Automated guided vehicle systems (AGVS)

Introduction of AGVs

1. Automated guided vehicle systems (AGVs), commonly known as driverless vehicles.
2. Useful in mid-volume and mid-variety, flexible manufacturing systems.
3. It is a battery-powered driverless vehicle with programming capabilities for the destination, path selection, and positioning.
4. The AGVs provide a highly flexible, intelligent, and versatile material-handling systems used to transport raw/finished materials from various loading points to various unloading points throughout the facility.
5. Modern microprocessor technology is used to guide a vehicle along a predefined path and a correction is provided if the vehicle deviates from the path. 
6. A system controller receives instructions directly from the host computer, communicates with other vehicles, and issues appropriate commands to each vehicle. 
7. To avoid a collision, communication is necessary among the AGVs.

Automated Guided Vehicle

Types of AGVS

1. AGVS towing vehicles
2. AGVS unit load transporters
3. AGVS pallet trucks
4. AGVS light-load transporters
5. AGVS forklift trucks
6. AGVS assembly line vehicles
7. Clamping AGVs

AGVS Towing Vehicle

1. Towing vehicles were the earliest variety of AGVs to be introduced. 
2. A towing vehicle is an automated guided tractor. A wide variety of tractors can be used, such as flatbed trailers, pallet trucks, custom trailers, and bin trailers. 
3. Different types of loading equipment used for loading and unloading the trailer include an AGV-pulled train, hand pallet truck, cranes, forklift truck, automatic transfer equipment, manual labor, shuttle transfer, and programmed automatic loading and unloading device.

AGVS Pallet Trucks

1. AGVS pallet trucks are to lift and transport palletized loads. 
2. It is used for picking up or dropping offloads from and on to floor level, then removing the need for fixed load stands.
3. No special accessories are needed for loading and unloading the AGVS pallet except that the loads should be on a pallet. 
4. It is basically used in floor-level loading and unloading operation. Loading and unloading can be done in two ways viz. automatically or manually. 
5. For the transportation of load, the normal course followed by the vehicle is determined by the storage area destination

AGVS Assembly-Line Vehicles

1. AGVS assembly line vehicles are acclimatization of the light-load transporters for applications involving serial assembly processes. 
2. The guided vehicle carries major sub-assemblies such as motors, transmissions, or even automobiles. 
3. As the vehicle moves from one station to the next, succeeding assembly operations are performed. 
4. After the loading of the part onto the vehicle, the vehicle moves to an assembly area and stops for assembly.
5. As the assembly process is completed, the operator releases the vehicle that proceeds to the next part’s staging area for new parts.
6. After that, the vehicle moves forward to the next assembly station. The process is repeated until the final unloading station is reached.
7. The main advantage of the AGVS assembly line is its lower cost and easy installation compared with other assembly lines.

AGVS Forklift Trucks

1. An AGVS forklift truck has the capability to pick up and drop off palletized loads both at floor level and on stands, and the pickup height can be different from the drop-off height.
2. They are capable of picking up and dropping off a palletized load automatically. 
3. It has the ability to position its forks at any height so that conveyors or load stands with different heights in the material-handling system can be serviced. 
4. AGVS forklift trucks are one of the most expensive AGVS types. 
5. They are used in the case of full automation. 
6. The truck is inbuilt with sensors at the fork end so that it can handle high-level stacking on its own. 
7. These systems have the advantage of greater flexibility in integrating with other subsystems with various loading and unloading heights throughout the material handling system.