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May / June 2017

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BASF starts AGV trials at Ludwigshafen

Chemical giant BASF has started implementing its new integrated storage and logistics concept at its Ludwigshafen , Germany base . Using the 45ft and 52ft tank containers developed in collaboration with Belgian tank manufacturer Van Hool , BASF hopes the concept will significantly reduce on-site logistics costs . The transport volume at the Ludwigshafen site is around 20 million tonnes a year , and since the transport links at the site account for a considerable share of costs , this is the focus of the concept . The most important components are automated guided vehicles ( AGVs ), the new tank containers , which are optimised-for-rail instead of rail tank cars , and a new tank container depot . This combination will lead to a considerable improvement in terms of competitiveness , the firm says . “ We are launching this innovative leap in logistics at the site and we are a pioneer for the entire industry ,” said site manager Dr Uwe Liebelt . Together with VDL Group , BASF developed the 16.5m long AGV which has a payload of 78 tonnes . Since the AGV has no driver ’ s cab , its loading length is approximately 2.10m longer than a road truck . With its 32 wheels and eight steerable axles , it is manoeuvrable and does not cause damage to roads even though it can weigh as much as 100 tonnes . The AGV is steered via transponders embedded in the road surface . It currently takes around 22 hours for a rail tank to be delivered from BASF ’ s train station to one of the more than 150 loading stations at the site . With the AGV , this time will be cut to just one hour . During the current test phase , which runs until

July , the prototype only operates within a limited area , where it carries empty containers or containers filled with water and is monitored by a control centre . Until now , similar vehicles have only been used in maritime container terminals in ports , where they use routes exclusively reserved for them . The new tank containers launched in 2015 are based on the technology of 20ft and 30ft containers . The BASF class tank containers ( B-TC ) can be transported with container railway wagons , so they offer greater flexibility than traditional rail tanks . The B-TC has a maximum volume of 73,000 litres and a payload of 66 tonnes , meaning its load capacity is double that of today ’ s typical tank container and similar to that of a chemical rail tank . The B-TC can be transported on any kind of rail track and can be stored efficiently – up to six can be stacked atop each other . From July , 90 of them will be in use in Ludwigshafen and another 550 will be delivered in 2018 . Writing in the in-house newsletter of rail equipment manufacturer Wascosa , Dr Thorsten Bieker , BASF ’ s head of railways and location services , pointed out that while a dedicated rail track is perfect for autonomous transport the high level of regulation in the rail sector means it takes a long time for innovations to be implemented . On the roads , by contrast , the development of autonomous vehicles is racing ahead and will become a reality over the next 10 to 20 years . The concept of vehicle platooning – replicating the train model on motorways – is expected to be introduced in just a few years . “ All this puts massive cost pressure on the rail freight industry , as the cost efficiency of road transport can be improved by around 28 percent through the introduction of autonomous or even semi-autonomous vehicles ,” said Dr Bieker . BASF developed the B-TC tank containers to overcome a major obstacle to flexibility in rail transport ; tank wagons are permanently fixed to the underlying rolling stock . By detaching the tank from the base the entire logistics process can be streamlined . Within the company ’ s plant , tank containers can be transported across areas where there are no rails . This means shorter delivery times between the rail depot and the loading station . Thanks also to the removable tank , the number of workers needed for external rail transport is fewer than in the case of tank wagons . At the same time , there is an increase in the distance travelled by the externally deployed wagons . There are also savings in empty journeys . Because of the ability to transport the empty B-TCs by road without restrictions , empty journeys are minimised , as the containers can be cleaned in any modern tank cleaning facility . Dr Bieker believes that the concept can go even further . Automatic delivery using AGVs could also be used in intermodal transport . The combination of remote operation , platooning and autonomous vehicles opens up opportunities for use in public infrastructure , for example , to cover the first and last mile in the immediate vicinity of the intermodal terminal . The high payload combined with the lower impact on infrastructure compared with conventional trucks and the possibility of electromobility can lead to productivity

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AGVs guide the tank containers round BASF ’ s Ludwigshafen plant