What is AGV & How it is benefiting Indian Manufacturers?

We are living under the governance of Narendra Modi and his digital India vision made everything digitized and automated, and so has manufacturing equipment.

That is why companies always look for ways to increase their operations, save money, and improve safety. To optimize operations more and more, businesses are turning to automation and incorporating automated guided vehicles into their workflow.

If you are curious about the idea of automating your operations but still need clarification regarding what AGVs are and why they may be a good investment for your business operations then you are at the right blog.

This detailed guide will tell you everything about AGV and how they will benefit your operations. We will discuss the top Automated Guided Vehicle Manufacturers in India. 

An Automated Guided Vehicle system also known as automatic guided cart which is a driverless, electric mechanized transport for flexible loads that operates in a team with warehouse systems such as conveyor lines and pallet racking.

This way of transport allows goods to be moved within a facility, such as from the part-receiving area, through an assembly line, or in manufacturing plants and warehouses.

The automation systems and equipment highlighted that AGVs are built to be customized, allowing them to better fit the customer’s specific needs, application, or environment.

AGV was developed by Author “Mac” Barrett, of Barrett Electronics Corporation in 1953, in Northbrook, Illinois. Also, he named this vehicle a guide-o-matic. This magnificent innovation was the best resolution to the problem of lack of material handling in industrial settings.

It was basically a modified towing tractor that followed a wire implanted in the floor. The goal of this invention was to automate the movement of materials in more efficient ways within warehouses and factories.

The initial use of an AGV was in a distribution warehouse. Primarily it was first used to increase efficiency in the movement of materials to take over manual labor on tedious tasks.

Later on, it became instantly obvious due to the simplistic and effective nature of this system that there was incredible potential for automatic material handling in many industrial fields.

Today, AGVs are being widely adopted in industries across the globe, including in Japan, Europe, and North America. Also, many top agv manufacturers in India provide the best AGVs around the globe.

AGV and AMR are both a kind of robotic solution that are used in material-handling warehouses, distribution operations, and manufacturing operations.

Both innovations move materials from one place to another place and make materials flow well organized also improving error rates and labor productivity, but they differ in some areas like navigation, obstacle avoidance, safety, cost of ownership, deployment, applications, flexibility, responsiveness, and maintenance.

The AGVs are used to follow a predetermined path (guide wires, tape on the floor, or markers) However, they require changes to infrastructure if routes need to be adjusted, making them less adaptable to dynamic environments.

On the other side, AMRs, utilize more sophisticated sensors (cameras and AI) to travel autonomously which can move around in a way that is based on the real-time conditions suitable for them. Since they do not rely on fixed guides, they easily dissolve with the surroundings which makes them more adjustable or appropriate for dynamic unformed environments.

When it comes to new technology and innovation India is one of the countries that gives tough competition to fully developed countries. India’s manufacturing landscape is quickly evolving, and automation is a key source of this transformation.

AGV manufacturers in India are playing a major role in advancing manufacturing processes, simplifying logistics, and enhancing operational efficiency. Several automated guided vehicle manufacturers in India offer cutting-edge solutions customized to meet the needs of various industries and Tetrahedron is one of them.

AGV manufacturers from India are determined to be more innovative, giving customized solutions, and having a better understanding of the local market.

They are not just providing global solutions but custom-modified AGVs to match the requirements of Indian industries. The localization also means the solutions are cutting-edge as well as value-for-money, encouraging more organizations to adopt automation.

In addition, Indian merchants adopt AGV technology and equip their vehicles with advanced software to get data in near real-time. This makes the vehicles smarter so that they can determine how to react and in doing so increase efficiency.

There is a wide range of AGVs available in the market and many of them are similar to one another. However, the goal of these Automated guided vehicles is to perform repetitive actions such as delivering raw materials, keeping loads stable, and completing simple tasks without direct human intervention or guidance.

1. Automated Guided Carts: It is a basic form of AGV also known as an under-ride robot that comes with normal features and has a standard magnetic navigation system. With this AGV you can easily transport a wide range of materials of tons of kilograms, from small areas to loaded pallets. Also, it is often used in sorting, shortage, and cross-docking applications. It uses technology like LIDAR, which ensures they stall safely even in the changed surroundings.
2. Forklift AGVs: If you want to move heavy things on pallets or in boxes, robot forklifts are an excellent choice. These forklifts have arms to lift and carry heavy things from 1000 kilograms to 10,000 kilograms. It is perfect for warehouses and places where things get departed. To make the best of this AGV uses them with a warehouse management system (WMS), which will give you the best way to load material, find the best route, and keep track of everything in the warehouse.
3. Towing AGV: Towing AGV also known as a warehouse tugger, can pull one or more non-powered, and carry load vehicles behind them like a train. It travels on wheels and is capable of moving materials of 10,000 to 50,000 kilograms. These heavy-duty towing AGVs are often used for transporting heavy loads over longer distances.
4. Unit Load AGV: Unit load AGVs are best for moving things like pallets, heavy containers, totes, goods, and racks that are too heavy to be moved by other types of equipment. It is specially made for moving goods and heavy stuff in a warehouse or storage facility. It looks like a flat table or flatbed that can carry one or multiple units to conveyor stands, automated storage, and different types of retrieval systems.
5. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs): Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can easily perform tasks and complete applications without any human interference. It is specially programmed to collect information about the environment which helps them to avoid harmful situations and adapting surroundings.

Comes with ultrasound sensors allowing them to navigate facilities without any human control. The Advanced AMRs can see an environment using stereo vision, cameras, and location software that simplifies obstacles and objects in real-time. Moreover, AMRs also reduce the tasks of humans such as delivering reports, distributing mail, and picking up items.

Also, there are 4 basic types of AMRs such as collaboration robots, inventory transportation robots, scalable storage picking robots, and automatically guided vehicles. Please note that these are the basic autonomous mobile robots, you can go for high-tech AMRs as well as per your operation’s requirements many agv manufacturers in India provide customized AGVs.

It is important to check what type of computerized navigation the AGV uses while buying. Here are some types of Navigation which will help you to decide which one is best for your industry.

1. Magnetic Tape Navigation: This type of Navigation uses the magnetic tapes laid on the floor to guide the vehicles. It has magnetic sensors which detect and follow the tape ensuring correct and reliable navigation. Moreover, it is one of the most cost-effective, easy to implement, and vigorously used in manufacturing and warehouses.

2. QR Code Navigation: This QR-code-based navigation for AGV uses QR code places along with routes. It scans the code to determine the position and receive navigation instructions, ensuring correct navigation, and easy route updates, and integrates with the digital system for efficient material handling and logistics.

3. Rail-Guided Navigation: This navigation uses physical rails or tracks implanted on the floor to guide the movement of the AGVs. This method gives you a highly controlled and precise navigation system, perfect for environments where strict adherence to predefined paths is important.

Look at the below-mentioned table which summarizes the benefits of AGVs in the manufacturing industry: