 Egemin's hybrid AGV |
At ProMat 2011, Egemin Automation Inc of Holland, Michigan demonstrated its E'gv hybrid automated guided vehicle (AGV) on a stock frame from Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklifts America Inc (MCFA).
Subsequently, on 31 March, Egemin announced that MCFA of Houston, Texas is its primary component supplier for the hybrid AGV.
The E'gv combines traditional off-the-shelf benefits of a man-aboard forklift with advanced AGV laser and natural target navigation.
The hybrid AGV morphs manual and automatic operations onto a standard off-the-shelf forklift and is available with lifting height up to 23 feet (6.9 m) and a lifting capacity of 3,500 lbs (1,575 kg) or 5,500 lbs (2,475 kg).
"When Egemin began its search for a component supplier, MCFA's reputation and commitment for providing quality lift trucks stood above the rest," says Jerry Dekker, Egemin president and chief executive officer.
Egemin and MCFA began collaborating in 2008 and reached a formal agreement in advance of the ProMat 2009 show, says Mark Stevenson, Egemin vice president of business development. "The first sale of a prototype occurred in late 2008 to a mid-western food processor. Now, the sales are in the hundreds" of units.
Egemin says it has sold hybrid AGV systems that have moved more than 10 million pallets annually.
While the technology is not deemed to be the broad answer to any AGV task, the E'gv is designed within the envelope of a forklift, allows automatic operations and is battery-powered - with the potential for fuel cell power in the future.
MCFA builds the forklift body and stand-up control content in Houston and ships the package to Holland for Egemin final assembly, says Kent Eudy, vice president of MCFA dealer sales. "Egemin is an industry leader in the automated guided vehicle marketplace and being able to contribute to state-of-the-art practices in materials handling is an honour."
Attendees at ProMat in Chicago were able to experience how an operator can interrupt automatic AGV operations, drive the vehicle manually and then place the forklift back into fully automatic laser-guidance mode.
Optional technology includes radio frequency identification (RFID) readers through US plastic pallet pooler Intelligent Global Pooling Systems Co LLC (iGPS) of Orlando, Florida. Other E'gv options include bar-code scanners, three-dimensional camera technology, robotic battery exchange system, automatic battery charging and mechanism side-shift systems.
The four automation-related divisions of parent company Egemin International NV of Zwijndrecht, Belgium involve the material handling, life sciences, manufacturing processes and electromechanical requirements for infrastructure projects.
MCFA, a joint venture of Mitsubishi Group and Caterpillar Inc business units, manufactures and distributes Mitsubishi and Caterpillar forklifts throughout the Americas and, for North America, makes some Jungheinrich-branded warehouse products and handles distribution.