Improvement of Factory Transport Efficiency with Use of WiFi-Based Technique for Monitoring Industrial Vehicles

Abstract

The in-factory transport influences production rate and quality, so it is characterized by the shortest displacement time and maximum utilization of available means of transport, accompanied by their lowest operating wear. In the paper, an improvement of factory transport management is suggested, employing the traffic analysis methods of industrial vehicles. The efficiency of internal logistics was analyzed with the use of the WiFi-based technique for monitoring industrial vehicles. In the research, the in-building location system Optimatik BI was used and implemented in a company manufacturing PVC profiles for the market of building materials and interior equipment. Stopping times of forklift trucks, their routes and covered distances were estimated. On this ground, factors of their effective use were calculated. Further, it was possible to analyze the traffic of the forklift trucks and to generate heat maps that, in turn, made it possible to identify problems and develop a suitable improvement plan. A mathematical model that allows for efficiency optimization by determining the best number of employees handling the transport was developed for one of the analyzed logistics tasks.