Automated Guided Vehicle Systems

This professional book provides a comprehensive overview of the modern organisational tool of intralogistics. Automated Guided Vehicle Systems (AGV Systems) are floor-based systems that are used internally inside and/or outside of buildings. Since the mid-1990s, AGV Systems have successfully penetrated almost all sectors of industry and many public areas, such as hospitals. The technological standards of all AGV-relevant components and functions are explained and numerous practical examples, e.g. from the automotive, electrical and food industries, are presented. Another focus is the practical planning of such intralogistics systems based on the VDI guidelines, including hints and tips for successful project management when introducing an AGV System. This edition has been completely revised, restructured and reflects the rapid developments in technology and markets. Topics - History of Automated Guided Vehicles - Technological Standards Modern Areas of Application - The Future of AGVs - Holistic AGV Planning Target groups - Employees of companies dealing with intralogistics issues - Employees of companies offering AGV products or services - Developers and users of service robots - Technical planners in the field of intralogistics - Students and lecturers at technical colleges and technical universities specialising in production engineering and logistics Authors Dr.-Ing. Günter Ullrich is a management consultant in intralogistics, head of the VDI expert committee on AGV Systems and Head of the European AGV community Forum FTS. He is also managing director of Forum-FTS GmbH, which carries out planning and consulting in the AGV environment with an experienced and competent team. AGV Systems are the focus of his consulting, planning, workshops, seminars and publications (www.guenter-ullrich.de). Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Albrecht is a research associate and Head of AGV Systems at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (Fraunhofer IML) in Dortmund. He has been extensively involved with the subject for more than 30 years, including as a project manager in numerous AGV development projects, as a planner and consultant in AGV projects at home and abroad, as a speaker at specialist conferences and trade fairs, as an active member of the VDI AGV expert committee for many years and as an organiser of the AGV specialists conference held at Fraunhofer IML.