Robotic Automation Pty Ltd -
Automatic Guided Vehicles, also known as Self Guided Vehicles or even Laser Guided Vehicles (AGV’s, SGV’s, LGV’s!) perform many of the same material handling duties as fork lifts, such as pick-up and delivery of pallet-loads from one location to another. However, the latest generation of these driverless vehicles can also do much more (and more reliably) than ever before.
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A fleet of AGV's (anywhere from 2 to 200) can provide a plant with 24-hour shift operation, in poor lighting, yet with increased safety and less product damage, while also reducing costs.
Controlled centrally, the software allows the AGV's in a warehouse (for example) to redirect and distribute the burden of incoming orders on-the-fly, achieving a dance-like interplay of fleet movement that maximises efficiency while providing instant reporting back through the system to trace stock levels, interface with despatch / ordering department systems etc.
It's worth noting that in Victoria alone, 6000 forklift-related injuries were recorded between 1985-2003, resulting in excess of $130 million in claim payments and incalculable loss of production time.
With software-controlled acceleration / deceleration, a wealth of overlapping sensors, warning and emergency stop features, the FMC brand of AGV's have not had even a single reported case of AGV-related injury. This is despite their use in high pedestrian-traffic areas, such as hospital corridors, where AGV's are also used to transport materials and waste.
FMC Technologies is the largest producer of these Automatic Guided vehicles - ISO9000 Certified with 125 years experience in material handling technology, over 50% USA market share in AGV's and a large install base in Australia and more than 100 other countries. FMC partners exclusively with Robotic Automation P/L to introduce the latest generation of AGVs to Australia and New Zealand industry.
AGV's from FMC Technologies, have already amassed a long list of world-recognised clients from a wide variety of industries, from automotive manufacture to paper and printing - including Australia's own News Limited printing plants in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. In addition to the typical warehouse pallet-handling example, a variety of vehicle types and load gripping / lifting attachments allow an AGV solution to handle multiple tasks in many industry environments.
Why use AGV's?
- Not a permanent obstacle
- Paths can be changed easily
- System can be expanded easily
- Does not represent a single point of failure (system has built-in redundancy measures)
- Favourable cost/benefit compared to other automated material handling solutions
Typical applications of Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV, SGV or LGV):
- Delivery of raw material from receiving to warehouse
- Delivery of parts from warehouse to assembly line
- Movement of product through manufacturing process
- Movement from palletiser to stretch wrapper
- Movement from stretch wrapper to storage/shipping
- Movement from finished goods warehouse to shipping
Ask to see a case study in your industry: Contact Robotic Automation P/L and find out how AGV's can maximise production efficiency, flexibility and safety, while minimising costs in your plant. Our staff can advise you and send a case study document on an installation in your industry. You can also refer to these independent magazine articles...
