Phoxter provides 60 AGVs to Narita Airport Cargo Building 8, ANA’s largest cargo shed
*Phoxter*
Press release: September 20, 2024
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Phoxter provides 60 AGVs to Narita Airport Cargo Building 8, ANA’s largest cargo shed
*Supports greater efficiency and safety in air logistics*
Phoxter Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Representative Director: Junichi Sonoda, hereinafter “Phoxter”) is a subsidiary of All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Inoue).
Shinichi (hereinafter referred to as “ANA”) will provide 60 AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) to Narita Airport’s No. 8 Cargo Building, which is scheduled to begin operation in October 2024.
Phoxter has so far introduced more than 2,000 AGVs in Japan and has greatly promoted the automation of picking, storage, transportation, retrieval, etc. in the logistics and manufacturing industries. This collaboration with ANA confirms that Phoxter’s labor-saving and efficiency solutions can be effectively utilized in the new field of air logistics, and is expected to further advance the transformation of air logistics. Phoxter will continue to expand its range of solutions and respond to customers’ labor-saving and efficiency needs. *Background of this initiative*
In October 2024, ANA will build its largest cargo shed
(approximately 61,000 square meters in total area) in the Narita Airport cargo terminal area.
, of which the shed area is approximately 38,000 square meters. ) is scheduled to be put into service. ANA has been conducting research since 2019 to save labor and improve work safety, and one of the ways to achieve this is to use AGVs instead of operating a fixed location system (*1) using conventional forklifts. We are considering introducing a new location system. Among these, we requested proposals from multiple vendors, and Phoxter’s proposal was selected from the viewpoints of price, delivery time, scalability, etc.
*1: Fixed location system is a method of always placing products in a specific location determined in advance for each destination.
ANA press release: https://www.anahd.co.jp/group/pr/202309/20230920.html
An issue with the previous free location system (*2) is that when managing the entire area as one large location, AGVs freely store incoming skids (*3) in free locations, but at the time of shipping, they collect scattered skids. The problem was that many AGVs were needed because the work flow line was long. Therefore, ANA and Phoxter repeatedly conducted simulations and decided to store the products in zones that were optimized under specific conditions. As a result, the work flow line for each AGV was shortened, and the total number of AGVs was reduced. It has also become possible to reduce the effects of work delays caused by traffic congestion.
ANA and Phoxter will continue to consider operational improvements. *2: Free location system is a method of placing products in vacant spaces rather than placing them in specific fixed locations. *3: A skid is a loading platform used for transporting and storing cargo. * Expected effects of introducing AGV*
By introducing AGVs at Narita Airport Cargo Building No. 8, ANA expects the following main effects:
1. Labor saving
As with many workplaces in Japan, securing personnel is a constant issue in air logistics. Utilizing AGVs can save labor and lead to stable operations.
2.Improved safety
In a cargo shed, many forklifts are operating within a limited space. By replacing the work of forklifts with AGVs, the work flow of forklifts can be shortened and restricted to specific areas, improving the safety of on-site workers and reducing the risk of contact with the cargo being handled. Masu.
3.Flexible response to changes in cargo handling volume
Air cargo is expected to continue expanding in the future. If the need arises to expand the cargo shed in the future, we can respond flexibly by expanding the area where AGVs operate.
4. Improving area storage efficiency
Management using a location system based on zoning rather than fixed locations can reduce surplus space, and in addition, by replacing forklifts with AGVs, it is possible to reduce the aisle space that would have been required for the work flow of forklifts. can maximize storage capacity.
*Future development of Phoxter*
Modal shift (*4) to reduce environmental impact and physical internet to improve transportation and storage efficiency
As (*5) advances, there is a need for a system that can efficiently move between different means of transportation, such as trucks, ships, airplanes, and warehouses. On the other hand, one of the reasons why modal shift is not progressing is that the lead time becomes long when transshipping to a different means of transportation. Even if the standardization of pallets, roll boxes, containers, etc. has progressed, in order to realize a system to take out the required number of collected cargo at the required timing, it is necessary to manage the inventory in the warehouse (WMS information) and delivery vehicle information (TMS). ), order information (OMS) needs to be more dynamically linked and optimized than ever before, and Phoxter believes that data linkage using high-speed communication networks will be essential.
In addition to this initiative with ANA, Phoxter is working with Tokyu Land Corporation to develop a next-generation logistics system using local 5G at the R&D center it opened in Ibaraki City, Osaka
Prefecture, allowing it to freely utilize multiple transportation methods and facilities. We aim to utilize this technology to build a system that can flexibly respond to sudden fluctuations in demand. *4: Modal shift refers to shifting freight transportation from trucks to railways, ships, etc., which have a lower environmental impact, with the aim of reducing environmental impact and improving
efficiency.
*5: Physical Internet is a system that improves the utilization rate of logistics resources by sharing transportation space such as trucks, freight trains, ships, and aircraft with the storage and sorting space of warehouses.
*About Phoxter Inc.*
■Company overview
Company name: Phoxter Co., Ltd.
Representative: Junichi Sonoda
Head office location: Senri Asahi Hankyu Building 20F, 1-5-3 Shinsenri Higashimachi, Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture
TEL: 06-6155-6744
HP: https://www.phoxter.co.jp/
Established: October 2017
■Inquiries regarding this matter
Phoxter Co., Ltd. Public Relations Officer Ogawa
TEL: 06-6155-6744
E-mail: pxinfo@phoxter.co.jp