Safelog GmbH from Markt Schwaben has added another series to its AGV product family. The portfolio for warehouse technology currently consists of the three model sizes AGV S2, AGV M3 and AGV L1. The agent-based control system eliminates the need for a higher-level central control station and thus enables the efficient and cost-effective operation of a small number of vehicles as well as the use in swarm sizes of several hundred units. With the introduction of the Safelog AGV L1 model in 2020, loads of up to 1500 kilograms can now be lifted or up to 3000 kilograms pulled.

No higher-level control center necessary

The fewer vehicles are needed to handle a specific process, the more difficult it becomes for many manufacturers of automated guided vehicles to offer a profitable solution. This is mainly due to the fact that a higher-level control station is required for vehicle control. However, this purchase is only profitable from a large number of vehicles, as the costs for the hardware and software of the control station and its project-specific programming are very high. The Safelog AGVs therefore have an agent-based control system that enables the individual vehicles to communicate with each other and with the surrounding production and logistics systems. The software is configured to the customer's specific requirements and uses its swarm intelligence to coordinate routes and distribute tasks. In order to achieve the highest possible technical availability of the overall system, various types of navigation are available, which can also be used in combination. WLAN is used for communication between the AGVs, but the use of the new 5G standard is also already in the test phase. A dedicated app for mobile devices provides a real-time overview of the system and displays the current operating status.

Expansion of application possibilities

With the market launch of the AGV L1, Safelog has rounded off the top end of its portfolio in terms of tensile and lifting capacity. With a height of just 340 millimetres, the AGV L1 is suitable for driving under pallets or pallet cages, for example. This means that the majority of standard transportation tasks can be completed. For safety reasons, the total height of the AGV and transported goods must not exceed 2 m. The control system allows omnidirectional operation, so that the AGV can move in any direction at any time. This increases the operational flexibility of the vehicles, as they can be maneuvered in the tightest of spaces. In order to avoid interrupting the material flow by driving to the charging station and to be able to map a 3-shift operation, it is possible to equip the loading and unloading points or work stations with charging contact plates in order to charge the AGV batteries during operation.