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Since 1935, Alfons Venjakob GmbH & Co. KG in Gütersloh has been producing high-quality furniture using traditional craftsmanship on an area of over 35,000 m². Over 190 specialists manufacture chairs, tables and furniture for living and dining rooms. In order to work more efficiently in an increasingly competitive market and to future-proof its intralogistics, Venjakob decided to launch a pilot project with automated guided vehicles (AGV) from ek robotics.

The challenges of a diverse product range

Like many companies in the furniture industry, Venjakob faces the challenge of a wide range of products: no two transport loads are the same. This diversity places special demands on material transportation in the warehouse. In order to increase flexibility and efficiency, a customized AGV with two vehicles was implemented to manage the material flows between different warehouse areas. "Efficient use of space was essential during planning," emphasizes Fabian Terpelle, Head of Operations Organization at Venjakob.  The narrow routes and the irregular load placed particularly high demands on the AGV solution. "ek robotics offers turnkey special solutions, which we urgently need due to our broad product range," adds Terpelle. Thanks to the customer-specific adaptations, Venjakob did not have to compromise on the dimensions of its furniture during product development. 

Customized solutions for individual production

ek robotics developed an automation concept for Venjakob based on the modular VARIO MOVE series. The standardized vehicles were modified to meet the special requirements of the furniture manufacturer: extended forks and additional sensors, such as TIM scanners to detect the load width and sensors in the forks to detect the load length, enable the handling of a wide variety of loads. With the duplex lift mast, the vehicles can store loads up to four meters high, including long goods on Euro pallets.  Safety equipment - including personal protection laser scanners, visual and acoustic signals - ensures smooth and safe operation in the narrow and sometimes difficult to see routes. As early as the planning phase, the feasibility was tested using an envelope curve analysis and simulations of the complex driving maneuvers

Increased efficiency and future-proofing

A key result of the project at Venjakob is the saving of valuable working time: "Our employees can now concentrate on value-adding activities while the AGV takes over the material flow," says Terpelle. This enables consistently high product quality without additional personnel costs. Venjakob was particularly impressed by the training provided by the ek Academy: "We are now able to make adjustments to the system ourselves and develop it further - without external support."

Conclusion: Successful automation in furniture production 

The pilot project at Venjakob shows how driverless transport systems can increase efficiency and flexibility in traditional craft businesses. The tailor-made AGV solution has not only optimized material flows, but also laid the foundation for future expansion. By working closely with ek robotics, Venjakob was able to develop a system that is perfectly tailored to the specific requirements of their product range. Following the successful completion of the pilot project, Venjakob plans to extend the AGV to other production areas and develop additional solutions that can be used independently of the current project. "Automation is a decisive step for us to meet the requirements of Industry 4.0 and to future-proof our intralogistics," summarizes Terpelle.