Welltec leverages employee resources better with Global AGV

With a Global AGV, Welltec can

• Transport raw materials from the saw to production.
• Optimize the utilization of employee resources.
• Create a better flow in production.
• Future-proof their setup.

Efficiency improvement and better utilization of employee competencies created a need for automation

Located by the roaring waves of the North Sea in Esbjerg, Welltec develops and produces hi-tech solutions for the energy sector worldwide. Welltec's groundbreaking products are designed to optimize well performance in any environment, and their solutions have helped customers increase operational efficiency and reduce their CO2 footprint in a safe and sustainable manner for over 25 years.

Welltec's factory in Esbjerg runs like a well-oiled machine, with large robot systems supplying the CNC machines with components and tools. Since the establishment of the factory, there has been a strong focus on automating workflows, both to ensure increased efficiency and to create a better working environment.

As part of this process, Welltec introduced a Global AGV to transport raw materials to and from the production area. This has ensured a smooth flow without bottlenecks, freed up employee time, and minimized interruptions in production. Haris Medosevic, CNC Coordinator at Welltec in Esbjerg, explains, "Previously, when we had to transport raw materials from the saw to our CNC department, the saw operator had to drive back and forth. Today, we let the AGV handle it. That means we don't have to take someone out of production just to fetch a pallet."

Particularly the shortage of employees with forklift certification has posed challenges. "There is a significant shortage of employees with forklift certifications in the CNC department. That has made us heavily dependent on those individuals whenever a pallet needed to be transported to a new location, and it has sometimes limited us. With the planning of our workflows, we can now assign the AGV to retrieve the different pallets we need, without requiring the saw operator to go and fetch them," adds Haris Medosevic.

Challenges with wheel spin were solved through a software upgrade

When new technology is implemented in a production environment, it often brings local challenges. The same was true at Welltec. The floors in the area where the AGV was to operate were very slippery, making it difficult for the AGV to gain traction which resulted in wheel spins on the smooth floor. With navigation primarily relying on wheels (80%) rather than sensors (20%), it caused navigation issues.

Technicians addressed the problem by updating the underlying software, shifting the control more towards the sensors. According to Haris Medosevic, there have been no issues with the collaboration with Global AGV.

"We recently upgraded our AGV, which brought several improvements. The challenge was that the AGV's navigation relied 80% on wheels and 20% on sensors. However, due to our very smooth floor, it caused wheel spin, causing the AGV to think it was one meter ahead or behind its actual position. The team at Global AGV has been a great help, always ready to assist. After some tests, they provided a solution that works 110%. So our collaboration with Global AGV has been excellent."

Looking a few years into the future, it is clear that the AGV will be incorporated into future expansions of the production lines as well. Haris Medosevic states, "The plan is to expand eventually, and in that process, Global AGV will also be involved in transporting materials and filling the spaces in production."

The automatic transportation of raw materials from the saw to the CNC department is carried out by the Global AGV at Welltec in Esbjerg. This has made it possible to utilize knowledge and employee competencies in a much better way, benefiting both the employees themselves and the company. ​