The initial idea, that yields to this transport-by-throwing approach, is to use the most direct pathway and therefore possibly increase transportation speed. However,
in an economic view there are more positive features. Industrial manufacturing is the most important sector of German national economy according to a thesis of BDI
about research for industrial production. Also, the manufacturing industry is an important part of the European economy. About 70% of employment in Europe is related
to manufacturing. For the European manufacturing industries it is crucial to modernize their manufacturing base to remain competitive in future, according to an expert group established by the European Commission. In "A vision for 2020" the group claims that "production research must focus on radical transformation of the fundamental processes of manufacturing so that they become:" adaptive, digital, networked and knowledge-based. Where adaptability is the automatic respond to changes in the operating environment.
Throwing and catching is a new approach for transport of parts in production processes. This transport approach would influences various challenges in manufacturing such as flexibility, production speed, or plant design. The internal part of logistics, i.e., the movement and storage of materials inside a given facility, is denoted by the term "material handling". In average, the amount of material handling in production costs is about 20-25% (other source says 30-75%). An efficient material handling can help to reduce operation costs of manufacturing by 15-30%. Typical material transport equipment are industrial trucks, automated guided vehicle systems (AGVS), rail guided vehicles, conveyors, and hoists or cranes. The design of a transport system and the choice of equipment that is used depends on the characteristics of the handled material, the quantities and distances that have to be moved, etc.. In high production rates and limited product variety e.g. conveyors or automated guided vehicles will be used. For these techniques, the transport-by-throwing offers an alternative in fully automated transportation.
