Valeo GmbH
Mobile workstations with sustainability focus in shipping
Our Customer
Valeo is one of the world‘s largest suppliers of the automotive and commercial vehicle industry. Valeo currently has 28 locations and 8 research and development centers with around 7,200 employees in the German market, in which 30 percent of group sales are generated.
The Wemding location is a production plant and is designed to focus on driver assistance systems, the production of electronic components and steering column switches. In total, Valeo employs around 1,500 people in Wemding on a production area of around 21,000 m2. The most important products include laser scanners, radar systems, camera systems, ultrasonic sensors, rain / light sensors and steering column switches.
Valeo's Challenge
Mobile workstations are used in shipping at Valeo in Wemding. The rolling stations contain a wide label printer at the bottom with WIFI connection and a barcode scanner at the top. The customer can carry out the picking regardless of location.
The mobile workstations with their own power supply were previously operated with lead batteries. These batteries do not have a particularly long lifespan and lose a lot of their power over the years. Suboptimal charging cycles and very cost-intensive regular battery replacements were the result. A circumstance that jeopardized process efficiency in shipping and could no longer meet Valeo‘s focus on sustainability.
Project Challenges
- Mobile workstations with a short battery life
- In addition, there is a considerable loss of battery power over the life of the battery
- Cost-intensive, regular battery replacement
Our Solution
For this challenge, the ICS Group, as an automotive IT partner established throughout Germany, had exactly the right product in its range and equipped the Valeo shipping department with new, multifunctional and customized workstations including peripherals. The stations integrate the latest handheld radio scanners and powerful on-demand label printers.
The lithium iron phosphate batteries in the new stations have a service life of up to ten years. The built-in batteries were also perfectly matched to the required operating times by Valeo, so that optimal charging and use cycles are guaranteed. The longer battery life means that regular battery replacements are no longer necessary. Current, industry-wide pilot projects also suggest that lithium batteries will be fully recyclable.
Solution
- Workstations with lithium iron phosphate batteries
- Lifespan of up to 10 years
- Optimized charging cycle through correct battery size
The Result
With the investment in the new low-maintenance workstations, which can be operated safely for over 10 years, Valeo is significantly optimizing its operating costs in shipping. The integrated, up-to-date scanner and printing systems also support productivity and process efficiency in order picking. With the significant increase in battery life, Valeo ultimately makes an important, additional contribution to sustainability and a cleaner environment.
Header image with permission from Valeo. © Valeo.
Result
- Cost savings through long-life batteries
- Increased efficiency in daily order picking
- Another important Valeo contribution to sustainability
