Some automobile producers have even fully automated
the tugger delivery process (Emde & Boysen, 2012b): Instead
of a human operator, a tow train may be pulled by some automated
guided vehicle (AGV) and for the stopovers so-called shooter-racks
may be applied. This special kind of gravity flow rack allows the tugger
to dock, opening gates at the back of the rack and the docked
wagon such that full bins are ejected onto the rack by elastic springs
while empty ones slide back to the train. These shelves reduce the
unloading time to just a few seconds and render reliable part delivery
processes possible. Moreover, some OEMs have installed display panels
at each station similar to those of bus and railway stations. Here,
a countdown until the tow train’s next arrival is announced, so that
anticipating material shortages in a credible and timely manner gets
much easier for assembly workers and team leaders.