Siemens Netherlands and VDL unveil second generation Automated Guided Vehicles for industrial applications

Siemens Netherlands and VDL Automated Vehicles will release the second generation of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) this fall. This new platform is specially designed for industrial companies that have to deal with mixed traffic on their premises. The unveiling took place during the Hannover Messe in Germany, where executives from both companies officially confirmed the collaboration.

Dirk De Bilde, CEO of Siemens Netherlands, and Edwin Willems, Senior Vice President of the VDL Group, signed the agreement in the presence of Karel Smits, business unit manager at VDL Automated Vehicles. “The combination of our expertise and the platform approach – eco-system thinking – can further accelerate innovations in the field of automated transport for industrial applications in half the time,” said De Bilde.

From port to hybrid industrial applications

VDL already has experience in building AGVs for use in port areas, but the focus is now shifting to smaller, versatile models for industrial applications. This second generation of AGVs is designed to meet the growing European demand for hybrid forms of automated and non-automated transport.

From drive to digital twins

Siemens plays a crucial role in powering and digitalizing the new AGV platform. This includes everything from electric motors to visualization software. “The complete system is first built in a virtual environment. The logistics process is then simulated in this ‘digital twin’,” De Bilde explains. This makes it possible to accurately test and optimize the vehicle’s performance before it is actually put into use.

Advantages of the second generation of AGVs

The new AGVs offer numerous advantages. Not only do they increase process stability and continuity, they also help to relieve the labor market by deploying fewer drivers for routine transport tasks. “The state-of-the-art technology of this second generation of AGVs helps industrial companies to make logistics at their plants more sustainable, more efficient, safer and more reliable,” Smits adds. The second generation of AGVs promises to revolutionize how industrial companies approach their internal logistics, with a significant improvement in efficiency, safety and sustainability.