AGVS Industry Group Releases Fall 2010 Quarterly Report

Advancements in guided vehicles and carts offer new flexibility and justify new possibilities

The Automatic Guided Vehicle Systems (AGVS) Industry Group of Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) has released it's Fall 2010 Quarterly Report titled New Paths for Guided Vehicles. The report asserts that today automation is more flexible and more accommodating to changing operational requirements. That’s especially the case with automatic guided vehicles (AGVs).

Suppliers of these automated material handling solutions have engineered their products and services for a broader range of applications—including distribution in hospital environments. Today they also supplement forklifts in warehouses and distribution centers. Furthermore, end users now have a choice of guided vehicles to better meet their specific needs: automatic guided vehicles or automatic guided carts (AGCs).

“With guided carts there are fewer disruptive plant modifications and it’s easier to change their paths,” says JBT Corp.’s Mark Longacre, chairman of the MHIA’s AGVS Industry Group.

AGCs also contribute to lean logistics and JIT delivery in that they enable more frequent line replenishment without the need for substantial line-side part storage.

“AGCs offer the flexibility that is needed in today’s warehouses and plants,” according to Jervis B. Webb’s Sarah Carlson, vice-chair of the AGVS Industry Group. “In both environments, the guidepath is magnetic or optical tape which can be taken up and re-applied as needs change.  The carrier can also be modified to accommodate load changes down-the-road.”

View the complete report — New Paths for Guided Vehicles.

Quarterly Reports are a new information source from several Industry Groups of MHIA. Each report will focus on trends in the use of material handling and logistics equipment, such as guided vehicles or automated storage, to solve challenges in the plant and warehouse ranging from sustainability to productivity in the new economy.

Members of MHIA Industry Groups are suppliers of material handling and logistics equipment and systems. These industry experts make it their business to evaluate operational challenges and solve them efficiently and cost effectively. That makes them authoritative sources for solutions to challenges that end users face on a daily basis.

AGVS members are the leading suppliers of Automatic Guided Vehicle Systems. Many are supplying systems worldwide and in virtually every major manufacturing and distribution sector. AGVS member companies meet regularly to review, discuss and revise the standards for design, performance and safe operation of automatic guided vehicle systems. AGVS members are committed to the development, maintenance and publishing of industry standard specifications for these systems.

MHIA is an international trade association that has represented this industry since 1945. MHIA members include material handling equipment and systems manufacturers, integrators, consultants, publishers, and third party logistics providers. Member companies come from all areas of material handling and various parts of the world, making MHIA a strong national and international representative for the material handling industry. Much of the work of the industry is done within its product-specific sections, councils and affiliates. The association also sponsors trade events, such as ProMat 2011 to showcase the products and services of its member companies and to educate industry professionals on the productivity solutions provided through material handling and logistics.

Contact: For more information on MHIA activities and programming contact Carol Miller at 704-676-1190/800-345-1815.

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