In many modern automotive manufacturing facilities today, so-called continuous flow production is used. The philosophy behind the method is that the entire plant works at the same speed, a speed that is controlled by the rate at which finished products are demanded.
To achieve this, a cost-effective and flexible method is to let assembly take place while the product is slowly moving through the plant on automated carts, so-called AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles).
Challenges with Speed Requirements for AGVs
In order to meet the demands of continuous flow in automotive manufacturing, the carts must be able to drive slowly… really slowly. The carts can run smoothly and controlled at speeds down to 0.006 m/s. That equals 0.02 kilometers or 20 meters per hour. Barely noticeable!
Driving slowly may not sound like a major challenge, and it would be true if it weren’t for the requirement that the same cart must also be able to reach a speed of 3.6 km/h when returning to the starting position.
