great emphasis on the driverless forklift truck being easy to work with - both when getting to know it, setting it up with routes, and using it daily by the employees. Therefore, the need for external assistance is minimal.
"Whenever we have needed help over the phone, we've been met by Global AGV staff who are both friendly and helpful. When we have needed a technician, one has arrived shortly thereafter. Global AGV understands how important it is for us when purchasing a driverless forklift truck, that it does not experience downtime. Their quick service aligns perfectly with our own mindset - it’s also how we run our business,"
Danny Hansen, Plant Manager at Fasterholt Maskinfabrik
About Fasterholt Maskinfabrik
Fasterholt Maskinfabrik near Brande was founded in 1958 by Agner Thisgaard and Johannes Laursen. Today, the third generation owns and runs the company, which is one of Scandinavia’s largest manufacturers of self-propelled irrigator machines. The goal is to be farmers’ preferred supplier of irrigator systems—based on quality, technology, water capacity, and service. Since 1975, irrigator machines have been Fasterholt Maskinfabrik’s primary product. Initially, the focus was on irrigator systems for potato fields. Today, a wide range of irrigator models is produced for various purposes and for a broad range of markets.
Interested in learning more about Global AGV?
Send us a message, and we'll look at the possibilities.
Or call us at +45 96 69 47 10.
Contact us
We are ready to answer all your
questions and discuss all the possibilities
of production optimisation in your company.