Provide an omni-directional AGV system to carry massive aluminum ingots over rough surfaces—wood blocks, concrete, thresholds, and floor grating—all day, every day.
Wheelift engineered and built an LPG powered AGV system with continuous power, 140 ton load capacity, and self-loading capabilities.
8 on-center rotation axle assemblies allow omni-directional travel and fluid equalizing suspension to ensure every wheel carries only its load of the weight.
Wheelift's transporters help move large, heavy aluminum ingots outdoors.
Once aluminum is on pallets like this, the Wheelift transporter can self-load to move incredibly heavy loads.
Wheelift's transporters maintain load stability, even on rough surfaces, with center of gravity monitoring and fluid equalizing suspension.
To allow for continuous transporter power, Wheelift engineered the LPG powered AGV.
A consistent and repeatable manufacturing process that operates 24/7 traditionally calls for a hard automation solution. However, long distances, load variations, heavy loads, restricted facilities, and process disengagement lead a Midwest aluminum manufacturer to evaluate the flexibility and responsiveness that an AGV solution would offer. One decision led to the next and ultimately to a massive AGV design.
A revolutionary need sometimes drives a revolutionary solution. With Wheelift’s LPG gas powered AGV, gone are untimely battery drains, swap outs, deep cycle maintenance, safety compromises, cycle degradation, and opportunity charging facility intrusions, and born is the capability for 24/7 heavy-load, long-distance operations.
Eight on-center rotation axle assemblies allowing crab steering throughout the manufacturing process, providing close adjacent lines of travel and minimizing load blocking zones. With their 3-point fluid equalizing suspension, the axles have interconnecting fluid lines that divide them into load sharing groups to assure that every wheel carries only its specific share of the load—regardless of variations, slopes, and irregularities in the floor surfaces.
Navigation is accomplished with Siemens’ noninvasive inertial guidance technology provided through Savant Automation. This platform drives system flexibility and reliability and supports the plant’s requirement for an open architecture control system with real-time system monitoring and diagnostics.
The facility saw the following benefits:
If your manufacturing process needs 24/7 automation power and control, contact us.