Development of Automated Material Handling Systems for Truck Body and Trailer Assembly Lines

The study examines the redesign of material handling for Class-4 refrigerated truck bodies after the introduction of a modular ABS–polyurethane sandwich roof with integrated pickup slots. Motivation derives from the mismatch between legacy crane-dependent routines and the new roof’s weight range, geometry, and fastening sequence, which required a line-coupled, automation-ready solution. Novelty lies in a synthesis that binds cooperative pickup geometry, AMR-based delivery, lean sensor fusion, and near-station quality verification into a single architecture tailored to large thermoplastic-foam panels. The work describes the handling concept, metrology stack, and logistics orchestration; evaluates precision, resource coupling, and quality stability; and formalizes design levers for mixed-model flow. Special attention is paid to suction safety envelopes for ABS skins over rigid foam, error-proofing of roof-to-wall mating, and dispatch strategies that stabilize takt under variability. The goal is to provide a transferable blueprint for heavy panel handling in truck and trailer assembly. Methods include comparative review, constraints-based synthesis, and triangulation of published capabilities with program metrics. The conclusion details measurable improvements in crane engagement, locating precision, and rework containment and outlines generalization conditions for adjacent product families.