How AGCs Outperform Conveyor Systems in an Assembly Line

Do you have assembly lines using conveyor? If so, you may be operating at less than maximum efficiency.

In some assembly lines, the conveyor itself becomes a barrier that prevents an operator from working on the product at any angle.  If the operator had 360⁰ access, it would reduce the number of operators needed and speed up the assembly process. With the use of an auto-guided cart (AGC), this can be achieved.

These are Automated Guided Carts or AGCs.  They follow magnetic tape applied to the floor. 

Automated Guided Carts have several modes of travel:

1. Continuous speed if the assembly line has continuous flow

2. Automatically move from assembly station to assembly station with timed stops at each station

3. Move between stations with the simple push of a button

A lift mechanism can be added to an AGC’s top to make work positioning a snap.  Actuation of the height adjustability can be done either automatically or manually.

The assembly apparatus can be mounted directly to the AGC or to a wheeled cart that the AGC can tunnel under and engage with the cart as needed, all automatically.  If your takt time is long, then maybe it makes the most sense to use carts that a single AGC shuttles up and down the line moving the assembly carts as needed.

When changes need to be made to the line, simply pull up the tape and reapply it---much easier than repositioning conveyor!

Your overall facility layout becomes significantly streamlined and more productive; assembly lines can cross traffic aisles since they’re now a simple piece tape rather than a monumental section of conveyor. You’ll even save money since an AGC solution is generally less expensive per foot than conveyor.

Let us examine your assembly lines to see if we could reduce the number of operators needed and increase your assembly speed!

Contact us for any additional AGC's questions you may have.