New AGVs for Kimberly-Clark

April 29, 2011 - PRLog -- HOLLAND, MICHIGAN – Egemin Automation has developed and commissioned a brand-new AGV system for the American multinational paper and pulp company Kimberly-Clark.

The five-vehicle automated guided vehicle system has been delivered to Kimberly-Clark's paper plant in France, which produces paper products for industrial and household use.

Central place in internal logistics

The AGVs are designed to carry and convey large paper rolls between the paper machine, the warehouse, and the conversion lines where the rolls are processed and cut to size. The vehicles also handles removal of empty paper roll cores.

New type of Automatic Guided Vehicles for handling paper rolls

For this purpose, Egemin has developed a new type of AGV that is equipped with a hydraulic dual mast fitted with a prong. To pick a paper roll, the prong is inserted into the roll core. The rolls are subsequently released and deposited on conveyor belts. To transport rolls from the warehouse to the conversion lines, the AGVs have been equipped with a sensor for detection of the roll height to determine the center of the paper roll core.

Added value derived from the warehouse control system

An essential part of the project scope was the development of a highly intelligent WCS (warehouse control system) which manages of the following tasks:

   - Optimal storage of rolls in the manual warehouse according to product type, batch, diameter, quality, and destination.
   - Control of the reel transport from the warehouse to the converting lines or directly from the tissue machine to the converting lines.
   - Handling of the reception and expedition of reels delivered or exported by trucks.
   - Control of the E'tricc® software (Egemin's AGV management system for order generation, transport management and traffic control).
   - Management of the production system for keeping track of paper consumption, product type, code, quality, and reporting.
   - Interface with hand terminals on forklift trucks, line operators, paper machines through OPC and with the customer's ERP system.

About Egemin Automation Inc.

Egemin Automation Inc. (http://www.egeminusa.com) is the leading manufacturer of AGVs and Warehouse Management Systems since 1976.

Egemin is a worldwide organization operating on six continents. Egemin's Center for AGV Excellence is located in Holland, Michigan, where it employs all disciplines as the AGV industry leader. All AGV technologies including design, software, and support, are developed and owned by Egemin. Over 5,000 AGVs have been manufactured and installed; many are being used by Fortune 500 companies.

Contact:
David Noble
Egemin Automation Inc.
11818 James Street
Holland, Michigan 49424
Phone: 616-393-0101
http://www.egeminusa.com
pr@egeminusa.com

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About Egemin: Manufacturer of Automated Guided Vehicle Systems for material handling within manufacturing environments.