A Seegrid automated guided vehicle

AGV specialist Seegrid has announced record-setting results for 2017, continuing the company's upward trajectory and surpassing 2016's revenue and profit milestones.

"Manufacturing and e-commerce companies are under pressure to modernise their operations and transform their facilities into the smart factories of the future," says Jim Rock, CEO of Seegrid. "Our customers expect a partner who can not only deliver a quality product, but help shepherd the transition into a more automated, data-driven environment."

The demand for Seegrid vision guided vehicles (VGVs) drove a significant increase in customer growth in 2017. New and existing customers selected the Seegrid Smart Platform to transform into safer, more productive facilities as connected automation becomes best practice. Existing customers in automotive, e-commerce, and distribution placed additional orders to expand their VGV fleets, having increased safety, improved workflow efficiency, and achieved ROI with Seegrid vehicles.

In 2018, automated solutions will continue to be a priority capital investment for manufacturing and distribution leaders, according to the company. Seegrid will support this adoption with new self-driving vehicles and software features in 2018.

The company says 2017 marked a year of continued growth and innovation with the addition of the GP8 Series 6 self-driving pallet truck, which offers fully automated material movement from pick-up to drop-off. Operating entirely infrastructure-free, the GP8 Series 6 provides an end-to-end automation solution aligned with Industry 4.0 and lean initiatives.

As Seegrid saw continued success and customer growth throughout 2017, the company added new jobs, expanding its engineering, customer engagement, and deployment departments by 30%.

Seegrid also expanded its geographic presence with new orders in Canada and Europe.

Seegrid closed 2017 with a major milestone of 800,000 production mi. (1.3 million km) by self-driving vehicles in customer facilities without a single safety incident. In 2018, the company will hit one million miles (1.6 million km) driven autonomously by its VGVs and is committed to fulfilling its promise of zero safety incidents.