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Hard and Soft Benefits of AGVs
Mobile Automation Group (MAG) members are the Industry’s leading suppliers of automatic guided vehicle systems. They supply systems worldwide and in virtually every major manufacturing and distribution sector.
Both Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are computer-controlled wheel-based load carriers (normally battery powered) that run on a plant or warehouse floor (or, if outdoors, on a paved surface). The main difference between AGVs and AMRs is how the path they follow is determined.
- Most AGVs follow predefined paths, although there may be areas of the plant or warehouse where they have more freedom.
- AMRs can determine their own path, although they will attempt to follow suggested paths if they exist.
This difference leads to differing methodologies for ensuring safe operation for the two types of vehicle.
- AGVs follow the ANSI B56.5 Safety Guidelines
- There is a standard under development for AMRs
Mission: To promote the market awareness, growth, and effective use of driverless industrial vehicle systems (e.g. AGVS, AMRs, and AGCs)
Vision: To be the trusted, independent authority on driverless industrial vehicle systems
The MAG group is a collaboration of trusted industry leaders that provide:
- Market Intelligence
- Market Awareness and Clarity
- Leadership
- Safety Advocacy
- Market Access
By
- Coordinating Statistical Programs
- Delivering Promotional Marketing
- Providing Education
- Influencing Industry Standards
- Overcoming Barriers to Adoption
MAG member companies meet regularly to review, discuss and revise the standards for design, performance and safe operation of automatic guided vehicle systems. MAG members are committed to the development, maintenance and publishing of industry standard specifications for these systems.
MAG programs include:
- The development of educational and training materials;
- A voice in the development and maintenance of national standards;
- The confidential exchange of market statistics and publication of industry data to the public;
- The communication of the benefits of AGVS solutions via trade shows, educational forums, and other national and regional seminars.
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ANSI/ITSDF B56.5-2019, Safety Standard for Driverless, Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles and Automated Functions of Manned Industrial Vehicles
This Standard defines the safety requirements relating to the elements of design, operation, and maintenance of powered, not mechanically restrained, unmanned automatic guided industrial vehicles and the system of which the vehicles are a part. It also applies to vehicles originally designed to operate exclusively in a manned mode but which are subsequently modified to operate in an unmanned, automatic mode, or in a semiautomatic, manual, or maintenance mode. |
Alexandra (Sasha) Nikitin, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The 2023 MAG Honor Scholarship ($2,000) has been awarded to Alexandra (Sasha) Nikitin, a freshman Engineering and Computer Science major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has excelled in advanced computer science classes, and she was involved in Girls Who Code while in high school. On the weekends, she refurbishes old electronic devices to be donated to underprivileged children. She is very interested in AI and how it will impact supply chains.
MAG Managing Executive
Jayesh Mehta
jmehta[at]mhi[dot]org
704-676-1190
Leadership
Chair
Brian Keiger
stow Robotics
Vice Chair
Noe van Bergen
Chief Security Officer, stow Robotics
Co-Vice Chair
Kai Beckhaus
MCJ Supply Chain Solutions
