GENERATORS, BACK UP POWER & BATTERIES
THE RISE OF WAREHOUSE AGVS WHAT ROLE DO BATTERIES PLAY?
Y
anis Lounnas - applications engineer of EnerSys® summarises the growing advantages of AGVs, highlights the options now available and explains the key role of batteries in fulfilling AGV potential. As warehouses move toward full automation, AGVs are taking automated materials handling beyond fixed conveyor and sortation machinery and enabling free movement through sites. Unlike static installations, most AGVs are not permanently wired to the mains electricity supply but instead rely on motive batteries for power. Investment in AGVs to increase productivity, efficiency and economy must be complemented by selection of battery equipment that will get the most out of them.
AGV BENEFITS
An AGV is a type of mobile robot, or transport robot, whose navigation is guided by technology of varying sophistication. Within warehouses, AGVs take the place of lift trucks in transporting, storing and retrieving goods. They are also used widely in factories.
AGVs can be designed with smaller dimensions than conventional lift trucks, to fit into narrower aisles and enable higher storage density. Their automated operations lower the risk of errors and product damage, and when working in human-free zones they reduce the need for lighting and heating.
They can take on tasks that are uncomfortable or dangerous for workers. AGVs also make the workplace safer for employees in another way, thanks to their predictable behaviour, precisely controlled movements and inbuilt safety systems. On sensing human presence, they are built to sound an alarm, slow down and, if necessary, come to a complete halt.
AGV CATEGORIES The variety of AGVs is expanding and each vehicle needs careful consideration 30 NOVEMBER 2020 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
to identify its optimum choice of battery, charging method and battery management approach. The simplest AGVs are just automated carts – with minimal features – into which goods are placed for transport. Tugger AGVs, in which a powered unit pulls a trailer, or a train of trailers, are an advance on this.
A unit load or ‘top carrier’ AGV typically carries a discrete item – or a container such as a pallet, bin or tote – on its deck. The larger ones will transport heavy goods like engines, paper rolls and steel coils. Smaller designs include thin, box-shaped robots which drive under a load container then lift and transport it.
Forklift AGVs are specialised for activities within the range covered by manned warehouse lift trucks. Most fulfil the roles of power pallets and order pickers, but there are also AGV equivalents of stackers, reach trucks, narrow and very narrow aisle trucks, and counterbalance forklift trucks.
NAVIGATION AND CONTROL
AGV activities are directed by a combination of software and sensor- based systems. The earliest AGVs followed a path set by inductive wires embedded in the warehouse floor. This still works well today but makes layout modification difficult. Magnetic strips, bars or dots on the floor are less inflexible. Laser scanning of reflectors placed throughout the warehouse is a versatile alternative. A further option is inertial guidance, using a computer and a range of sensors – motion, rotation (gyroscopic) and sometimes magnetic – to calculate position. Then, of course, there is GPS navigation.
While these technologies essentially enable AGVs to be programmed to carry out repetitive tasks, addition of artificial intelligence promises to make them more autonomous. Some advanced AGVs can now explore new environments, create their own maps and calculate ideal routes, for example.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
