The AGILOX ONE was followed by the AGILOX OCF. At the beginning of 2021, we added an autonomous counterbalanced forklift to our product portfolio of intelligent transport systems controlled by swarm intelligence. With the AGILOX OCF, we are targeting a new area of application: classic intralogistics in incoming goods, outgoing goods, and warehouses.
With the AGILOX ONE, we have rethought the concept of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs): the extremely compact vehicle drives autonomously in production or in the warehouse. The key innovation: AGILOX fleets do not require centralized control. Instead, they organize their routes according to the (decentralized) principle of swarm intelligence. This makes them significantly more flexible. In addition, programming or teaching the vehicles is a much simpler process, and central software programs, including maintenance, updates, etc., are not required – which lowers operating costs.
This year, AGILOX expanded our range of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) to include the AGILOX OCF. Why the name AGILOX OCF? The abbreviation stands for “Omnidirectional Counterbalance Forklift”. While the AGILOX ONE is equipped with a scissor lifting concept as load handling device and thus transports the load within the vehicle contour, its big brother is designed according to the counterbalance forklift principle. What does this mean? Despite its low dead weight of just 380 kg, the AGILOX ONE can handle loads of up to 1,000 kg and lift them to a height of up to 1,000 mm. Circumferentially closed pallets cannot be transported with the AGILOX ONE. That’s the catch, you might think. At AGILOX, we saw this as our new challenge and developed the AGILOX OCF. This can pick up pallets, grid boxes and other open or closed load carriers with a maximum weight of 1,500 kg, transport them to their destination and set them down at a height of up to 1,600 mm. Our intelligent and cost-saving AMR concept opens up new areas of application. While the AGILOX ONE vehicles are primarily used for material supply in production, with the AGILOX OCF we are targeting classic intralogistics tasks in incoming or outgoing goods, in order picking and in the warehouse – and also in production, if transport is pallet-bound there.
Just like the AGILOX ONE, our new product, the AGILOX OCF, uses an omnidirectional driving concept. This means that it can also enter rack aisles when driving in parallel, turn around the optimum center of rotation, and maneuver in the tightest of spaces. The lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery ensures short charging times and long operating cycles. Via an API interface, the AMR fleets can be connected to customer software systems (LVR, ERP, WMS, MES, etc.). An additional IO box enables the integration of external infrastructure such as roll-up doors and stationary conveyors into the intelligent control system. An analytics module provides the user with all relevant operating data and KPIs.
A key benefit of our services comes from the mixed operation of the AGILOX ONE and AGILOX OCF series in a “swarm”. Is that possible? Yes, of course! The smaller vehicles are able to provide feeder services to assembly workstations or supply e-canban racks, while their big brother takes over pallet transport, using the same control and WiFi infrastructure. That’s what we call an intelligent logistics concept!