AGVs for FMCG operation

Specialist company E&K Automation won the contract to supply two AGV systems, to an un-named UK manufacturer of fast moving consumer goods. Each of the AGV systems uses seven laser-guided vehicles of compact counterbalance design.

Both AGV systems are totally independent of each other, although any vehicle can be deployed to work on either system for maximum resilience and flexibility. A further advantage of the twin system approach was that commissioning of phase 2 early in 2011 had no effect on phase 1 AGV operations.

Both systems, which were implemented without unplanned disruption to production, are linked to the customer's pre-existing WMS. Two-way communication with the driverless vehicles is via a wireless local area network. Stand 53