Valeo: Automotive supplier throttles up operations with smart robots

The world may know Valeo as an automotive parts supplier, but the Paris-based manufacturer considers itself a tech company-one that designs "innovative solutions for smart mobility" (think driver-monitoring systems, high-definition radar sensors, and smart cameras). Yet the company recently found itself in need of a smart mobility solution for its own operations. To be precise, it needed a way to streamline its truck loading and unloading processes, which had become a critical bottleneck in its parts distribution workflow.Valeo's journey began with a comprehensive supply chain analysis that revealed the dock was a major source of inefficiency. The repetitive handling of parts moving between production and storage was leading to excessive time spent loading and unloading trucks, slowing down the entire operation.Faced with the challenge of increasing throughput without disrupting its existing processes, Valeo sought a solution that could seamlessly integrate into its workflow. Traditional methods involving forklifts and multiple product touches were proving inadequate for the demands of its growing operations. Valeo needed something more innovative-something that could deliver speed, safety, and simplicity.NO MORE BOTTLENECKSEnter Slip Robotics, a Norcross, Georgia-based company that provides automated truck loading/unloading robots on a robots-as-a-service basis. Slip Robotics deployed 26 of its SlipBot units at Valeo's Seymour, Indiana, campus, directly addressing the bottlenecks that had plagued its dock operations. These automated smart robots-large (17- by 8-foot) autonomous mobile platforms designed to hold loads of up to six tons-were integrated at the end of Valeo's production lines, where they took over the task of transporting finished goods directly into trailers for shipment to offsite warehouses.As a result, Valeo was able to reduce its truck loading and unloading times sixfold, according to the two companies."It took us 30 minutes to load or unload a trailer with forklifts. Now it's five minutes! That increased throughput lets us do up to six trailer moves in the same amount of time and unlocks different material flows," said Quinn Saevre, supply chain CIM manager at Valeo, in a statement.In addition to cutting loading times sixfold, the new system has reduced forklift traffic eightfold, enhancing safety at the site, according to the companies. The SlipBots also eliminated the need for forklifts to enter trailers, thereby reducing the risk of trailer-separation and other dock-related accidents."THE REAL DEAL"Beyond speed and safety, Slip Robotics also delivered on the simplicity front-by making both deployment and training easy."SlipBots can deploy at any facility without the need for IT integrations, Wi-Fi, dock modifications, or trailer modifications; because of this, we were able to deploy at Valeo in a matter of days," said Mason Cole, head of sales at Slip Robotics, in the statement.The simple deployment and ease of training for Valeo's team allowed them to begin using the SlipBots immediately. This rapid integration meant that Valeo began realizing a return on its investment within the first week of operation, according to the companies."Slip Robotics makes our lives easier and proves that automation doesn't have to be difficult," said Lou D'Allura, productivity manager at Valeo, in the statement. "It's the real deal."