In the current issue of Modern Materials Handling, on page 17, Bob Trebilcock’s blog excerpts ask the question if Egemin’s Hybrid AGV is in your future.

Egemin has sold a number of Hybrid Automated Guided Vehicle Systems that move over ten million pallets annually.  Hybrid AGVs are available in two sizes: 3,500 and 5,500-pound capacities; the Hybrid AGVs efficiently move pallets between manufacturing cells, warehousing, and standard over-the-road trailers.  Lifting heights up to 23’, deep lane floor stacking, pushback rack, drive-in rack and standard racking, are common interface points for these versatile vehicles.

The man-a-board forklift and the Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) have finally become one.  Morphing manual and automatic operations onto a standard off-the-shelf forklift provides manufacturing and distribution centers the ultimate in material handling flexibility.  The ProMat 2011 Trade Show in Chicago, Illinois, March 21-24th, will be the launch pad for Egemin’s new Hybrid Automated Guided Vehicle.  Attendees visiting the Egemin ProMat Booth, #2347,  will see how easily an operator can interrupt automatic AGV operations, move product manually,  and then place the forklift back into fully automatic laser guidance mode.  

A movie trailer on the ProMat 2011 website gives a sneak preview of the Egemin booth. 

The Hybrid AGV comes standard with industrial lead-acid batteries, laser guidance and navigation, advanced laser safety systems, graphical touch screen monitor, Windows OS on solid state drive (SSD) media and 802.11 wireless communications.  Optional components based on specific system requirements include RFID readers, bar code scanners, 3D camera technology, robotic battery exchange system, automatic battery charging, mechanism side-shift, and automated single/double fork systems.

Companies in the food, beverage, plastics, consumer goods and big box retail distribution markets purchase Egemin Hybrid Automated Guided Vehicles for flexibility, familiarity, reliability, and affordability.  Combined with Egemin’s Warehouse Management System (E’wms), organizations realize better than expected returns on investment.

Egemin Automation Inc. is the leading manufacturer of AGVs and Warehouse Management Systems since 1976. Egemin is a worldwide organization operating on six continents. Egemin’s Center for AGV Excellence is located in Holland, Michigan, where it employs all disciplines as the AGV industry leader. All AGV technologies including design, software, and support, are developed and owned by Egemin. Over 5,000 AGVs have been manufactured and installed; many are being used by Fortune 500 companies.