Dematic reports AGV sales beat expectations

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Dematic says it continues to see its product line of lower cost automated guided vehicles (AGVs) gain traction in the North American marketplace.

The company said in a press release that after its initial release a little more than two years ago, the compact AGV mobile automation solution has exceeded expectations. In the first full year of production, orders for compact AGVs were almost 25 percent ahead of plan. By year-end 2017, almost 50 units had been manufactured and delivered to customers. This amount already has been surpassed in 2018, with additional orders that will increase this even further.

The Dematic compact AGVs have been engineered from the ground up to be a smaller, lower cost option to full-size AGVs, with a modular design and “off-the-shelf” manufacturing approach. This translates to a 75 percent reduction in time from order to delivery compared to traditional AGVs and a much faster ROI for customers.

“Dematic compact AGVs are a perfect fit for companies looking for a low-cost, yet highly functional AGV product they can implement quickly,” said Tom Kaminski, vice-president of mobile automation for Dematic.

“The cost for compact AGVs can be half the cost of traditional AGVs, so the ROI is very attractive — it isn’t uncommon to see a 40 to 50 percent faster ROI.”

Manufactured in the Dematic Mobile Automation Center of Excellence in Holland, Michigan, Compact AGVs are available in three versions:

• Tugger vehicle capable of towing up to 10,000 pounds

• Counterbalance vehicle capable of lifting 2,500 pounds

• Straddle fork vehicle capable of larger and heavier loads (up to 3,600 pounds) than in a counterbalance format

A fourth functional compact AGV version will include a platform attachment to allow for a conveyor deck, racking/shelving or robotic arm to be mounted to the back. Dematic is working with customers to identify opportunities for its release in 2018.