BITO has introduced a new generation of its LEO AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), which combines an entirely new chassis with productivity enhancing technology to provide an innovative solution for automating material flow.
Far less complex than more expensive AGVs, the new LEO flow and LEO carrier offer vital advantages over manual handling and conveyor alternatives for transporting bins and containers, with a payback period often in one year or less.
LEO was first introduced in 2017 as the simplest AGV available on the market. Delivered in a box, all that’s required to get going is to lay a route marked by a 19mm wide blue or green track line with adhesive tape (there is a range of tapes to suit different levels of wear) or floor painting for the transporters to follow using optical navigation. Users enter instructions on a tablet and markers with printed QR codes guide LEO on destination points, the speed to be driven at, the start and end of traffic light control, charging points, acoustic warning signals and more.
This means the transporters do not need to be programmed to the layout of a facility, so users can implement simple or moderately complex layouts themselves without the need of IT support and get started in just a few days. They can also adapt the system quickly and easily, enabling rapid reaction to seasonal fluctuations and warehouse reorganisations.
Enhanced technology provides key new features to further enhance LEO’s simplicity and ease of use. For a start, the new generation does not require the onload / offload transfer stations of the previous version, allowing seamless flow of bins between the LEO and conveyors or carton live storage (CLS) flow lanes.
The new transporters can swivel 180° or 90° on the spot, allowing them to navigate narrow spaces and layouts having an outward and a return journey without space for a U-turn loop. LEO can also reverse over short distances of up to 5m and can travel up to 25m in a straight line without lane-marking. This avoids lane damage at junctions with frequent forklift traffic.
The new chassis of the LEO provides a standard platform for a range of new LEO variants. Ideal for ecommerce picking operations, LEO carrier is equipped with a shelf that has four levels, each measuring 625 x 425 mm, to hold goods being transported. It has a maximum load capacity of 50 kg, vehicle dimensions of 700 mm wide x 500 mm long x 1458 mm high and a battery run time of up to 16 hours. It can be directed to various destinations by entering data on the permanently mounted tablet. Used as a trolley to accompany the order pickers and can then take picked goods to packing stations. Handles at the front and the rear allow LEO to be lifted from its track. It can also deliver incoming goods to a bin storage facility/ASRS system within a warehouse or feed an elevator to take bins to a mezzanine or multi-level picking structure. And weighing just 50kg, is light enough to operate on mezzanines itself.
For returns management, goods can be placed on the LEO shelves for transportation to reworking stations or back to the warehouse. With sufficient space for a number of bins and boxes or for individual items, the LEO carrier can also be used as a mobile buffer store between two production stations when supplying production lines with raw materials and parts.
For more information visit bito.com.
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