This fall, Siemens Netherlands and VDL Automated Vehicles will launch the second generation of their automated logistics platform based on Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) for industrial companies with mixed traffic on their sites.
VDL has been building AGVs for use in port areas for years. Since 2017, the company has also focused on smaller AGVs for industrial companies with so-called ‘mixed traffic’ at their plants. This hybrid form of automated and non-automated transport is becoming increasingly relevant in the European market, due to its many application options.
With the second generation of AGVs, VDL and Siemens are responding to current challenges that companies face. The increasing tightness on the labor market and the shortage of drivers is one of them. The available drivers can carry out more ‘outbound’ transports, while an automatic vehicle – with an availability of 95% – can carry out trips on site. Electric transport also helps companies to achieve their energy goals more easily and reduce their CO2 emissions. The number of damages is also lower, as the companies concluded from previous pilots.
Siemens: from drive to digital twins
Siemens provides the drive, automation and digitalization, from the electric motors to the visualization software. The software consists of tested, certified building blocks that can be used for various functionalities in the vehicle. The company also provides security solutions.
The system is first built in a virtual environment, a digital twin, in which the logistics process is simulated. For example, people walking around in the environment can be simulated, the speed of the vehicle can be increased to achieve a certain performance or charging stations can be added.
Tags: Siemens Netherlands VDL collaborate Automated Guided Vehicles AGVs
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