MANUFACTURING TIDBITS
Kivnon Overcomes Objection to Magnetic AGVs/AMRs with FlexTag Phone App and Guaranteed 2022 Delivery by Mike Kotzian
The holiday lights have been put away or in some cases thrown away. Most know the frustration of lights that failed to work because of a single bulb. Finding the one defective light was time-consuming and not guaranteed. Some 2022 AGV (automated guided vehicle) and AMR (automated mobile robot) buyers are seriously considering purchasing magnetic propulsion solutions because they are tested, established, and have worked well for more than two decades. If there is a knock or complaint on this technology, it has to do with interruptions when the magnetic strip is damaged, sort of like holiday lights. Until recently this forced plant managers to seek tech support and on-site visits to ferret out the location of the defective or damaged magnetic guide strip or RFID navigational waypoint, and make necessary repairs. Kivnon USA has solved that concern with a new cell phone app, FlexTag. It enables the customer to repair damaged magnetic guidance strips and to replace, reprogram, or repurpose RFID navigation waypoints and can be performed without technical support or third-party visits. Removing that objection, the benefit of the magnetic AGVs/AMRs
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is that they can be ordered and delivered in 2022, whereas many of the vision-guided and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) trucks are seriously backlogged into 2023 and beyond.
chain has exacerbated the situation. The best automation solution on paper means nothing if it cannot be delivered in 2022. Selling the sexy sizzle of new, clever, even remarkable AGVs means nothing if manufacturers and logistics leaders cannot take delivery of the product until 2023. “Throughout industrial manufacturing, distribution, and logistics the lead time from many AGV manufacturers is more than a year.” -- Mike Kotzian
FlexTag App by Kivnon solves magnetic AGV limitations The FlexTag Application is the firstof-its-kind solution to create, configure, and modify magnetic navigation circuits. This innovation is a critical accessory in the AGV/AMR space along with FlexMap, management software that allows users to create, configure, and map navigation circuits. Similarly, the Smartpad Application is designed to control and move automated guided vehicles (AGVs/AMRs) via a Bluetooth connection.
That means product ordered in Q1 2022 will not be delivered until the following year. That is an absurd lead time and reflects poor planning and unnecessary supply chain constraints.
Guaranteed Delivery in 2022 So much emphasis has been placed on features, advantages, and benefits; too little attention has been paid to delivery dates. The current state of the supply continued
Manufacturing Outlook / January 2022