AGV

AGV manufacturers program AGVs to drive to specific points and perform designated functions such as load transferring, small parts assembling, pallet loading and transportation, towing or lifting products and tooling change out, without the aid of a human driver. Autonomous guided vehicles are becoming increasingly popular worldwide in applications that call for repetitive actions over a distance or for transporting extremely heavy loads and are commonly used as alternative for fork lifts, conventional conveyor systems and manually powered push-pull carts. AGV systems provide great benefits in terms of increasing efficiency and reducing human error and varieties of AGVs such as material handling robots, automatic guided carts and transfer cars are used in place of manual labor for a number of applications. Automated guided vehicles are also commonly used as automatic guided military vehicles and armored vehicles in defense industries, or for clean room applications in which human presence may be undesirable. Industries such as aerospace, automotive assembly, general manufacturing, mail and newspaper, food and beverage processing and parts assembly all use types of guided vehicles to help improve work flow.

Many industrial manufacturing facilities use automated guided carts as an alternative to conventional conveyor systems. These vehicles, and larger AGVs, can transport cumbersome loads with relative ease and are able to move multi-ton equipment or materials such as aircraft engines or large metal coils, across the plant floor. Different models, which include forked AGVs, tuggers, towing vehicles and transfer cars, have wide ranging load capacities and design characteristics, such as material handling robot components. They come in varying sizes and shapes, according to their specific uses, load requirements and industry. Guidance systems used to direct automatic guided vehicles vary according to the complexity of the application and the required performance of the AGV. Some methods of guiding AGVs include the use of lasers. The laser guided vehicle has advanced navigation capabilities and is able to navigate around obstacles on a programmed path and avoid collisions independently using laser beam sensors. However, fixed path systems or free range systems are the most common options. Fixed path systems use embedded wire, magnetic tape or colored paint as a guide for simple vehicle routes. The AGV uses sensors and frequencies to follow the path of the wire or tape. These are reliable and fairly simple systems to install, however they have the drawback of inflexibility. Free range systems are far more common today and these use computer-based programming to control the vehicles with onboard microprocessors and a supervisory control system. The addition of computer programming helps with various tasks, such as tracking and tracing modules and generating and/or distributing transport orders.

Manufacturers of automotive guided vehicles program the AGVs for many different and useful maneuvers, such as spinning and side-traveling, which allow for more effective production rates. Some systems, especially those with a number of guided vehicles may require the assistance of a system operator to ensure that malfunctions and collisions do not occur. However, most of the simpler systems are capable of operating independently and will only periodically require adjusting or correcting. AGVs can do hard physical work without wear or exhaustion, eliminating human labor which would otherwise be costly and potentially hazardous. Loads that AGVs carry are far heavier than any single human could manage, which makes transporting heavy objects quicker and simpler than it would be with manual assistance. Corporations that use automatic guided carts and vehicles, such as factories, warehouses, hospitals and other large facilities, benefit from the power, stability and remote operating capabilities of automated vehicles. They are flexible and can be adapted to many different needs. Using automated guided vehicles often results in reduced labor costs to the manufactured as well as increased income due the improved efficiency of the output process. AGVs help give companies a competitive edge because they increase productivity and time efficiency. Using AGVs may also reduce wear to products and improve the safety on the factory floor as fewer machines and workers are prone to damage due to human negligence.

Purchasing AGVs often involves making large initial monetary investments, as most automated guided vehicles are manufactured with a number of costly materials and guidance systems. For highly specialized applications, the numerous customizations required by an AGV system could further add to the costs of fabrication and installation. Free range systems using complex computer software require a high amount of initial design, engineering and input which costs a manufacturer both time and money. However, the numerous benefits to implementing AGV systems, especially into larger scale manufacturing facilities and warehouses are numerous and companies and manufacturers often see a quick return on investment.  As output production is increased and time and labor costs reduced, the efficiency of using AGVs is well worth the investment. AGV use is continuing to become more popular and manufacturers are finding ways to lower the costs of producing guided vehicles. They are designing smaller, more affordable models for applications and basic options are now more widely available. Research is on-going, and new developments on software and movement techniques are frequently being made.

AGV Types

• AGV manufacturers make automatic guided vehicles.
  
• AGVs are moving robots used in various industrial applications.
• Automated guided vehicle systems consist of the computer, software and technology that are the "brains" behind the AGV. Without computer software systems and communications networks, only the simplest AGV functions can be performed.
  
• Automatic guided vehicles, or ATVs, are robots used in industrial settings.
  
• Camera guided AGVs are used when precise guidance accuracy is needed, such as in crowded environments and smaller sized facilities. An on-board camera focuses and guides the AGV while performing.
  
• Forked AGVs are used to pick up and deliver various loads, such as pallets, carts, rolls and others. These can be manually driven as well as used automatically, and have the ability to lift loads to many levels.
  
• Inertial guided AGVs use a magnet sensing device, a gyroscope that measures the unit's heading and a wheel odometer that calculates the distance traveled. Magnets mounted beneath the floor are detected by the on-board magnetic sensing device and combine with the first two readings to give an accurate positional location.
  
• Large chassis/unitload AGVs are used to transport heavier loads with various transfer devices such as rollerbeds, lift/lower mechanisms and custom mechanisms.
  
• Laser guided AGVs use mounted laser scanners that emit a laser and reflect back from targets. The vehicle's location can be determined based on distance to the target and time of reflection information.
  
• Optical guided AGVs use a latex-based photosensitive tape on a facility's floor for guidance. Distance is measured by use of wheel odometers, which establish stop locations for the AGV along the course.
  
• Outrigger AGVs have two horizontal stabilizing legs (outriggers) to provide lateral support, and are used to handle pallets, rolls and racks.
  
• Self-guided vehicles are computer-controlled robots.
  
• Small chassis AGVs are able to maneuver through crowded workplaces through laser sensing, while transporting smaller loads.
  
• Smart vehicle AGVs are capable of determining their own traffic control and routing without necessitating a central controller.
  
• Towing AGVs are used to pull trailers and are usually manned by an operator who adds and removes the trailers at designated stops. These can follow a basic loop or a more complicated path.
  
• Wire guided AGVs use a charged wire that is buried beneath the floor for proper guidance and has a small antennae composed of metal coils mounted on their bottoms. The stronger the field between the buried wire and antennae, the higher the voltage induced to the coils.