See our own AGV in action here
Employees willing to take on physically strenuous jobs and hard manual labor are harder than ever to find. Along with a general goal to optimize warehouse space, make manufacturing flexible, and make better use of their employees, companies around the world seek to automate processes, increase efficiency and save costs altogether.
This is a global clear trend; and a way to accomplish all of the above is to extend the use of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). These intelligent machines are going to handle a wealth of materials in manufacturing and will help streamline stock management almost everywhere. According to the British research agency ‘Interact Analysis’ the market for mobile robots will pass double-digit growth between 2017-2022, reaching 7bn US dollars in 2022.
Platforms with deck-load functions most popular
A closer look at the current market shows that the deck-load type of AMR/AGV is the most commonly used. The most typical tasks include moving, for example, pallets or shelves from A to B. In order to manage the transport of the pallets, a durable vertical lift is needed, and LINAK® has years of experience in making just that.
Precision and reliability are key factors
In order to meet end user demands, handling materials – from manufacturing to logistics – needs to be precise and reliable. According to Business Development Manager, Heiko Kleineder, this makes LINAK® actuators perfect for mobile robots.
“Precision and reliability are traits that have been synonymous with LINAK® electric linear actuators for decades. Autonomous robots and AGVs with our electric movement solutions depend on both traits, if they are to create value at all,” he explains, and continues:
“Utilizing CAN open interface and feedback options as equipped, our actuators are also really easy to integrate with modern mobile robot designs. And our long-life and maintenance-free actuators provide that high level of reliability the meticulous OEM needs. We are quite used to making flexible solutions for customers and often collaborate with OEMs to reach desired results. That’s why we know!”.
If you want to know more about how electric actuators can support your AGV- or AMR-application, please contact your local LINAK office.
Actuator Academy™
Explore the aspects of what makes an actuator ideal for use with industrial machinery and dive into the technology behind it.
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LINAK has the first AGV of its kind in Scandinavia
At LINAK we know all the benefits of using AGVs to automate processes and how to use them to spare our employees from physically strenuous tasks.
At our manufacturing facility in Denmark we have an AGV in Machining to do the heavy lifting. It moves some 40 tons of spindles every day – an essential task, previously performed manually with carts.
The AGV is fully autonomous and it operates side by side with employees, moving required spindle materials to the right processing stations. This ensures accurate flow of materials, while keeping track of stock status and material placement.
The main reasons for implementing the AGV at LINAK are to improve ergonomics and enhance safety for employees. We are also experiencing fewer errors because – with the AGV – more processes are now computer controlled.
Our AGV is the first of its kind in Scandinavia, and it features LA25 and LA36 LINAK actuators.
We call her ‘Marie’ and you can meet her in action in this video.
