The increase in automation of intralogistics and production enables countless new applications for AGVs, with manufacturers challenged to adapt the software and hardware components for their devices to new tasks and increased requirements. These may be the battery capacity, implementation of the VDA5050 communication standard or compatibility with 5G networks. SAFELOG’s answer to these demands is the new AGV M4, which will be available in this summer.
Among the new features, a specially developed brushless DC motor offers improved performance. A low-wear and powerful drive ensures a significantly higher starting torque. At the same time, the increased dead weight of the SAFELOG AGV M4 supports optimal power transmission. “With the drive, we can map a wide speed spectrum from 0.02m/sec to a maximum of 1.6m/sec. The reduced minimum speed opens up additional application possibilities for us in the field of mobile assembly systems,” explained Mathias Behounek, Managing Director of SAFELOG. “The maximum tractive load is still 1,500kg, while the capacity for top load has been quintupled to 1,000kg.”
The unit height has also been reduced by more than 15% to 220mm. “This enables us to drive under a large number of the trolleys and trailers commonly available on the market,” revealed Behounek. Two RFID readers on the top of each AGV confirm the control system as soon as a trolley is driven beneath.
Inductive charging systems from Wiferion will become standard on all new SAFELOG AGVs, with previous charging system via copper sliding contacts will continue to be offered as an option. The power supply to the AGVs via the Wiferion etaLINK 3000 charging system is fully automated during operation without interrupting the material flow. The charging process is wear-free, so there is no contamination of the working environment through abrasion, as occurs with sliding contacts.
Compared to the previous model, the battery capacity of the SAFELOG AGV M4 is configurable. Depending on the application, the AGV can be equipped with up to four LiFePo4 batteries to achieve an optimal process adaptation. The capacity ranges from 21Ah to 84Ah.
The new generation of AGVs can be used in a process of older model AGVs, as SAFELOG provides software updates across generations. This means that swarms consisting of AGVs of different AGV generations can be operated together without restrictions. The swarm intelligence of the agent-based control system connects young and old and ensures successful management of the intralogistics tasks at hand.
