Parker is a global company within motion and control technologies. Parker products that originate from a global leadership position in nine core Motion and Control technologies that include aero-space, climate control, electromechanical, filtration, fluid and gas handling, hydraulics, pneumatics, process control, sealing and shielding [1] [2].

Parker in Trollhättan produces hydraulics pumps and motors [3]. They produce almost 2730 pumps/motors per week. The factory has worked a lot with automation in the manufacturing sections.

They are now interested to start with automation in other parts in the factory; especially improve the warehouses by using the robots and AGVs and improve the material handling between different sections by using the AGVs. And of course, they think also about improve the ergonomics and solve the bottleneck. Parker want to analyse the assembly stations and material handling to identify the key areas to start the automation process.

Parker has a main big warehouse and many buffers around the assembly stations. Material handling now is done manually by using the workers, small trolley or vehicles with a big trolley. The material handling for all assembly stations takes between 512 and 770 minute per shift as manual transfer by workers in addition to several of transfer operations by trolleys and vehicles. And the buffers inside the workplace take about 200 square meters. Wherefore, Parker is very interested to improve the warehouses.

This work focuses on analysing the current system for material handling in both warehouse and stations. After analysing the current system, the potential for moving from manual material handling to semi- or automated material handling was discussed. Different potentials for improving material handling with the help of robots and AGVs in warehouse and stations has been defined. Testing and validation for all the potentials were the automation can be implemented and started with, the productivity, workspace, safety, in addition to the level of the ergonomics for these working places. The likelihood for solutions success are also presented. And how to optimize the solutions for reaching a high level of automation is discussed.