The Basics of Automatic Guided Vehicle Systems

Applications: Pallet Trucks

AGVS pallet trucks are used generally in distribution functions. Vehicles can be loaded in two ways, either they are capable of automatically reversing into pallets on the floor or operators will manually board the vehicles and back them into pallets.

For the product delivery the vehicles normally proceed down the path to specific destinations in storage areas, pull off onto a spur, lower their pallet forks to the floor and pull out from under the pallets, then automatically return empty to the loading areas. Many applications have been done whereby the vehicles are manually boarded in the loading areas and driven off the path to load staging areas where they are manually loaded. The vehicles are backed up under the loads, driven back to the path, given a destination by an operator and automatically proceed to the drop off spurs in the warehouse areas. Automatically reversing a guided pallet truck adds considerable expense to the system and the necessity for accurate positioning loads on the floor for pickup. They can only be justified in limited applications at this time. Manually loading the vehicle gives operators flexibility to position loads anywhere off the path and still be able to retrieve them with the vehicles which then automatically proceed with out operators into the warehouse drop locations.