Hybrid Automated Guided Vehicles Are Flying Off-The-Shelf According to Egemin

June 13, 2011 - PRLog -- Egemin Automation Inc., www.egeminusa.com,  has been manufacturing AGVs and Warehouse Management Systems since 1976. Egemin is a worldwide organization with operations on six continents. Egemin’s center for AGV excellence is located in Holland, Michigan, where it employs all disciplines for success as the AGV industry leader. All AGV technology including design, software, and support is developed and owned by Egemin. Over 5,000 AGVs have been manufactured and installed with many being used by Fortune 500 companies.

“Off-The-Shelf” is a term with multiple meanings when referring to hybrid automated guided vehicles. Since the public release of the hybrid automated guided vehicle, sales for this new AGV are breaking industry records. “Apart from the automatic trailer loading AGV, I cannot remember a time when a new vehicle type created such a buzz in the marketplace,” said Dave Noble, Director of Marketing and Communications at Egemin. “Hybrid AGVs are literally flying off-the-shelves.” To date, hybrid automatic guided vehicles are moving over 10 million pallets annually. By the end of 2012, that number is expected to triple. “Our hybrid AGV is truly an industry game changer.”

Companies in the food, beverage, plastics, consumer goods and big box retail distribution markets have chosen hybrid automated guided vehicles for their flexibility, familiarity, reliability and affordability. Combined with Egemin’s Warehouse Management System (E’wms), organizations are realizing better than expected returns on investment using the Egemin hybrid automated guided vehicle solution.

Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. (MCFA), the leading provider of forklift trucks in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Latin America, is the primary component supplier for Egemin's Hybrid Automated Guided Vehicle. "When Egemin began its search for a component supplier, MCFA's reputation and commitment for providing quality lift trucks stood above the rest," said Jerry Dekker, President and CEO of Egemin. "Our customers expect the best from Egemin and the automated guided vehicle delivers a unique experience to material handlers."

The MCFA man-aboard forklift provides second meaning for the term “Off-The-Shelf.” Morphing manual and automatic operations onto a standard off-the-shelf forklift provides the never seen before solution that easily allows an operator the ability to drive the vehicle manually and then place the forklift back into fully automatic laser guidance mode. The Caterpillar forklifts used are capable of 3,500 and 5,500-pound lifting capacities. They efficiently move pallets between manufacturing cells, warehousing and standard over-the-road trailers. With lifting heights up to 23’, deep lane floor stacking, pushback rack, drive-in rack and standard racking are common interface points for these versatile vehicles.

So how does MCFA feel about its partnership with Egemin? "Egemin is an industry leader in the Automated Guided Vehicle marketplace and being able to contribute to state-of-the-art practices in material handling is an honor," said Kent Eudy, vice president of dealer sales, MCFA. "At MCFA, we always strive to create and support efficient and effective industry innovations."

The Hybrid AGV comes standard with industrial lead-acid batteries, laser navigation, advanced laser safety systems, graphical touch screen monitor, Windows OS on solid state drive (SSD) media and 802.11 wireless communications. Optional components based on specific system requirements include RFID readers, bar code scanners, 3D camera technology, robotic battery exchange system, automatic battery charging and mechanism side-shift.

About Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. (MCFA)
Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. (MCFA) is a leading manufacturer of forklifts in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Latin America.  The company manufactures and distributes three distinct brands – Mitsubishi forklift trucks, Cat lift trucks and Jungheinrich warehouse products – from its Houston headquarters. MCFA features the industry’s most extensive dealer network in North, Central and South America.  The company provides customers with quality products that range from warehousing to industrial applications and are backed by industry-leading customer service. For more information, visit http://www.mcfa.com.


Egemin Automation
www.egeminusa.com
Dave Noble
Director of Marketing and Communications
PR@egeminusa.com
1-616-393-0101