AMRs and AGVs
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and Auto Guided Vehicles (AGVs) facilitate the autonomous transport of payloads around the required working environment without human assistance.
The potential benefits are clear:
• Reduction (potentially massive) of time operatives spend walking driving
• Dynamic route optimisation for maximum throughput (Dependent on intelligence levels)
• Allow operative to focus on value-add tasks
• Improve safety
There are many types available offering range of capabilities from basic systems requiring infrastructure for navigation such as wires/tapes to intelligent vehicle that navigate without external infrastructure and have the intelligence to calculate the shortest or optimal route between pick and place points. Inappropriate selection can result in lengthy unproductive evaluations, workflow disruption and potential for degraded operational performance.
Our AMR Technology Partners
Appropriate selection depends on the use case:
· Type of process
· Functions and accuracy of position accuracy required
· Payloads to carry
· Size of pathways
· Environment conditions/Terrain
Maximise the potential, achieve your productivity goals and get immediate returns on your investment
A particular AMR/AGV may work well in one type of environment but may not be suitable for another. Overall performance can be seriously degraded by working environment conditions and operational requirements, for example:
Navigational accuracy/reliability impaired: E.g. vehicle deviates from path/stops or collides with objects
Traffic management not capable of meeting operational need: E.g. causes deadlocks
AMR/AGV may not be sufficiently robust for the environment: e.g. due to Floor surface, inclines, dust, temp, rain, snow, fog.
Stand-alone AMR/AGV systems deliver transportation efficiency but often they form only part of a solution for an application use case.
Greater performance can be achieved with a fully integrated solution:
- Automated and collaborative transfer of payloads at pick/place locations
- Integrate with Voice systems for voice directed work
- Integrate with Pick to light/vison systems to aid correct pick/place
-Integrate with RFID tags/ Code scanners and call buttons
- Safe automatic door opening systems
- Development of application specific top modules and trolleys
Case Studies
