Driving Intralogistics Innovation: SYNAOS Powers Transformation at Major US Automaker

The future of intralogistics for this leading automotive pioneer revolves around two critical elements: a central fleet management software and the use of the VDA 5050 standard communication interface to manage heterogeneous mobile robot fleets.

At the plant of this major US OEM, ongoing tests are exploring the future implementation of intralogistics transport involving various types of AGVs. The AGV fleet in the test scenario currently includes a small tugger AGV, two under-ride AGVs, and one AGV equipped with a cobot. Soon, the fleet will expand to include different autonomous forklifts from various manufacturers, each tailored to specific processes such as stacking and de-stacking. All these mobile robots communicate via the VDA 5050 interface with the central fleet management software, the SYNAOS Intralogistics Platform.‍

Seamless Integration: Legacy Systems Meet Modern Traffic Management

Beyond controlling this diverse AGV fleet, the SYNAOS Intralogistics Platform's traffic management solution also integrates with a legacy system. Using MQTT, the autonomous vehicles transmit their location data to the central control system, enabling optimized route planning on the shared shop floor.

“Currently, the intralogistics landscape of every OEM is in need of improvement. In every plant, there are mixed mobile robot fleets, and as these fleets continue to grow and create crossing areas where orders have to be prioritized, we see that a central fleet management system is the only way to allow that interaction to happen,” says Rich Moore, Project Manager and Intelligent Automation Integration Supervisor, Central Fleet Management, AGV, CB & AMRs.

Why Centralized Control is Key to Intralogistics Success

Moore continues: “As an OEM, we are moving toward a holistic approach to automation that includes AGVs, AMRs, and forklifts. At this stage, the VDA 5050 standard interface allows for a common platform to enable that functionality as mobile robot fleets grow across all plants globally.”

“In Europe, VDA 5050 has become the de facto standard in the automotive and manufacturing sectors. This trend began with large OEMs adopting VDA 5050, followed by its expansion into industries like manufacturing, pharma, and FMCG. We anticipate a similar pattern in the US," says Tobias Gagern, Chief Growth Officer at SYNAOS.

‍Accelerating Adoption: VDA 5050’s Future in the US Automotive Industry

"With this leading US automotive company and other US OEMs paving the way, we expect widespread adoption in the US market within 24 months. SYNAOS’ track record of successfully implementing and scaling multi-brand fleet scenarios in factory and warehouse operations globally positions us uniquely to capitalize on this trend. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with this OEM and premier integrators across North America.”