How AGV/Robots Are Keeping Supply Chains Moving in the Right Direction

Despite what we’ve been led to believe in Sci-Fi movies, robots “taking over” is not always a bad thing. Take, for instance, the widespread integration of automated guided vehicle (AGV) robots in the expedition of supply chains. AGVs are software-guided vehicles that perform various tasks in warehouses and other types of logistics centers by traveling along pre-established paths through the use of radio waves, cameras, magnets, or lasers. Since the integration of computer navigation and other hyper-intuitive features during the last 15 years or so, AGVs have become fixtures in the e-commerce, food warehouse, 3PL fulfillment, retail, manufacturing distribution warehouses, and a number of storage & fulfillment facilities.

Cause and Effect: What’s Guiding the Surge in AGV Integration?

Data from Statista indicates that in 2018, it was estimated that around 110,700 automated guided vehicle (AGV) units were sold globally with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 14% in North America alone through 2025. Some of the immediate and long-term factors that are, pardon the pun, guiding this surge include:

Labor Shortages – There continues to be a labor shortage in many areas of warehousing and logistics due to several broad challenges from an aging workforce to facility location and job competition. This is driving the need for accelerated investments in automated solutions such as guided vehicles. Driverless vehicles can offset the need for skilled drivers and other types of labor within a warehouse and logistics ecosystem.
Ecommerce Explosion – At the same time that these spaces are seeing labor shortages, there continues to be a boom in smaller, faster, more individualized order fulfillment driven by the rise in e-commerce. While online shopping continues to increase exponentially, these labor-intense operations can be offset with automation and particularly a strategically deployed AGV operation. With automation comes improved speed and accuracy resulting in fewer returns and better customer satisfaction.
Pandemic-Related Supply Chain Issues – It’s impossible not to discuss the role that COVID-19 has played in the disruption of global supply chains. Social distancing and public health issues have led to forced labor cuts (even in a time of already significant shortages) and other factors have created unprecedented lags that can, at least to some degree, be eased by the integration of automated guided vehicles. In a climate in which it’s safer and necessary to have fewer people in your facility, AGVs are safe and effective alternatives that can perform a variety of tasks.

Benefits of AGVs

Innovations in automated guided vehicles have led to increased emphasis on flexibility. As opposed to a few years ago when their integration required rigid and inflexible outfitting of your space, there is a greater-than-ever focus on adaptability. Today’s AGVs offer the following benefits and more to the global supply chain:

• Significantly reduce labor costs
• Easily adaptable and scalable
• Integrate with existing automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) or warehouse management system (WMS)
• Reduce risk to pallet racking systems, vehicles & equipment, and inventory
• More affordable than fixed automation system
• Increase efficiency and workflow to help meet throughput goals

These vehicles can also increase warehouse safety and can be configured and curated to perform different tasks in your facility, including but not limited to;

• Moving Inventory and Materials
• Towing Vehicles
• Pallet Handling
• Trailer Loading

Types of AGVS

There are many types of AGVs that you can integrate based on factors, like fulfillment goals, facility size, and existing infrastructure and resources:

• Laser-guided vehicles (LGVs) – Laser sensors use signal data to determine vehicle position.
• Magnetic systems – Magnetic tape or bars embedded in the floor guide the system through motion sensors.
• Natural navigation – Requires no environment and relies on internal navigation to guide vehicles.
• Magnetic spot systems – Guided by magnet markers arranged throughout the facility.
• Wire-guidance systems – Wire is embedded into a pre-cut path in the floor and transmits a radio signal that guides the vehicle.
• Optical and vision navigation systems – Vehicles are equipped with internal navigation software that allows them to maneuver freely.

Some of the more significant recent innovations in AGV tech include the integration of simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) and light detection and ranging (LIDAR).

Pallet Robotics

There is a new focus on warehouse safety along with demand for automation due to workforce shortage has increased the demand for robotics for pallet handling. This type of robot is used to load and unload pick and drop stations and transport the pallets to loading docks or production areas. Conveyors that feed these robots are an integral part of the workflow and can include pallet flow conveyors, static conveyors, and powered pallet conveyors. Pallet robots can be designed without the need for wires in the floor by mapping the facility and communicating through networks that are PC-driven.

Let WOI Guide You toward Successful AGV or Robotic Integration

Warehouse Optimizers, Inc. is ready to help you effectively implement AGVs into your warehouse workflow and succeed in meeting your operational goals. With our 5 Step Total Satisfaction Experience™, you are guaranteed that we will 1. listen to your needs, 2. execute your project with special attention to your unique application, 3. stick to project timelines, 4. ensure a safe environment, and 5. pay close attention to the appearance of the finished product. The WOI team will walk you through each stage of the process and provide expert customer service to deliver great results and peace of mind. Contact a member of our team today and let’s chat or Zoom. Call (865) 540-4004 for a prompt response. We proudly serve customers in Tennessee, Alabama, and throughout the Southeast.