Implementing an AGV System

AGV Vendor Analysis

Below is a list of 25 questions designed to help you compare the different technologies of AGV vendors.

1. How does your wireless technology work and when was it introduced?
2. How is AGVS vehicle routing accomplished in your proposed system? What controls are required in the floor, on the walls or columns, or on the vehicle to accomplish vehicle routing?
3. How is vehicle traffic control accomplished in your system? What controls are required in the floor, on the walls or columns, or on the vehicle to accomplish vehicle traffic control?
4. Does your system employ a central AGVS controller?
5. Do you have a system monitoring CRT graphics display available? Is it included in the proposed system price? How does the terminal operate? What are the monitoring, recording and command issuing capabilities?
6. What are the operational steps to remove or enter a vehicle in the system? What are the rules a manual operator must follow to safely remove or enter a vehicle on the system? Where can this be done? What controls need to be reset or cleared?
7. What hardware controls are part of the floor path network? What is the quantity of guidepath wire energizers, traffic controllers, routing controllers and floor code markers (wire, plate, magnetic or responder type)?
8. Describe in detail manual operation of the vehicle off the path. How does the operator drive the vehicle manually?
9. Can a vehicle be entered or removed from the guidepath at any location, including the middle of an intersection, without resetting traffic controls?
10. Is the system as proposed? Is it configured with zone blocking traffic control throughout the guidepath network including all straight-aways?
11. What other additional types of vehicles can be used on the same initial base guidepath with the base vehicles? Are there any additional system changes which may be necessary to accommodate different types of vehicles?
12. What are the necessary steps to expand the system with additional vehicles and/or guidepath? What possible additional controls, rewiring or software are required to add vehicles, stops or guidepath to the base system?
13. How can the proposed system be upgraded to higher-level computer controls? If a central system management control is employed in the future to automatically dispatch vehicles, what additional hardware or software is required of your system to interface to this higher level of control?
14. Explain communication capability to and from the vehicles for remote vehicle dispatching. Is this employed in the base level operation or is it a capability which needs to be added to the system when a higher-level computer management system is added?
15. If you offer gyro-based wireless AGV navigation, explain what type of markers are used in the floor and typical spacing.
16. Describe the user interface with the onboard AGV control panel. What functions are provided?
17. How many AGV systems have you installed?
18. How many years have you marketed an AGV product?
19. Is the product of your own manufacture? Are any parts licensed or procured from other sources? Please explain.
20. If offering a unit load carrier type AGV, explain the construction, controls and steering mechanics of the vehicle.
21. Where are your AGVs manufactured?
22. Where was AGVS technology developed? Where is the corporate AGVS product group located?
23. Where will parts and service originate?
24. Where does documentation and training support come from?
25. How long have you offered AGVs in the US and how many AGV systems do you have installed in the US?