MELISSA BARNETT, FORKLIFTACTION.COM Automation
AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLES (AGVs) HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN SMALL
PLAYERS IN THE MATERIAL-HANDLING INDUSTRY, BUT NOT ANYMORE.
CHANGES IN THE MARKET ARE ENABLING THE ONCE-NICHE SECTOR TO
EXPAND BEYOND THE FACTORY FLOOR
Until recently, AGVs were
considered only really useful in
large, specialized areas of
manufacturing and warehousing,
particularly the paper and automobile
industries. AGVs came in an
impressive range of configurations,
but required very specific and costly
guidance systems, were expensively
bespoke and had inefficient
recharging cycles. Smaller operations
found they couldn’t justify the return
on investment. However, technology
has caught up and has made them
cheaper and more versatile than ever
before. With fourth-generation
technology and the expansion of the
interconnected workplace, it seems
that AGVs are perfectly placed to have
their day in the sun.
There has not been one specific
factor in the recent rise in popularity
of AGVs, but rather a series of
advantageous and converging
opportunities. The burgeoning 3PL
logistics and distribution sector, with
its 24/7 and seasonally affected
operations, requires an enormous
workforce. Even in China, this is
challenging. “Besides the shortage
of a labour force, the increase of labor
costs in recent years has led
equipment-use enterprises to take
up AGVs,” says Wang Yong, senior
engineer and deputy director of
electric vehicle research at China’s
biggest forklift manufacturer Heli.
“The cumulative operating capacity of
AGVs is higher than manual workers;
furthermore, the technology
supporting AGV systems is becoming
more popular and price-competitive”.
Kang Long, deputy general
manager of Hangcha AGV, adds that
China’s government has introduced
multiple policies supporting the
development of the robotics industry
which, in turn, provides a favorable
environment for the development
of AGV technology.
“There is a definite upswing as the
economy grows, as it has done in the
US of late,” says Roland
Anderson, president of
Amerden AGVS.
“When unemployment
is low, automation like
AGVs will solve a lot
of issues and make
a company more
competitive.”
Flexibility, a word
not often associated
with AGV systems,
is being enhanced in
a number of ways,
says Phillip Stephan,
product manager for
Advanced Lift-50 truck Technology International 2019
robotics at Linde Materials Handling.
“Independently operating industrial
trucks, which can be flexibly
integrated into existing intralogistics
systems and gradually expanded in
number, are meeting with steadily
growing customer interest,” he says.
One of the consequences of the
fourth technological revolution
(Industry 4.0), is that technology
is becoming cheaper and more
accessible. Neil
Beveridge, automation
engineer for Toyota
Material Handling
Australia, says: “The
technology within
automated vehicles has
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