Self-driving cars and trucks, hands-free driving, driverless cars — whatever you call them, they’re an example of technology people thought would be further along by now. Rexroth is taking big step forward with automated guided vehicles or AGVs for the factory floor.
One of the big issues in modern factories is intralogistics — getting materials and workpieces to the right place in the assembly line. Inventory eats up capital and human workers spend a lot of time getting materials in place for automated assembly.
ActiveShuttle
Rexroth has developed a new kind of automated guided vehicle or AGV to solve these problems. The new system, called ActiveShuttle, makes smart decisions about materials replenishment based on connections with machinery and IT systems. They integrate with the inventory management systems already in place and automatically update themselves.
The new AGVs safely navigate around obstacles — including human beings. They don’t need human operators or minders. They don’t need special lines or tracks on the floor. They can navigate freely to the place where they’re needed.
ActiveShuttle vehicles also communicate with one another. When you have several in service, you can be confident that you will be free of traffic jams or bottlenecks, since the AGVs coordinate and plan their movements.
Rexroth has for many years used modular design to make sure that your facility doesn’t end up in the slide puzzle situation: you have to change X before you can change Y and Y before Z — but also Z before X. ActiveShuttle uses a modular system that makes it easy to integrate and adapt existing systems and new elements as they come in. Retrofitting doesn’t mean reprogramming.
Integrating multiple generations
Rexroth uses continually expanding and improving sensors and systems to make it practical to use machinery from multiple time depths in the same drive and control system. By supporting legacy components, Rexroth keeps top quality automation affordable.
Remember us when you need support for any Rexroth electric automation systems, from the legacy Indramat devices to the newest ActiveShuttle.