What custom engineered material handling really means

Custom stands for something. It stands for integrity, creativity, experience, engineering, manufacturing, support, passion and the trust placed in the people employed to imagine the custom solution that will transform a factory, facility or warehouse for the better. Custom material handling is more than three words strung together to attract business. Building custom equipment is a way of life. It requires technically savvy sales people, an engineering department which includes hydraulic, mechanical, electrical, software designers, purchasing departments skilled in procuring the proper equipment, manufacturing professionals to piece together the newly imagined equipment, knowledgeable installation, training and after-market professionals who will support and maintain the custom material handling equipment. With so many important roles involved in the process, a synergy between departments to allow for a seamless flow of ideas and experience is absolutely necessary in seeing each project through.

So why choose Handling Specialty for this task? Over 50 years of engineering, manufacturing and support services. Countless case studies with an impressive client portfolio, testimonials from industry leaders, repeat customers and an employee-centric attitude. Educating and keeping our employees involved in each success is an important function of Handling Specialty because we believe the more involved we all are in the end result, the more pride goes into our next project.

Cirque du Soleil Talks up Handling Specialty in New Article on Stage Lifts

“We sell smart motion.” Tom Beach, President of Handling Specialty pronounced in a recent article written by Mike WIlliscraft for the July/August edition of Club West magazine. This simple yet profound quote is many layered. Handling Specialty sells motion, whatever the need: lift, lower, tilt, vertical travel, horizontal traversing. Handling also offers their custom engineered products to multiple industries, drawing on over 50 years of design and manufacturing experience.

What is special about Handling Specialty? That the term ‘motion’ not only applies to standard and custom uses, but niche opportunities such as underwater stage lifts. This is what the article in Club West focuses on, and is well worth the read. 

What the Heck is an AGV System?

 

An AGV system, or automated guided vehicle system, otherwise known as an automated guided vehicle, autonomous guided vehicle or even automatic guided cart, is a system which follows a predestined path around a facility. AGV’s are mechanical vehicles which carry a load through either an assembly, manufacturing or warehousing facility.

 

An industrial AGV system is built to withstand very heavy loads as in Truck Outfitting assembly plants, which carry the frame through the assembly process. These AGV’s almost always require a custom design with tooling options in order to work with the assembly or manufacturing plant’s specific applications.

 

No longer are AGV’s built to follow fixed tracks which were traditionally built into the floor of a facility to guide the vehicles, but rather magnetic tape or QR coded tape via the AGV’s laser guidance system. Unlike tracks built in to the floor, the tape allows for easy and affordable reconfiguration of the facility’s floor operations.

 

AGV systems are battery operated, which also include a manual option for bringing the vehicle off the line for charging or maintenance tasks. They are usually fitted with motion stop sensors and kick stops for added safety. Each AGV is programmed to follow a course set by the QR coded tape as well as obey pre-programmed speeds to further customize the client’s specific applications and assembly needs.

 

An AGV system is an excellent addition to any busy operation in the manufacturing industry. Benefits include heightened safety, ergonomics, efficiency and flexibility in floor design. An AGV can be built to hold and carry virtually any weight capacity and with advancements in motion control, the AGV of the future is already here.

 

Industrial AGV systems are built for multiple industries including automotive, aerospace, food processing and other assembly and manufacturing applications.

 

For examples of an industrial AGV in application you can visit Handling Specialty’s Youtube pages and learn more about the AGV system on the website’s AGV Case Studies.