AGVs: THE LATEST IN MATERIAL HANDLING TECHNOLOGY.

Material handling techniques have developed only slightly over the past decade. The primary growth in the technology has been in the areas of robotics and automated guided vehicle (AGV) systems. As processes and processing methods were developed, new manipulation and control techniques were implemented, providing automated machining centers, flexible manufacturing systems, and robotic workstations. These areas were refined a good deal before significant consideration was given to the movement of product and base material among receiving, storage, and interim points of use or individual workcenters. After-the-fact implementation of a material transportation system often resulted in poor performance. Advances in automated guided vehicles are described in the article.