Whether it is a large enterprise or a small enterprise, internal logistics automation is a thorny issue that often needs to be faced - if it can realize the automation of material transportation, why waste employee resources? Why not invest employee resources in higher value? In the work? By automating material transport, companies can optimize productivity and more effectively schedule deliveries, thereby reducing bottlenecks in internal manufacturing.
Until recently, the traditional automatic guided vehicle system (AGV) remained the only solution for the automation of internal transport operations. The AGV is a common device in large stationary installations and is often used for material delivery with repetitive and consistent And companies need to be able to accept large initial cost expenditures and long-term return on investment (ROI). Nowadays, more sophisticated, flexible and more cost-effective autonomous mobile robot (AMR) technology has brought severe problems to the AGV market. Challenges. Although both AGV and AMR can achieve material transport, their similarities only stop there.
Fixed route vs smart navigation
AGV has extremely low intelligence onboard and can only follow simple programming instructions. During installation, a complete equipment upgrade is usually required. During this period, it may also cause production interruption. AGV is limited to several fixed routes, so there are changes in the later stages. The route requirements also require additional costs and interfere with the production process. The AGV can detect obstacles in front of it, but cannot bypass until the obstacles are removed.
In contrast, autonomous mobile robots (AMR) can use software to draw maps within the factory or import plant building drawings in advance to achieve navigation. This function is equivalent to a car loaded with GPS and a preloaded map. When the car After setting people's residence and work address, they can generate the most convenient path according to the position on the map. This is exactly the same as the mechanism of the autonomous mobile robot to pick up and send parts after setting the position information. AMR can use the camera, built-in sensor, laser Scanners and data in complex software detect the surrounding environment and select the most efficient way to reach the destination. It can be completely autonomous and it can be used if there are forklifts, pallets, people or other obstacles in front of it. A good alternative route allows safe bypass. By doing so, it is possible to ensure that the material delivery wave keeps pace and thus optimizes productivity.
Countless applications vs. extremely high flexibility
Autonomous operation makes AMR more flexible than AGV. AGV is limited to follow a fixed route integrated into the factory facilities, and is usually installed on the ground. This means that its specific application will be very limited, and AGV in its Throughout the service life, only one-size-fits-all transportation tasks can be performed. If the route needs to be changed, the cost is very high, and it also causes production interruption, so it is not cost-effective.
AMR can change tasks only with simple software adjustments. The same robot can perform various tasks in different locations and can automatically make adjustments to meet changing environment and production requirements. AMR performs tasks that can be performed through the robot interface. Control, or use robot fleet control software for multiple robots to configure, the control software can automatically prioritize the instructions, and according to the location and applicability can choose the most suitable for a given task of the robot. Once formulated With a certain task, employees do not need to spend time coordinating the work of robots. They will be able to focus on high value-added work and promote the success of the company's operations.
The modern manufacturing environment is no longer dependent on expensive and rigid traditional technologies, nor can it afford to continue to use manpower to transport materials with low-impact results, especially in the context of today's labor market that is in short supply. Autonomous mobile robots are flexible and cost-effective. , ROI and productivity optimization are absolutely superior to AGV.
