Benefits of Tugger AGVs
Reduce variances
found in human delivery operations
Lower lifetime cost
of non value added transportation of materials
Minimal interface modification
transport materials without adding barriers, such as conveyors, into your system
Improve overall safety
with predictable and consistent movements
Scalable
meet workflow changes and capacity demands
Benefits of Tugger AGVs
Tugger AGVs' are great for repetitive actions, long distances, or in hazardous areas in most industries. One added benefit, depending on the navigation type, is the ease of reprogramming. Many times, reprogramming an AGV is much more cost effective than relocating conveyor.
Navigation is achieved with one of or several of the following ways; cable guided, laser guided, embedded item guided, or vision guided.
Cable guided systems require a cable to installed beneath the floor. The Tugger AGV senses the cable and follows it to pre-determined locations. This is great for repetitive, consistent pickup and dropoff points.
Laser guided units emit a low powered laser beam in a 360 degree sweeping pattern with reflectors placed at strategic locations. The time for the beam to return to the Tugger AGV is how it pin points its location.
With some applications, magnets or barcodes are laid out in a grid pattern or along a pre-determined path. This form of navigation is easy to install and reconfigure later on.
With vision technology, Tugger AGVs record their surroundings – recognizing key landmarks associated with encoder counts to determine its location.
With any of these systems, an advanced controls system plus wireless communication keeps everything operating efficiently, up to 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Features of Tugger AGVs
Easy and fast installation – Aside from making sure the path is defined in the CAD programs used to manage the process, and placing the charging receptacles in convenient locations, Bastian Solutions offers AGVs which need no additional wiring.
Better space utilization – Most of the AGV products Bastian Solutions offers have multi-directional movement including forward, backward, and sideways (90 degrees). Since the vehicles can literally turn on a dime, the large corner radii needed for forklifts or other transport medium is eliminated.
Easy support and service – through the use of an onboard smart controller. This controller continuously updates and records the vehicle’s operational status thus displaying the cause of any issue that might occur. The Maintenance Operating Systems also assist with the automated tracking of usage.
Safety – through the use of ultrasonic sensors in addition to acoustic and visual indicators, emergency stop buttons on all four sides of the vehicle, and contact bumpers surrounding the perimeter of the vehicle.
Return on Investment – These vehicles are routinely applied in 24/7 operations with minimal interruptions to easily increase efficiency and throughput.