NEWS | BY KIVNON
AGV vendors must commit to a product delivery date and guarantee that the time from purchase order to delivery will not exceed 180 days.
The best automation solution on paper means nothing if it cannot be delivered in 2022. Even remarkable AGVs mean nothing if manufacturers and logistics leaders cannot take delivery of the product until 2023. Too much emphasis has been placed on features, advantages, and benefits; too little attention has been paid to delivery dates. AGV vendors must commit to a delivery date with a guarantee that the lead time will not exceed 180 days from purchase order to delivery. Failing to provide that commitment is unacceptable. Solving the immediate challenges in production by delivering products by Q3 2022 and mitigating the hiring constraints plaguing industries must be the top priorities. The current state of the supply chain has exacerbated the situation.
Across industrial manufacturing, distribution, and logistics, the lead time for many AGV manufacturers is more than a year.
That means products ordered in Q1 2022 will not be delivered until the following year. That is an absurd lead time; it reflects poor planning and creates unnecessary supply chain constraints.
Supply chain disruption
Several years ago, the decision might have been whether to use forklifts or AGVs. The average delivery time for most new forklifts is also 2023. Until now, the question from the purchasing department was which vendor could best demonstrate the fastest ROI and cost justification.
The ROI of AGVs begins on the date of delivery and rapid installation.
Basic AGV solutions are the best option for 2022
One of the realities of moving materials along a production line with many stops is that well-established, proven, and reliable AGV technologies provide the solution. Likewise, most AGVs are used for simple point-to-point transport (such as from the loading dock to a production cell) to deliver raw materials or pre-assembled components.
Help wanted… the Great Resignation continues
Years ago, the benefits and advantages of AGV technology had to be explained. Some feared that forklift operators would be replaced. Ask any manufacturer struggling to find workers right now; experienced forklift operators are part of the great resignation. Plant managers, purchasing and procurement staff, occupational health and safety professionals, and human resources managers are tasked with automation goals, hiring objectives, and improving production quality and safety processes.
Magnetic AGVs/AMRs: Problem solved
Some buyers of AGVs (automated guided vehicles) and AMRs (automated mobile robots) in 2022 are seriously considering magnetic propulsion solutions because they are proven, well-established, and have performed reliably for more than two decades. If there is any criticism of this technology, it relates to interruptions that occur when the magnetic strip is damaged.
Until recently, this forced plant managers to seek technical support and on-site visits to locate defective or damaged magnetic guide strips or RFID navigation waypoints and make the necessary repairs. This challenge has been resolved with a new mobile app, FlexTag. It allows customers to repair damaged magnetic guide strips and to replace, reprogram, or repurpose RFID navigation waypoints without the need for technical support or visits from third parties. With that obstacle removed, the advantage of magnetic AGVs/AMRs is that they can be ordered and delivered in 2022, whereas many vision-guided and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) trucks face significant backlogs extending into 2023 and beyond.
The FlexTag app is the first-of-its-kind solution for creating, configuring, and modifying magnetic navigation circuits. This innovation is an essential accessory in the AGV/AMR sector, alongside FlexMap, management software that allows users to create, configure, and map navigation circuits. Similarly, the Smartpad app is designed to control and move automated guided vehicles (AGVs/AMRs) via a Bluetooth connection.
Original post from Automation.com