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Internal Production Logistics

Internal production logistics — the pallet flows that feed, connect, and clear production lines — is a named application sector for the J1600. It covers the transport work between storage, staging, lines, and buffers that keeps a factory running but adds no value of its own.

Flows the J1600 automates​

  • Line feeding on demand. An operator picks or prepares a pallet of materials or components; the J1600 delivers it to the production line autonomously.
  • Buffer and staging management. Move pallets between lines, staging areas, and storage zones as production consumes them.
  • Line clearance. Send finished or intermediate goods from the line to storage or the next process step.
  • Local work cells. Serve a stand-alone flow inside a larger facility — a single cell, a single line pair — where a full fleet project would be excessive.

The common pattern is manual pick, autonomous delivery, floor-level drop, and a configured follow-up: return to the operator ("boomerang"), continue to another point, park, or stop and wait. With Advanced software, come-to-me lets a line worker call the robot to their position from a mobile or web interface.

Production-floor behavior​

Production areas mix people, forklifts, and changing obstacles. The J1600 navigates by 3D LiDAR SLAM, continuously updating its map, and avoids obstacles along the route. Preferred travel zones can be defined so autonomous traffic keeps to safer corridors through production areas. A 360-degree, speed-dependent safety field with certified components protects the people around it — see how J1600 safety works.

Urgency stays human: when a line is starving, the operator reprioritizes immediately instead of waiting on a system queue, and can take over any vehicle by grabbing the tiller.

Changing the flow without a project​

Production layouts change with every new product and line rebalance. Adding or moving a delivery point takes minutes: drive there, tap Save location, name it. There is no software limit on saved locations, and no automation engineer is needed — the design principle is that operators, not experts, reconfigure the flow. Basic use requires no Wi-Fi and no connection to manufacturing IT systems; VDA 5050, a REST API, and Fleet Manager are available under Advanced software when integration becomes worthwhile.

Constraints on the factory floor​

Autonomous mode needs indoor, level floors (0% gradeability) with flatness to TR34 FM3; ramps between halls are manual segments. Automatic delivery is at floor level; placing loads at height (up to 1,600 mm) is a manual operation. Operating range is 5–40 °C. See technical specifications.

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