Egemin to deliver four new AGVs in New Zealand
16/09/2014 Egemin UK Ltd
New Zealand dairy producer Fonterra has ordered a new AGV system from Egemin Automation. The order includes the delivery of four new AGVs with battery handling system and E'tricc software for the dairy processing plant in Pahiatua which already has an AGV system from Egemin in use. Egemin also delivered AGV systems for various other Fonterra sites in New Zealand earlier. The AGVs will be fully built and tested by Egemin in Europe. RML Engineering, Egemin's partner for the Asia Pacific region, will take care of the full commissioning in New Zealand.Fonterra makes the new investment because of the expansion of the production with a new production line. Every day 1.4 million litres of milk is processed into whole milk powder in Pahiatua. This results in 55,000 tons of product per year that is transported with the AGV system. Fonterra also ordered a pre-simulation study from Egemin to determine the system's performance and the required number of vehicles. That simulation also resulted in optimizations for vehicle routing to allow the AGVs to drive around on the most compact layout possible. The system should be fully operational by June 2015.
Concept solution
The new AGV system performs conceptually the same functions as the existing systems. The AGVs pick up pallets with milk powder from the end of the production line and transport them to the shipping zone. In addition, the vehicles take care of the supply of empty pallets to the palletizers and they transport pallets with empty sacks, slip sheets and pallets for reblending to the production lines (to compose a full pallet from two half pallets). Fonterra chose the FLV1721/SL, a laser-guided straddle vehicle that can lift 2,100 kg to a height of 1.7 m.
For more information, please contact:
Michael Coryn
Marketing Communications Manager
Egemin
Baarbeek 1
B-2070 Zwijndrecht
Belgium
Tel: +32 3 641 13 57
Email: michael.coryn@egemin.com
Web: www.egemin-automation.com
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