Automation has been with us for decades but it is set to go stratospheric. The prices of automated guided vehicles (AGV) are dropping and this may well put them within your budget. If so, you might want to take a look at how automating parts of your business will generate more revenue, provide significant cost savings, and provide a safer environment for your employees.

Types of AGV

There are several types of AGV available suited to the various demands of business. Here’s a snapshot:

Automated Guided Cart/Under Ride– This is a small flat vehicle that is perfect for e-commerce applications. It is capable of moving a load from one area to another.
Automated Pallet Jack– This robot tirelessly moves pallets from the floor up to 1.5 metres in height. This vehicle frees up the time of your staff and runs no risk of a manual handling injury.
Automated Forklift– As you can guess this powerful AGV moves everything to where you need it to be.
Automated Reach Truck– Reduce the risk of staff injury by moving loads to higher shelves through automation. The vehicle gets around on wheels so positioning is made easy.
AGV Tow Tractor– Arguably the most fun AGV, this self-driving vehicle can pull several trolleys or a heavy load. This can include people.

Advantages of an AGV

The business advantages of an AGV are far reaching. Consider:

Costs– After the initial outlay you do not have to pay your AGV a salary, provide benefits, or lose money and time through staff sickness. Needless to say, your average AGV never takes a day off or goes on holiday.
Productivity Improvement– As your AGV works tirelessly and flawlessly productivity will improve considerably. Many businesses need to run 24/7 and an AGV in a prominent role or roles will enable this to happen.
Error Free– If an error occurs it is in the setup of your AGV, not the AGV itself. Which does what it is instructed to do.
Safer– Often, moving forklifts, heavy loads, loads stored at height, and people result in injuries of some kind. Whether they are from collision or are manual handling related can be avoided by using AGVs in high-risk areas. Using AGVs in this way avoids costly litigation and reputation damage that often arises from personal injury claims.
Staying Ahead of Competition– By using a fleet of AGVs to optimise business processes, you can stay ahead of your competitors. They are also an excellent marketing selling point as they look good in front of a potential client.

AGVs and the Future

As the future becomes more automated and our reliance on technology to keep wheels turning increases, we’ll be seeing a lot of robots in our daily life. Already, robots are used in security settings, with machines patrolling wide areas day in day out. Loading and lifting AGVs can be found working in most warehouse settings, and robots have been building cars for decades.

Autonomous drones are becoming prominent in a wide range of uses.

When people look back at the 2020s, history will record this time as the age of the robot.