Tag: AGV|materials handling|warehouse automation

The AGV Mesh-Up will again bring automated guided vehicles to the Test Camp Intralogistics in Dortmund in 2023 and will feature several premieres.

Frankfurt, 6 December 2022 – For the third time, the AGV Mesh-Up will take place as a live test of the VDA 5050 communication interface for automated guided vehicles as part of the Test Camp Intralogistics. For the first time, two master control systems provided by KINEXON and SIEMENS will be used at Messe Dortmund on 29 and 30 March 2023. The vehicles on site will drive with one of the two control stands on each of the two event days.

“In 2023, the participating companies would primarily like to show realistic applications with the vehicles. That means there will be even more handling and storage and retrieval processes on show than last year,” explains Andreas Scherb, project manager of the AGV Mesh-Up in the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association. A total of nine units will be operating in the area in 2023. They will be provided by Bosch Rexroth, DS AUTOMOTION, ek robotics, Fraunhofer IML, Grenzebach Group, MLR, OMRON, SAFELOG and STILL.

In addition, the trade association was able to gain an important partner in Nokia, which is providing a 5G campus network for the AGV Mesh-Up. “With the increasing use of IoT and automation solutions in the logistics industry, the need for reliable wireless connectivity with low latency is also growing. This is required by Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) or Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) to interact with their fleet management software and Warehouse Management System (WMS).

Turning theory into practice

There is also a trend towards collecting telemetry, sensor and video data in real time, shifting computing power away from AGVs and towards on-site edge computing resources, supported by 5G connectivity. Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (Nokia DAC) and Mission Critical Industrial Edge (MXIE) form the 5G campus network here, which is specifically designed for industrial applications,” explains Venkatesh Ramakrishnan, Head of Logistics Vertical, Nokia Enterprise.

The AGV Mesh-Up was created by the VDMA trade association together with its members to test the practical suitability of the interface. For the participating member companies, the worldwide unique event offers the optimal environment to put their vehicles and software through their paces in terms of VDA 5050. For spectators, the AGV Mesh-Up offers the opportunity to experience the functions of the interface as well as vehicles and control systems live. In addition, a personal exchange with the developers and product managers is possible on site.

For the first time, driverless transport systems drove together under one control system via VDA 5050 at the world premiere in 2021. The interface project was initiated by the VDMA Association for Materials Handling and Intralogistics and the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and implemented as an open-source project with the support of the KIT Institute for Materials Handling and Logistics Systems (IFL).

Test Camp Intralogistics

The AGV Mesh-Up will take place in a special exhibition area of the Test Camp Intralogistics 2023 from 29 – 30 March 2023 in Exhibition Hall 3 in Dortmund. Info and tickets for trade visitors are available HERE. All information and background on the AGV Mesh-Up can be found HERE.

The Test Camp Intralogistics is a test event with an accompanying congress organised by impact media projects GmbH. Test-driving forklifts, working with exoskeletons, operating all kinds of warehouse technology yourself, interacting with automated guided vehicles and logistics robots, trying out software – at Test Camp Intralogistics everything revolves around hands-on testing of selected innovations and new developments in warehouse and material flow technology. Decision-makers from industry, trade and the service sector with a concrete interest in innovation and investment have the opportunity to extensively test the exhibits on display for themselves on 10,000 square metres of hall space and to obtain information from experts about the relevant trends.

The Test Camp Intralogistics also provides the exclusive setting for the IFOY TEST DAYS, where the finalists of the IFOY AWARDS are tested, as well as the AGV Mesh-Up of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association.

 

Toyota Material Handling UK has unveiled its latest frontier in warehouse automation: CDI120, an AGV designed specifically as a pallet carrier.

CDI120 is a powerful, compact and intuitive solution for horizontal goods transport, capable of adding a new dimension to any warehouse operation. And it slots seamlessly into Toyota Material Handling UK’s Autopilot vehicle range, joining its tow tractors, low lifters, stackers, counterbalance trucks and reach trucks to form a comprehensive line-up that can meet virtually every customer need.

Compact and cost-efficient

CDI120 was designed as an Autopilot vehicle from the ground up, rather than simply altering a conventional manually operated vehicle. This has enabled a total rethink of many aspects of the carrier, ranging from form factor to navigation and safety features, to enable industrial users to get the most out of AGV technology.

The first thing many users will notice is that CDI120 lacks forks. Instead, it loads a pallet by driving underneath it and lifting it from below, using a run-through station to ensure precise and efficient loading of pallets up to 1200kg every time.

CDI120’s exceedingly compact design – with built-in scanner and sensors in the chassis, in combination with a differential drive design – enables efficient loading with a run-through station, tight turn-on-point manoeuvres, and swift operation even in low-ceiling areas.

When on the move, CDI120 can ‘see’ objects at up to 30 metres. Odometry and feature-based localisation are then used to precisely navigate through warehouse space. The localisation algorithm is sophisticated enough that it can interpret additional features dynamically added to the environment. Meanwhile, Toyota-standard safety features ensure safe transport, including front and side detection fields, blue LED warning light and E-stops.

Grows as your operation does

But CDI120 functions as more than a stand-alone vehicle: it also works seamlessly as part of an automated vehicle fleet, communicating with other AGVs from Toyota and management systems using the T-ONE software. Developed in-house by Toyota, T-ONE can integrate and supervise all warehouse equipment to optimise efficiency and processing time.

This gives operators maximum flexibility: they can initiate CDI120 transport jobs manually (via a warehouse management system or call buttons), or through automated software. Trucks can be configured for various pre-set routes (A-to-B, loop or part of a multi-leg journey) and priorities, which can be adjusted on the fly to maintain a continuous material flow – avoiding disruptions and maximising cost-efficiency.

“CDI120 was designed to be more than just cutting-edge. An important aim in its development was to provide a cost-efficient pallet transporter that seamlessly co-works with our stacker and reach trucks – optimising ROI for our customers in their transport and stacking applications,” explained Paul Freeman, Head of Logistics Solutions at Toyota Material Handling UK  “With automated route planning and execution in T-ONE, it is possible to divide A-to-B transport into a multi-leg task involving different vehicle types – for example, using the cost-efficient CDI120 for transport and the powerful RAE to stack. This will not only pay managers back in ROI, but also in space and energy savings.

“Furthermore, as T-ONE is easily configurable for different flows and operation sizes, CDI120 fleets can be deployed flexibly, changing and scaling up over time. Company owners or warehouse managers can take a ‘big bang’ approach to automation, or they effect a more gradual transition – in both cases receiving the benefits of automation without disruption, and in line with their needs and business priorities.”