Bayer decides to build a completely new plant in Leipzig, East Germany.

A new version of the AGV traffic controller is used, which includes various subsystems handling, including warehouse and conveyor management software, in addition to traditional AGV system management.

The layout includes three types of load (therefore three AGV types), used for pre-washing bins, pallets, and paper rolls. The latter two types share the same layout.

AGV system management and traffic control on multiple floors, picking bins and pallets throughout the various stages of powder and pharmaceutical product production steps.

Extensive work has been done to safely manage the many signals distributed throughout the field and also to optimize job assignments to improve the system’s production flow processing capacity.

Exhaustive testing was performed during customer acceptance.

AGV navigation type: laser.

Traffic controller: Pentium PC, in warm backup, with Digiboard multiserial ports, connected to all devices on the layout, DI/DO signals and infrared transreceivers to communicate with AGVs, Host communication via TCP/IP.

Charging concept: charging stations with contacts on top of the AGV, when batteries are low, the vehicle is sent there to stay and charge, as well the AGV goes on charger when there are no transports to execute.

This AGV system is working over three shifts.

Number of AGVs: 15, subdivided in three types.

AGV manufacturer: Digitron.

Function: AGV traffic controller development, order handling, conveyor handling, wharehouse map handling.

Year: 1996