Delivering components via drone: the SEAT smart factory
Reduced delivery times, more flexibility, efficiency and environmental awareness: these are the advantages of using drones in the supply chain for the Martorell plant.
In recent years, drones have become increasingly popular, being used for a range of very different purposes. One of these is aerial delivery of small and medium-sized packages, with the major benefit of increasing the speed.
SEAT headquarters in Martorell is the first plant in the whole of Spain to set up a drone delivery service, connecting the Sesé Group’s logistics centre in Abrera to its own facility.
Aerial delivery
The first components delivered through the air to the production line are steering wheels and airbags. The pilot project is being carried out under the supervision of the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA) and will go forward in an experimental phase with several flights per day.
The addition of drones will improve flexibility on the production lines by connecting the just over two kilometre distance that separates both facilities for just in time fast deliveries in only 15 minutes, a process which is currently done by truck and takes 90 minutes.
SEAT and industry 4.0
Drone-based deliveries represent a concrete step towards reducing CO2 emissions: the drones’ batteries are, indeed, charged with energy from renewable sources.
It is also further evidence of SEAT’s global commitment to Industry 4.0, which also involves an ambitious transformation of the Martorell plant – smarter, more digitalised and connected, with the goal of increasing efficiency, flexibility and sustainability.
Smart factory
SEAT is undergoing a transformation process to become a smart factory and is adapting all its production activities to the digital environment with the most disruptive technologies on the market.
As an example of this transformation, SEAT plans its supply chain with simulation tools or smart picking and navigation systems for the autonomous robots which operate inside the plant. In addition to this are softwares based on big data and artificial intelligence to monitor and control the main facilities and infrastructure of the supply chain in real time.
Source: SEAT S.A.