Food Logistics serves the entire food supply chain industry with targeted content for manufacturers, retailers, and distributors.
Issue link: https://foodlogistics.epubxp.com/i/369253
www.foodlogistics.com FOOD LOGISTICS • AUGUST 2014 45 years. Vision-guided vehicles, pioneered by Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Seegrid Inc., have been heralded as an alternative to the landmark- guided AVGs that require reflectors to be mounted throughout the warehouse. Seegrid's vision-guided technology offers ease of installation, ease of use and less cost compared to landmark-based systems. A new map can be generated when the vehicle's path needs to change. Manufacturers of landmark-guided AGVs acknowledge the vision-guided systems bring a new set of benefits, but they are quick to point out that warehouse managers have to understand their own specific needs before investing in a system. "Vision-guided AGV systems have come a long way, implementation is fast, but it has to be a simple layout and simple tasks often with human intervention at each end in regards to the dispatching, and a reliable traffic control is non-existent so far. When changing the layout, many segments have to be re-recorded," says Roland Anderson, owner of Amerden AGVS, the St. Augustine, Fla.-based AGV manufacturer. Laser-guided AGV systems require a planned and designed map for installation of the reflectors and programming the vehicles, Anderson says. "But when it is done, only software work is required to change the lay- out and functionality and you can have as complex an AGV system as there is. There is a lot more to it than the guiding system. A laser-guided vehicle has the complete intel- ligence to report and track all movements as well as production and inventory control within the system and be connected to any WMS and enterprise software," he adds. "There are many AGV tasks in a system operation a vision-guided vehicle cannot do yet; there are no AGV tasks a laser-guided vehicle cannot do." Laser versus vision guidance "In a warehouse, things are constantly changing," notes Brad Moore, vice president of AGVPick global accounts at Switzerland- based Swisslog, which provides laser-guided AGVs. "Laser guidance is precise as long as the reflectors are always in the same location." Swisslog offers its laser-guided AGVPick solu- tion on electric pallet trucks made by Maren- go, Ill.-based UniCarriers Americas. Moore notes that Swisslog installs the reflectors in the facility and maps the routes. The AGVs work in concert with voice pick- ing in order fulfillment operations. Both Anderson and Moore agree that the vision-guided systems are improving. Rob Kuchta, distribution systems manag- er at Giant Eagle Inc., the Pittsburgh, Pa.- based supermarket chain, says the Seegrid vision-guided system is easy to use. "You walk with it one time to show it what you want it to do," he says. He says the Seegrid software instructs the AGVs to stop at inter- sections if another vehicle is going by. "It's smart enough to say, 'I'm going to let this one pass.'" Giant Eagle used a wire-guided AGV several years ago, Kuchta recalls. When the warehouse was rearranged, the wires had to be reinstalled. "Every time you want to do a change, you have to have the engineer come in," he says. Jeremiah Miele, responsible for research and development for robotics at Genco Inc., a Pittsburgh, Pa.-based 3PL, says reflector- based navigation AGVs currently have a place for specific applications, however, non- landmark-based navigation (such as vision- guided systems) is rapidly closing the gap. Miele notes that the navigation system is only one consideration in choosing an AGV. He says companies also have to consider speed, drop-off and pick-up capabilities and other factors. Genco is cur- rently testing an AGV made by Balyo, a France-based logistics technology provider, which has developed a "geo-guided" naviga- tion system that uses laser devices and natural markers in the environment. Balyo maps out the warehouse and cre- ates routes for the AGVs, says Jean-Marie Bergeal, CEO of Balyo Inc., the North American subsidiary of the France-based parent. No infrastruc- ture is required for the AGVs to operate, and a barcode scanner can be mounted on the AGV to scan the pallet's license plate, for a complete WMS inte- gration. Safety, reliability, flexibility and scal- ability of the technology should be evaluated in the context of the long-term automation strategy, the white paper notes. For an extended version of this article, go to www.foodlogistics.com/11598302. ◆ For more information: AMERDEN AGVS, amerden.com, 904-826-4490 BAYLO USA, baylo.com, 888-291-6270 CROWN EQUIPMENT, crown.com, 419-629-2311 GENCO INC., genco.com, 800-677-3110 MATERIAL HANDLING INSTITUTE OF AMERICA, mhi.org, 704-676-1190 RAYMOND CORP., raymondcorp.com, 800-235-7200 SEEGRID, seegrid.com, 877-733-4743 SWISSLOG, swisslog.com, 757-820-3616 TOYOTA AGV, Toyotaforklift.com, 800-226-0009 UNICARRIERS AMERICAS, unicarriersamericas.com, 815-568-0061