driverless transport system
Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are driverless transport vehicles (AGVs). They are used for the automated transport or handling of goods with active or passive load handling devices. They do not require an operator to carry out the respective activities.
Table of contents
components
Driverless transport systems consist of special components. These are defined in the corresponding VDI guideline 2510 "Driverless transport systems".
- one or more driverless transport vehicles
- a control system
- facilities for location determination and stock recording
- data transmission facilities
- infrastructure and peripheral facilities
Mission
Driverless transport systems are used as an alternative to forklifts, industrial trucks or other automatic transport systems, such as conveyor technology . They are intended to optimize and accelerate internal transport. They carry out the following tasks:
- transport tasks between goods receipt, production and warehouse
- transfer of goods to shipping
- loading of trucks
AGVs transport small parts as well as goods weighing up to 50 t at a speed of around 1 m/s in areas where people also move around. In purely automated areas, the speed can increase. They are mainly found in hospitals, for supplying the wards with food and medicine, and at the port for transporting containers . They are also used for order picking . They are also useful in environments that are less suitable for people, such as work in cold and deep-freeze warehouses .
Advantages
Maximum flexibility: AGVs can be easily integrated into existing structures and can also transport a wide variety of goods. Changes can be implemented during ongoing operations. Changes to the conveyor sequence or dynamic adjustments to fluctuating performance requirements also pose no problems.
Automation of workflows: The automation of processes reduces manual work. Transport vehicles are always ready for use and do not require breaks. Productivity can be increased massively through the use of AGVs, while personnel costs are reduced at the same time. Continuous operation can also be guaranteed.
- Reduced personnel requirements, lower personnel costs
- Safe transport of various goods
- Fast installation and commissioning
- process reliability
- transparency and traceability
- Customizable
- Small space requirements and flexible routes
Requirement
- operating time of at least 16 hours per day
- Continuous material flow
- Flat and pressure-resistant floor
These requirements are necessary to meet/cover efficiency and the high investment costs. If the driverless transport system is used to operate shelves ( narrow aisle warehouse ), further requirements arise.
- More space between transport vehicle and stationary objects according to EN 1525 (500 mm); Can alternatively be implemented by measures such as safety zones
- Good IT structure is optimal but not a knock-out criterion: warehouse management computer, material flow computer, WLAN
Technical implementation
Navigation and spatial orientation are fundamental to the operation of a driverless transport system. There are different ways to implement this.
- Guidelines on the ground: Optical, inductive or magnetic design on the ground
- Grid navigation: Interrupted guidelines on the ground. Changes are easier to make than with continuous guidelines. The costs for care and maintenance are also lower.
- Laser navigation: Laser scanner on the vehicle and stationary reference points on site. Route changes are easy to implement, but the costs for purchase and installation are very high.
- GPS navigation outdoors: Accuracy at +/- 10 m. DGPS enables an improvement by a factor of 10, whereas dGPS with phase evaluation by a factor of 100
