Damage and injury prevention of the AGV in warehouses
Automated Guided Vehicles, also called AGV, are more often used in warehouse setups. Innovation is evolving continuously. This AGV forklift is able to move autonomously in the warehouses and take packages out of the storage racks or place them back. Herefore, the machine safety of the AGV essential. It is important to prevent that the AGV will cause damage to the racks or injuries to people. A couple solutions are used to guarantee the machine safety of the AGV.
Monitoring the environment around the AGV with LIDAR distance lasers
First, LIDAR scanner are applied which work with time-of-flight technology. This scanner is mounted on the AGV. Then the distance from the AGV to an object is determined. A single light pulse is sent from the scanner to the object and it is measured how many seconds this takes. Then the light pulse is reflected from the object back to the sensor on the AGV. The time will then be compared with the system and converted into a distance. This way, it is clear what is going on surrounding the AGV.
The LGS-N50 is a LIDAR distance laser which is capable to scan 360° around the AGV to map the distance to obstacles. The scanner has a range of 50 m. (with 80% reflectivity), with a scan frequency up to 25Hz. The scanner is moreover easy to configure and also easy to monitor via the free available software (LGS-viewer).
Safety edges from Haake for protection of the AGV and environment
Besides using Lidar safety scanner, also safety edges of Haake are used to meet the CE marking. This quality mark involves that the product (in this case the AGV) meets the European demands in the are of machine safety, health and environmental protection. It is furthermore important that the corners of the AGV forklift is take into account. Finally, the safety edge should be capable of switching for low objects, such as a safety shoe. For this it is important that corner of impact is bigger dan 90 degrees.
The Haake safety edges are easy to install on the AGV. It is capable to make these edge out of one piece, so also at the corners of the AGV. This gives them a robust and industrial appearance and it is a ready solution for the machine safety of the AGV. For the installation is furthermore no extra electronics, such as a signal box necessary. Finally, the safety edges have a big corner of impact. This is essential for the safety of the AGV, because even with an impact from above or under, the AGV will switch off immediately.
