JLR trialing drone use to increase manufacturing efficiency
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is trialing drone technology at its Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre (EPMC), and so far it has dramatically reduced machinery and site inspection time by up to 95%, the company says.
The Elios 3 drone by Flyability reaches high and confined spaces, allowing maintenance teams to inspect equipment safely from the factory floor, eliminating the need for elevated platforms and reducing risk, according to a JLR press release. It’s operated via tablet using a live 3D map to identify and troubleshoot issues.
JLR says using the drone helps better prevent costly maintenance downtime, while also freeing up employees’ time to focus on additional business-critical tasks.
“As we transform our facilities, we’re rethinking every part of our factories, including how we maintain and operate them,” said Nigel Blenkinsop, JLR industrial operations executive director, in the release. “Trials like this one with advanced drone technology are helping us improve employee safety, reduce maintenance downtime and operate more efficiently. Just as importantly, they’re helping upskill our people in the latest digital technologies, ensuring our teams are part of our factories of the future.”
The drone uses lidar sensors to send out laser light pulses, which bounce back to the drone when they hit an object. By timing how long the pulses take to return, it calculates distances to create detailed 3D maps of the surrounding environment. The drone is also equipped with a thermal camera to help pinpoint overheating components or insulation failures.
JLR plans to continue the trial at its Logistics Operations Centre after equipping the drone with barcode scanners. Doing so will automate inventory checks to improve safety, reduce errors, and support smarter decisions on space, stock levels, and supply flow, the release says.
The initiative is part of JLR’s Open Innovation program, which aims to accelerate next-generation technology and sustainability through collaborations with startups, scale‑ups and like‑minded external organizations.
Images
Photos of the Elios 3 drone by Flyability provided by JLR.