Automotive giant BMW Group asserted adoption of automated logistics using a cloud-based traffic control system at its plant in Regensburg, Germany brought it closer to realising its concept of the digital factory of the future.

The logistics platform provides route guidance and sets priorities for autonomous machines transporting parts to the production line.

BMW’s Automated Transport Services (ATS) system connects more than 140 smart transport robots and almost 50 automated tugger trains used to move assets around the site. Between them, around 10,000 parts are delivered every working day.

The company indicated the logistics behind its manufacturing process are “extremely complex”, given it had cars rolling off the production line in Regensburg every 57 seconds which are built to individual specifications from thousands of components.

Its smart transport robots are used to deliver components weighing up to a tonne, while small parts are often supplied by the tugger trains.  

“The components and individual parts required for production always need to be in the right place in the plant’s vehicle assembly at the right time…and in the correct order”, it added, a task being aided by the cloud platform.

BMW claimed the ATS system “enables smooth and precisely timed delivery of materials, as well as maintaining intelligent traffic flow in the assembly hall. It also provides optimal route guidance, based on delivery priorities, and ensures transport devices are sensibly parked and their batteries sufficiently charged”.

The move is the latest step in BMW’s iFactory plan, which it claims “sets the bar in terms of the future of production”, with an increased use of cutting-edge digital technologies set to be rolled out across its facilities globally.

BMW first outlined the plan in 2022.