Key Concepts About AGV Networks

Reasons to Simulate AGV Systems

FlexSim's AGV objects and tools are designed to help you simulate business systems that will use automated guided vehicles (AGVs). AGVs are portable robots designed to transport goods from one destination to another.

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The following image shows a hypothetical example of a hospital that uses AGVs to transport medical supplies, laundry, and waste:

AGV systems are now being used for a growing variety of applications in material handling, manufacturing, and beyond. Since AGV systems are costly to implement, they are ideal for a simulation project. You can experiment with different AGV system setups in a simulation model until you find the most efficient system for your needs.

An AGV simulation model can also act as a communication tool when you get to the implementation phase. You can hand off the model to the individuals who will program the AGVs to help them understand the kind of logic that they will need to use when they program the AGVs in the system.

Before Building an AGV Network

Before beginning your AGV simulation project, you should ideally research the types of AGVs your system will use. If it's not possible to find out information about the AGV system before you begin your project, keep in mind that you can build a working model and then make modifications to it as you get more information about the AGVs you will use.

With that in mind, the following is a list of questions that you could consider asking your vendor about the AGVs that you'll use in your system:

• Navigation - What kind of navigation system will your AGVs use? How will vehicles enter and exit the system? Will operators need to call AGVs or will they loop on a continuous system looking for work?
• Routing - How will your AGVs be routed from one location to another? Will your system use a central AGV controller? How will AGV traffic be controlled to prevent collisions?
• Vehicle Specifications - What is the load capacity of the AGVs? How long does it take to load and unload? At what speed do the AGVs travel, including when decelerating or turning? Do their speeds change when they are carrying a load? What is their battery lifespan and charge rate?

Overview of AGV Objects and Tools

The following sections will provide a high-level overview of the 3D objects and tools that are used to build an AGV model in FlexSim.

Library Objects

The TaskExecuter 3D object in the library is designed to look and move like an AGV, so it is the best object to use in an AGV model. You can find this object in the Task Executer category of the library.

The AGV category in the library has the following objects:

Name and Icon Description Straight Path
Draws a straight path that AGVs will use to travel from one location to another. Curved Path
Draws a curved path that AGVs will use to travel from one location to another. Join Paths
Join paths acts more like a tool than an object. Use it to create a curved AGV path connecting two AGV paths. Control Points
Control points handle a lot of the logic in AGV networks. AGVs and flow items will need to enter and exit the network through a control point. If you need to route AGVS to different floors, you'll use control points to communicate with elevator objects. Control points can also be connected to other control points to create look for work systems where AGVs loop through the network looking for tasks at different locations. Control Area
You can add control areas to sections of the AGV network to prevent collisions. These control areas will restrict access to that section of the AGV network by only allowing a fixed number of AGVs into the area at a time.

Process Flow Templates

To make AGV simulation even simpler, FlexSim has several pre-built AGV process flow templates you can use with your AGV simulation project. These process flow templates already have basic logic to simulate many common AGV systems, but also can act as a launching point for you to customize the logic to your specific AGV system's needs. All you need to do is choose which process flow is closest to how your system works, then attach the AGVs in your 3D model to the chosen process flow, then adjust the settings or add new logic that will be unique to your AGV system.

See Using the AGV Process Flow Templates for more information on process flows for controlling and dispatching AGVs.

See Adding Elevators to AGV Networks for more information on a process flow that integrates elevators into AGV travel.

Perhaps for many people, the first discovery of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) can actually be traced back to when it was first proposed by Arthur Barrett. Since then, theAGV has undergone tremendous development, completely changing the way materials are handled and transported.

Automated Guided Vehicles in Warehouse Types

Automated Guided Vehicles in Warehouse encompass various types, one of which is automatic pallet trucks designed to transport pallet-loaded goods within manufacturing facilities. They can be used for inter-floor operations and typically can accommodate lifting requirements of up to 2 meters. There are also more versatile automatic forklifts that can handle loads of up to4 tons or perform high stacking operations up to8 meters. Other types of forklifts AGVs include reach trucks and very narrow aisle (VNA) forklifts designed for high stacking and high lifting operations in narrow aisles.

Automated Guided Vehicles in Warehouse Navigation System Types

Laser Guidance

AGV is equipped with rotating laser emitters and receivers, allowing it to detect reflectors mounted in the environment and determine positions extremely accurately. Especially suitable for medical applications as they are very precise, allowing products to be handled to the nearest centimeter.

Wire Guidance

AGV travels along ground tracks embedded in the facility floor, which can be composed of wires, rails, magnetic lines, or cables. Wires transmit signals through antennas or sensors, which the AGV detects to navigate. Requires track installation, therefore only recommended for applications with lower flexibility requirements.

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Vision Guidance

AGVs using visual guidance follow paths drawn on the ground, with their cameras recognizing this path. Compared to wire guidance, visual guidance is more cost-effective as it does not require any special installation work.

Landmark Guidance

Similar to visual guidance, AGVs using landmark guidance do not require modifications to infrastructure. Landmark-guided AGVs identify and map objects in the environment, determine their positions in real-time, and navigate within facilities independently without adapting the infrastructure. This provides a high degree of flexibility for warehouses and production sites.

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)

LiDAR is an advanced navigation technology that uses sensors transmitting laser pulses to measure distances between the robot and objects in the environment. This data is compiled into a 360-degree map of the environment, enabling warehouse automated picking systems to navigate within facilities and avoid obstacles without the need for additional infrastructure.

Selecting the Right Automated Guided Vehicles in Warehouse: 5 Questions

With so many variations of AGVs and navigation systems on the market, potential adopters may feel overwhelmed. Before making a decision, here are some important questions to consider.

Goods Type

Whether automated guided vehicles in warehouse need to be handle light or heavy goods is an important question to answer, as different types of AGVs have unique load capacities. For heavy goods, a customized AGV may be necessary.

Navigation Type

Depending on the environment in which the AGVs will operate, such as wet, cold, interactive with manual operators, the type of navigation system implementation will vary.

Level of Accuracy

Ensure that your AGVs are equipped with the appropriate level of accuracy to protect goods and avoid potential damages.

Compatibility with Company Logistics Systems

As AGVs are part of automated logistics systems, their compatibility with the existing logistics systems used by the company, such as warehouse management systems, is crucial.

Safety Equipment

You can equip your AGVs with detection sensors that will stop movement when encountering obstacles. Sound and visual elements can also be built in to enhance the safety of operations. Choosing AGVs with complete safety equipment will help ensure smooth and safe warehouse operations. Get robotic warehouse solutions from Iplusrobot now!

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