The Raymond Corporation  also offers an automated/manned combination unit it calls an Automated Lift Truck (ALT). Unlike most unmanned AGVs, an ALT has no fixed routes. An operator teaches it what to do. It “learns” routes and the actions to perform on a route while an operator drives it.

On Raymond’s ALT, a Seegrid  multi-head camera system records image data while the truck is being driven. Then software and hardware convert image data into a travel path the truck can follow. If the truck senses an obstruction, it will slow down and eventually stop until the obstruction is removed, and then continue on its way. An operator must manually load pallets, but the ALT will automatically drop pallets at preprogrammed locations.

Frank Devlin, advanced technology marketing manager for Raymond, says one person can easily manage three to four ALTs and perhaps more, depending on the lengths of routes and what other duties the operator is required to perform. The operator also teaches actions like horn honks, stops at intersections and pallet drops while the vehicle is in learning mode. Those routes are then used when the truck is in automatic mode (without the operator) to transport material in the warehouse or manufacturing plant. These vehicles can also be operated in manual mode like a conventional lift truck.

Industry Partnerships

Lift truck providers are not only providing their own automated solutions, but they’re partnering with material handling system providers to interface with warehouse management and operations control software. Dematic ,providers of material handling automation, demonstrated this kind of partnership when it teamed up with Crown Equipment Corporation  to develop a semi-automated picking solution. This partnership demonstrates that with the combination of Dematic’s voice-directed technology, AGV guidance and warehouse control system (WCS) software, Crown’s PC 4500 Series rider pallet truck can be used in a case-picking scenario.

In such an application an operator is directed to a location and then provided with the quantity to pick. The operator places the case on the pallet contained on the pallet truck, then the AGV controls allow the pallet truck to automatically advance to the next pick location.

“Typical operations will see a 40% increase in labor productivity, including improvements in order accuracy,” says Ken Ruehrdanz, market development manager at Dematic.

The material handling industry is evolving to offer customers a more unified approach to converting tactical bits and pieces into their strategic big picture. If this trend continues, five years from now today’s islands of automation will give way to integrated enterprises.