Renault brings in 191 Exotec robots to fully automate vehicle parts facility

Renault Group has unveiled its “new-generation” logistics facility in Villeroy, which is “100 percent automated” and equipped with the system from Exotec, a French industrial robotics company.

Renault says the all-French collaboration is a world first for a car manufacturer.

Skypod robots facilitate the work of operators by picking items at height, thereby eliminating the risk of falling. The time it takes to prepare parts orders is thus divided by 6 and the surface of the storage area on the site is reduced.

Xavier Lhors, director of after-sales logistics at Renault Group, says: “We are proud to collaborate with Exotec to equip our supply chain with Skypod robots, positioning our Villeroy site at the forefront of innovation.

“Thanks to this solution and the teams in place, we will be able to increase by 25 percent the number of orders served and strengthen our commitment to customer satisfaction, which remains a priority for us.”

Thomas Genestar, managing director western Europe at Exotec, says: “The collaboration between Renault Group and Exotec combines a flagship of the national automotive industry with an emerging leader in French robotics logistics.

“Together, we have gathered French industrial know-how and the desire to bring it into a new era. We are proud to work with Renault Group, a major player in its sector, whose trust demonstrates Exotec’s ability to meet the complex and specific needs of its customers.

“The flexibility and agility of our Skypod system, which allows us to adapt to changing production, is an asset for those in the automotive sector who want better operational comfort and greater efficiency.”

Exotec’s innovative next-generation logistics solution is distinguished by its flexibility and adaptability to changing production needs.

Able to adjust in real time with the addition of storage modules, robots or the modification of conveyors, the Exotec solution perfectly meets the dynamic requirements of the daily operations carried out at the Villeroy site.

Exotec’s robots are autonomous and equipped with advanced navigation and handling capabilities.

Their compact design and their agility allow them to move quickly and efficiently in complex logistics environments, especially in the presence of other equipments and workers.

Currently, 191 robots are deployed at the Villeroy site according to specific requirements, whether for picking, inventory, put-away or compaction. Exotec thus offers a flexible and scalable solution for managing product flows in logistics centers.

Robots now play a central role, from managing the storage of trays to making them available to operators for order preparation:

Injection: Pallets for storage in the facility are automatically injected into 60-litre trays. These are then transported by a robot that places them in the storage racks.

Picking: When customer orders are received, picking tasks are assigned to picking stations. A robot then collects the reference of the items ordered to bring them to the picking stations. This operation is repeated for each item ordered.

Shipping: Once the items are prepared, the packages are transported to the shipping area where they are sealed and routed to the shipping docks to be loaded onto the trucks.

Renault says this new facility, while contributing to the improvement of working conditions and the safety of operators at the Villeroy site, is “a tailor-made response” to the needs and requirements of Renault Group’s customers: reduced delivery times for an ever more efficient after-sales offer.

The Villeroy logistics site at the highest level of performance:

The facility can prepare nearly 4,000 order lines per hour at its peak of activity with 14 picking stations.

The preparation time of an order (from the beginning to the delivery of the package to shipments) is 20 minutes. Previously, this operation was carried out in 2 hours.

The choice of Exotec makes it possible to reduce the site’s energy consumption by 30% compared to the traditional solution, thanks to the elimination of handling equipment, replaced by robots that consume less energy.

Villeroy’s logistics site currently processes up to 40,000 order lines per day with 110,000 references, including 20,000 references managed by the new logistics tool.

It covers the Group’s latest models (Scenic, Rafale, and so on) as well as older models, allowing us to offer all our customers maintenance or repair solutions with the highest level of service.