AGV 5 Facts: How to benefit from driverless transport systems

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FAULHABER Drive Systems

With customized automation solutions, the profitability of companies can be maximized. An important component are driverless transport systems in intralogistics. Five facts highlight the benefits.

Due to the ongoing trend towards automation, an increasing number of companies, regardless of their size and industry affiliation, are integrating driverless transport systems (FTS) into their intralogistics.

Fact 1: Customized automation solutions

In modern industry, the use of driverless transport systems is becoming increasingly complex and demanding. To meet these escalating requirements, individual and precisely planned transport solutions are of importance. They must be tailored to the specific needs and environmental requirements of the user in order to ensure necessary efficiency and safety. High availability through continuous operation, coupled with lower personnel dependence, are clear advantages for users, as is a transparent overview of internal material flow. The intelligent networking of vehicles with the entire production offers great potential for optimized efficiency and profitability of a company. EK Robotics realizes customized transport solutions that are individually tailored from conception to implementation to specific requirements and environmental conditions. To date, EK Robotics has installed over 1,500 systems and delivered more than 12,500 driverless transport vehicles (FTF).

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Fact 2: Material flow simulations ensure planning security

The implementation of an AGV system requires extensive preliminary work, in which experts need to precisely plan and program the maps for driving courses and specific transport steps. Using on-site 3D measurement, followed by a simulation of material flows, a digital twin of the planned system is created. Especially in complex intralogistics projects, it is crucial to collect as much data as possible in advance in order to precisely depict all relevant interrelationships. Ronald Kretschmer, Chief Sales Officer at EK Robotics, explains: "In this way, potential system limits, bottlenecks, blockages and the appropriate solution alternatives can be identified before actual implementation." A current example from the refractory industry illustrates the importance of simulation during the planning phase: The Austrian company RHI Magnesita decided early on to create a 3D point cloud of its refractory production. Through the 3D scan, millimeter-precise irregularities could be detected and particularly narrow driving course areas could be identified, facilitating the creation of a precise digital replica for further project planning. Based on these detailed measurements, an optimal layout of the driving courses was created in a dynamic simulation of the AGV system. By means of an envelope analysis, it was ensured that all vehicles can pass through the narrow driving course areas without problems in the real application. Using various simulation models, the optimal number of vehicles was determined at maximum throughput, considering set-up times, the placement of charging stations, and the transport routes for over 500 possible routes.

Fact 3: Automated niche solutions

EK Robotics also implements AGV systems that, due to their characteristics, belong to the niches of the automation industry. An example is the integration of two four-way stackers for the automated storage and retrieval in the mobile racking system at Warema, a manufacturer of sun protection systems. Since 2022, all transport routes from production to the loading gates in the shipping area have been automated. This also includes the storage of goods in the movable racking system: The transport robots specially made for this purpose serve around 2,000 spaces and store the goods, which are up to 5 meters long, in and out at a transfer height of up to 8 meters. The different transport requirements for the overall system are correspondingly complex and also require constant communication with many interfaces, such as the warehouse management system, the ERP, the transport manager, the mobile racking system, and the measurement station for weight and length control of Warema products.

Just as demanding and complex in implementation are transport solutions for permanent use outdoors. On the one hand, vehicle-side measures must be taken to protect electrical and electronic components against the influence of weather. On the other hand, certain requirements for the route must be met in terms of weather resistance, inclines, and measures at temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius. A surface must be used for the track that is both frost-resistant and resistant to strong sunlight. For example, highway concrete is particularly suitable. For companies like Baxter, MSD, JTI, and Gerolsteiner from the pharmaceutical, tobacco, and beverage industries, EK Robotics has integrated several outdoor systems that connect production and storage halls and are equipped with various special functions, such as a cooling unit.

Fact 4: AGVs minimize transport damage

The replacement of conventional forklifts with driverless transport vehicles significantly reduces the risk of accidents caused by human error. The transport robots follow preprogrammed routes and are equipped with state-of-the-art safety technology and 3D obstacle detection to protect people and objects. The automation of material flows in intralogistics thus enables the efficient use of existing skilled workers. In addition, transport robots are capable of taking on heavy, dangerous, and repetitive tasks.

Fact 5: Extend service life

Companies like Warema and Sinit Kunststoffwerke use analysis tools to monitor and optimize the performance of their AGVs over their lifetime. By using Software-as-a-Service solutions like the Smart Analytics Reporting App, short for Sara, evaluations are made and recommendations for sustainable system efficiency are derived. Users have the opportunity to follow the developments of their system over the duration of usage, evaluate the performance of the system, and gain insights into production times, system utilization and operating interruptions. Reporting and analysis tools like Sara identify optimization potential, peak performance, and conspicuous route sections.

The life cycle of AGVs, with adherence to maintenance intervals and retrofit programs, spans several decades. During this long period of use, the transport solutions lead to optimal material flow, improved safety at work, and reduced operating costs. The lifespan of an AGV is calculated in operational hours and depends on the specific application and intensity of use. Ronald Kretschmer explains, "For automated series floor conveyance vehicles, which come from renowned manufacturers and are retrofitted by us for automated operation, we calculate about 30,000 operating hours, which is at least ten years. For individually developed special vehicles, which are precisely tailored to the requirements of our customers, we even plan 60,000 to 80,000 operating hours. This equates to a lifespan of 20 to 30 years." But what happens after this time? Kretschmer says, "With foresight planning, the existing system can be gradually brought up-to-date and, if necessary, adapted to changed tasks." The retrofit program from EK Robotics enables the modernization of both the vehicles and the entire transport systems, thus preparing them for further operating hours.

An example is provided by a French pharmaceutical conglomerate. At a German location, insulin active ingredients and insulin pens are produced. An EK Robotics plant with twelve transport robots has been in operation 24 hours a day since 2006. The AGV system has been continuously optimized and carries out up to 1,400 transports every day. Seventeen years after the initial installation, the existing vehicles are being modernized and the overall system is being expanded by seven new transport robots. The retrofit package includes the integration of additional sensors, including two-sided monitoring of the telescopic extensions and load carrier detection for loads of up to 800 kilograms. Personal safety scanners, attached to all sides of the vehicles, ensure maximum safety on the 1,000-metre course with numerous narrow points. The new transport robots are also customized; equipped with laterally extendable telescopic forks, they transport pallets between storage areas, production, disposal, and the packaging area.