Features/Benefits Provided: More cost-effective than automatic guided vehicles Magnetic tape guidance provides flexibility Improved ergonomics at assembly stations Opportunity charging saves time and money

In a move to streamline their lawn tractor assembly plant, officials at a major agricultural manufacturer decided to consolidate their three separate product lines into a single, common component platform line.

The company looked a variety of material handling options, including various types of conveyors and automatic guided vehicles (AGVs). In the end, it selected a fleet of cost-effective automatic guided carts (AGCs) to move its lawn tractors through the entire assembly process from start to finish.

The company was particularly impressed with the flexibility of the carts, which are guided by removable magnetic tape affixed to the floor.

The company had a unique configuration of some of its production lines and the AGCs had to be able to accommodate L-shaped lines, right angle corners, pallet returns and other difficulties. The magnetic-tape also makes the AGCs more affordable than other AGVs, which require more complex controls.

One of the company’s manufacturing engineers said, “The advantage of being able to just pick up the magnetic tape and change the layout in a matter of minutes allows us to change an entire line over a weekend.”

The company started with just one AGC, which it tested thoroughly before purchasing more. The system now includes 80 AGCs, which travel to various assembly stations throughout the plant.

The AGC’s hydraulic lift capabilities made it possible for workers to tailor the cart height for individual operations—raising or lowering the tractor bodies to the proper height for optimum assembly operations.

In addition to the cart’s flexibility in making line modifications and the extreme ease of installation, the company found further savings in time and money with the AGCs' high “up time,” where cart battery recharging times can be significantly reduced by employing a short, in-line automatic “opportunity charge” during every production cycle.

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