Use of Automated Guided Vehicle for Supplying Robotic Cells with Products
Maria Yakimovska, univ. dipl. inž., Vinko Drev, univ. dipl. inž, oba LTH Castings d. o. o., Škofja Loka
Ventil Vol. 31 (2025) 5 / Review articles / Technical article – 1.04
Abstract:
This paper presents the use of an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) for supplying robotic cells with products at LTH Castings d.o.o., a company that has been successfully expanding its business for many years while placing strong emphasis on investments in the automation of the production processes. Although the current level of automation is already high, further investments in this area are essential, as the rapid development of industry requires continuous upgrading and optimization. Within the Process Automation Department, located at the Ljubljana plant, we have in recent years designed and commissioned the company’s largest and nearly fully automated production line. This line includes four robotic cells with eight machining centers, as well as pallet conveyor system that ensures the distribution of products from the robotic cells, through the washing system, to the cleanroom for further processing. Until recently, the robotic cells were supplied manually using hand pallet trucks, today, this task has been automated with the introduction of an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV).
The AGV system enables efficient and fully automated material transport between the intermediate warehouse and the robotic cells, reducing the need for manual intervention, increasing productivity, and at the same time improving safety in the production environment. Its main task is to transport dedicated containers with different product types from the warehouse to the robotic cells and to return empty containers back to their designated storage locations. In this way, a high level of autonomy is achieved, ensuring the uninterrupted flow of the production processes. The paper will present in detail the entire implementation process, as well as the key advantages and limitations of the introduced system.
Keywords:
automated guided vehicle (AGV), production automation, robotic cells, production optimization, industrial automation, internal logistics
Copyright (c) 2025 Maria Yakimovska, Vinko Drev
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