2. What is an AGV?
A Computer-Controlled, Non-manned, Electric
Powered Vehicle Capable of Handling Material.
Mobile robots used to move materials around a
manufacturing facility or warehouse.
3. The automated guided vehicle
(AGV) system
1 = Automated guided vehicle
(AGV)
2 = Load transfer positions
3 = Load transfer equipment
4 = Guide track
(wire, laser, optical)
5 = Data transmission
6 = Management system
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3 4
5
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6
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4. What is a good use for AGVs?
One of the most flexible types of MHS
Ranges from small to 125 tons (25,000Kg)
capacity
Repetitive motion
Distances over 50m
Multi-shift operation
Desire to save costs and improve efficiency
5. Why use Guided Vehicles?
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
Favorable cost/benefit
compared to other automated
material handling solutions
6. Cost-effectiveness considerations
Manned Automated
forklift Transport (typical)
1. Investment cost 100% 400%
2. Manning costs 100% 5%
3. Maintenance 100% 200%
4. Transport damage 100% 5%
Single shift Two shift Three shift
Investment
Investment Investment
Years Years Years
7. 1953 1973
1976
1st AGV 1st Assembly
Vehicle
1st Unit Load
History of AGVs
1953 – First AGV created
and used. It was used to
pull a trailer and follow an
overhead wire in a grocery
warehouse.
1959
1st Tugger
1973 - Volvo in
Kalmar, Sweden
utilized 280
computer-controlled
AGVs instead of
using the typical
conveyor assembly
line.
8. 1985 1989
1976
1987 2003
Single Wire
Guidance
PC Based
Controller
1st Unit Load
Laser Guidance Inertial
Guidance
1991
1992
Wire & Wireless
AGVs in same System
Changeable
Path
History of AGVs
1976 – First Unit Load AGV.
Now used for many different
applications in multiple settings
of industry.
1970’s –
Guidance
Systems
9. Important Issues for AGVS
1. Guidance
2. Routing
3. Traffic Management
4. Load Transfer
5. System Management
10. How do they know where to go?
Guidance Methods
Guidance allows the vehicle to follow a predetermined
route.
1. Wire guidance
2. Non-wire guidance
1.Wire guidance
• Wires buried underground, which carries electrical
current at predetermined frequencies, functions as a
guide-path.
• Different frequencies are used to define paths.
12. Wire Guidance Methods
Advantages
1. Handle dirty environment and heavy traffic
2. The system is free from interferences from
outside sources
3. Can be used, indoors and outdoors
4. Can run conveniently through tunnels, aver
bridges
Disadvantage
1. Low degree of flexibility
2. It is costly to repair when the wire is damaged
13. Guidance Methods
2. Non-wire guidance
a. Non-wire floor path
i. Optical
ii. Painted or chemical stripe
b. Non-wire non-floor path guidance
i. Laser beam
ii. Dead reckoning
iii. Combination of dead reckoning and laser beam
iv. Beacon system
v. Inertial guidance
14. Non-Wire Floor Path
1. Optical guidance
Any type of light that comes from underneath of the
vehicle is reflected
The reflected lights signals are sensed by photo
sensors under the vehicle.
Spot marks on the floor can be used in optical
guidance.
Different spot mark configurations at intersections
indicate the decision to be made by the vehicle
2. Painted or chemical stripes
The floor is painted with a fluorescent color or
chemical stripes as a guide path.
16. Non-wire non-floor path guidance
1. Leaser Beam
Reflective targets are mounted on columns, walls,
machines or posts approximately 25 ft (7.6m) apart.
Each facility target is surveyed and given a unique ‘X,Y’
coordinate. These coordinates are loaded into each
AGV’s memory.
Onboard each AGV have a rotating laser light beam
source and receiver.
When the laser light reflects off a target its distance and
angle are automatically measured.
17. Laser Target Navigation
The wireless navigation is done by mounting
retroreflective tape on walls, poles or machines.
The AGV carrys a laser transmitter and receiver on
a rotating turret. The laser is sent off and received
again, and the angle and distance can be calculated
and stored in the AGV’s memory. The AGV has
reflector map stored in memory and can correct its
position based on errors between the expected and
received measurements.It can then navigate to a
destination target using the constantly updating
position
Pros/Cons: Tape is not in danger of wearing down
or breaking in a high-traffic area, and the AGV
path can be changed by reprogramming the AGV
rather than moving tape. Many laser guided
AGV’s have rather sophisticated technology that
make changing paths very quick and easy. Costly.
Non-wire non-floor path guidance
19. 2. Dead Reckoning
• Usually using odometer (indicates the
distance traveled)
• The vehicle is equipped with a computer that
calculates the position of the vehicle based on
the wheel rotations referenced to a starting
point of motion.
3. Combination of dead reckoning and laser
beam
Non-wire non-floor path guidance
20. Non-wire non-floor path guidance
4. Inertial/Gyro Guidance
Each AGV is equipped with a solid-state gyroscope.
A Gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining
orientation.
The AGV path is a virtual set of coordinates stored in its
memory.
A small marker (magnet) with a unique ‘X,Y’ coordinate
is installed in the floor approximately every 25 ft (7.6m)
along the AGV virtual path.
As the AGV negotiates the path the onboard gyro
detects slight change in travel direction and this is
compared with the actual stored travel path.
21.
22. Inertial (or gyroscopic)
Navigation
A computer control system directs and
assigns tasks to the vehicles. Transponders
are embedded in the floor of the work
place. The AGV uses these transponders
to verify that the vehicle is on course. A
gyroscope is able to detect the slightest
change in the direction of the vehicle and
corrects it in order to keep the AGV on its
path. The margin of error for the inertial is
±1 inch.
Pros/Cons: Inertial can operate in nearly
any environment including tight aisles or
extreme temperatures and has a longer
lifespan than other guidance options.
Non-wire non-floor path guidance
23. Routing
Is the vehicle's ability to make decisions along
the guidance path in order to select optimum
routes to specific destinations.
1. Frequency select method the wire guided AGVS
vehicle
• Different frequencies are used to define paths
2. Spot mark configurations at intersections- Optical
• A vehicle can be programmed to turn left once it hits a
triangular spot mark at the intersection
3. Path select method the non-wire AGVS vehicle
• The path map is stored in the AGV’s memory
• Chooses which of the memorized paths to follow based on
its ultimate destination.
24. Traffic Management
Is a system or vehicle ability to avoid
collisions with other vehicles while at the
same time maximizing vehicle flow.
Types of traffic management:
1. Zone Control
2. Forward Sensing Control
3. Combination Control
25. Traffic Management
1. Zone Control
Segmenting the path into separate zones.
The rules of zone control are that only one
vehicle is permitted in a given zone at a time.
26. Traffic Management
2. Forward Sensing Control
• Sensing system
onboard the guided
vehicles that detect
the presence of a
vehicle in front of it
27. Traffic Management
3. Combination Control
Vehicles would respond to both types of
traffic control depending upon the area in
which they are operating
28. Load Transfer
AGVS load transfer can be accomplished
in many different ways:
1. Manual Load Transfer
2. Automatic Couple and Uncouple
3. Power Roller, Belt, Chain
4. Power Lift/Lower
5. Power Push/Pull
29. How do AGV control systems differ?
1. Centralized controller
• PC or other computer device to manage the movement of
vehicles along the path
• “smart central approach”
• central controller controls routing and traffic controls
• AGVs receive direction via communications link
2. Decentralized vehicle control approach
• no central controller device for basic vehicle movement
• vehicles perform their own routing and traffic control functions
• “smart vehicle approach”
• AGVs use their onboard intelligence to select their route to a
destination
• avoid running into other AGVs by direct AGV-AGV
communication
System Management
30. Different Types of AGVs
1. Pallet Trucks
2. Fork
3. Tow/Tugger
4. Unit Load
5. Custom
31. Vehicle Types - AGV Pallet truck
Used to transport palletized loads
37. How are they powered?
Charge it!
Allows operation 8 –
16 Hours
Standard Charging
(battery swap)
In-Vehicle
(opportunity)
Charging
Inductive Charging
38. What about Safety?
What about Safety?
Mechanical
Protection Group
Side Optical
Bumper
Front & Rear
Bumpers
Most industrial-use AGVs travel at a speed between 100 and
300 feet per minute (30.5 – 91.5m/minute).
39. Front Warning Zone
Front Stop Zone
Rear Warning
& Stop Zones
Optional Tower
Protection
Side
Protection
Electronic Protection
Group
What about Safety?
40. New Markets/Applications
• Assembly Deck
• Batch Tank Transport
• Battlefield Unmanned
Vehicles
• Cleanroom Mobile Robot
• Crabbing
• Dumping
• Extreme Precision
• Flat Bed Truck Side Loading
• Hospital Materials
• Hybrid
• Mars Rover
• Military Shooting Range
• Miniature
• Monster (Humongous)
• Non-System AGV
• Paper Roll/Metal Coil
• People Mover
• Sea Cargo Container
• Very Narrow Aisle (VNA)
41. Gillette
Boston, Massachusetts
• 1.5-million sq ft facility
• 5-billion razor blades produced
per year at one manufacturing center
• 18 AGVs are utilized with 8,000 ft
of guide path and over 400 pickup &
dropoff points
• Just in Time manufacturing
• The new AGVs combined with an AS/RS has eliminated 14
handling steps associated with storage in an off-site warehouse
*Information obtained from Modern Materials Handling Online.
42. Sharp
Osaka, Japan
• 485,000 sq ft building, 8 stories tall
• 900,000 air conditioners produced per year
• 17 AGVs are utilized on 2 separate guide paths
• The AGVs serve to deliver raw materials to the
assembly line, carrying up to 1 ton at a time
• Just in Time manufacturing
The new AGV system along with several miniload
systems and a monorail:
tripled production capacity with 2/3’s less staff
cuts WIP by 50%
* Information obtained from MaterialHandlingInfo.com.
43. Level 1: Simple
Manual Vehicle Dispatch,
Load/Unload, No Central Controller,
No Host Interface.
Level 2: Medium
Automatic Vehicle Dispatch,
Load/Unload, Central Controller,
Product Tracking, Multiple Path
Options.
Level 3: More
Automatic Vehicle Dispatch,
Load/Unload, automatic
coupling/uncoupling (applies to
tuggers only), Central Controller,
Complex Host Interface, Ethernet
Link, Product Tracking, Multiple
Path Options Multiple Transfer
Heights, etc.
Total system cost can be estimated by
multiplying the projected number of
vehicles times the unit costs shown in
the following tables.
Pricing Guides
(per vehicle)
Information from: http://www.mhia.org/psc/PSC_Products_GuidedVehicle_costEstimating.cfm.
44. • Member Companies
– AGV Products, Inc.
– Cattron-Theimeg International Ltd.
– Control Engineering Company
– Egemin Automation Inc.
– FMC Technologies
– Frog Navigation Systems
– HK Systems
– Mentor AGVS, Formtek Cleveland, Inc.
– Siemens Dematic Material Handling Automation Division
– Transbotics Corporation
Automated Guided Vehicle Systems
Product Section of MHIA
www.mhia.org/agvs/
56. Automated Storage and Retrieval
Systems (AS/RS)
A combination of equipment and controls which
handle, store and retrieves materials with
precision, accuracy and speed under a defined
degree of automation.
AS/R system plays a significant role in a
warehousing. Under complete control, AS/R
system can store, keep track of, and retrieve a
large numbers of part type and unit loads.
57. Components and operating
features of an AS/RS
1. Storage structure
2. Storage/Retrieval machine
3. Storage module
4. One or more pickup-and-deposit station
