Automobile manufacturing is a high-end manufacturing field with high industrial chain coordination and large logistics volume. From stamping, welding, painting to final assembly inspection, the efficiency and stability of material transfer in each process directly affect the production rhythm and delivery rhythm. Relying on the technical accumulation in the field of new energy vehicles, BYD forklifts polish industrial handling equipment with automotive-grade quality standards. At present, it has reached cooperation with BMW, Volkswagen, GM, Nissan, Renault, Kia, FAW, SAIC, Dongfeng and other vehicle companies to provide a one-stop new energy logistics handling solution for automobile manufacturing scenarios. This paper takes a joint venture car company production base as an example to analyze the application value of lithium battery handling equipment in automobile manufacturing scenarios.

First, the characteristics of logistics operations in automobile manufacturing bases

The joint venture's product matrix is rich, and the market performance is growing steadily. Its production base covers the whole process workshop of stamping, welding, painting, final assembly, and testing. The processes of each link are closely connected, and the material handling is connected in series from the warehouse to the production line, and the circulation link between the production line and the production line. The handling equipment in the base is mainly electric tractors and counterweight forklifts, with an overall ownership of about 100 units.

From the operating conditions, the base logistics presents four typical characteristics. First, the operation time is long, and the base implements a two-shift production mode. The single-day operation time is close to 15 hours, which requires high equipment endurance. Second, the load is moderate, and the weight of a single batch of goods is about 2 tons, which is suitable for medium-tonnage handling equipment. Third, the transshipment distance is long, and the material handling covers indoor and outdoor scenes. The single-trip transshipment distance is between 2 and 3 kilometers, which has corresponding requirements for vehicle driving stability and endurance. Fourth, the road conditions are good, the factory road surface is flat, and there are no obvious potholes and steep slopes, which is conducive to the continuous and efficient operation of the equipment.

Second, the operating pain points of traditional handling equipment

With the increase in production and sales volume, the original handling equipment of the base is gradually difficult to balance operational efficiency and cost control, and faces various shortcomings in adaptability. First, there is a bottleneck in battery life, and long-term single-day operations place higher requirements on the battery life of the equipment, making it difficult for the original vehicles to continuously meet the needs of continuous operations. Secondly, the energy efficiency rate is low, and the charging cycle of ordinary electric forklifts is long, which cannot adapt to the high-frequency and fast-paced production and transfer rhythm. The third is the high cost of operation and maintenance. Traditional lead-acid battery forklifts need to replace the battery regularly. The operation process is cumbersome and the replacement cost is high, which increases the time and capital investment in operation and maintenance. Fourth, the driving experience needs to be improved, and the seat comfort of some vehicles is insufficient. Long-term operation is easy to increase the

III. Customized solutions for BYD forklifts

Combined with the operating conditions of the base and the actual pain points, BYD forklift has been comprehensively evaluated to create a one-stop green new energy logistics handling solution for it, matching production needs from four dimensions: equipment combination, energy replenishment system, man-machine configuration, and service guarantee.

In terms of equipment configuration, for long-distance material transfer needs, dozens of 3T lithium battery tractors Q30LTJ are equipped to undertake long-distance transfer tasks across the factory; for the loading and unloading and stacking needs of warehousing and production lines, a flexible mode combining procurement and leasing is adopted, and more than ten 2.5T counterweight forklifts are configured to meet the elastic needs of phased operations.

IV. The practical results of the application

After the equipment has been put into operation for half a year, its comprehensive performance has been recognized by the base, and the core advantages are concentrated in three aspects. First, the energy replenishment efficiency is high. The tractor used at high frequency can be fully charged in 1 to 2 hours. It can be put into use without full power during emergency operations. It effectively avoids shift breaks and significantly improves the flexibility of operation. Second, the battery life is stable. Relying on large-capacity batteries and high-efficiency energy consumption control, the vehicle can use shift and rest intervals to replenish power, which can cover the needs of two shifts for 15 hours a day, effectively improving the efficiency of logistics transfer. Third, the operation and maintenance cost is reduced. The lithium iron phosphate battery does not need to add distilled water regularly, nor does it need to replace the battery frequently. The daily maintenance is simple, which saves maintenance time and reduces long-term operation and maintenance investment.

At present, BYD forklift is the lithium-ion forklift equipment put into use at the base, and its core performance has been recognized by the operator.

The electrification of logistics in the automotive manufacturing industry is an important part of the green transformation of the manufacturing industry. Relying on the accumulation of new energy technologies and automotive-grade quality standards, BYD forklifts continue to deepen the automotive manufacturing scene and polish the logistics handling plan that better meets the needs of OEMs. In the future, we will continue to listen to customer feedback, optimize products and services, and help more automotive manufacturers improve on-site logistics efficiency and promote green production upgrades.