America’s food and beverage industries are seeking economic growth while making certain consumers have access to safe, healthy, and affordable foods. Dori Kozak, Marketing Manager for Seegrid, maker of automated guided vehicles (AGVs), discusses the need for advancement and innovation in logistics in the current company blog.
Kozak noted the innovation requires a coordinated and efficient supply chain, while providing safe food products for consumers. As part of that effort, flexible AGVs have quickly surfaced in the grocery and food industries.
Kozak explained, “Automated guided vehicles are equipped to handle palletized and unit loads of food, beverages, in-process ingredients, and packaging materials, to be transported for manufacturing, cross-docking, warehousing, and trailer loading environments.”
Due to the wide variety of SOPs (standard operating procedures) in the food manufacturing industry, AGVs must support various storage types for pallets, racks and bins including block stacking, deep stacking or warehouse racking. Because of the heavy regulatory nature of the food industry, (more rigorous with the recently enacted Food Safety Modernization Act, FSMA), AGV systems must meet the requirements for intermediate storage of food products. Automated guided vehicles must also take expiry dates of final products into account, and warehouse shelves must be organized accordingly.
The role of flexible AGVs in Grocery and Food industries has gained popularity because it reduces associated distribution costs, meets the growing demand of consumers, provides an effective resource for the supply chain, and meets demanding requirements for food safety. Delivering safe products, consumers want, when they want them builds an efficient, responsive industry to which the Grocery and Food Industries share alike.
To read the entire blog, go to: http://blog.seegrid.com/Blog/bid/387325/Growing-Role-of-Flexible-AGVs-in....
About Seegrid
Seegrid Corporation provides simple, affordable, flexible vision-guided automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to the material handling industry. Seegrid robotic industrial trucks, flexible AGVs, are revolutionizing the movement of materials in manufacturing and distribution environments. Seegrid tuggers, automated pallet trucks, and tow tractors optimize workflow processes by increasing productivity and reducing costs, creating economic and operational advantages. Manufacturers using this innovative technology are finding Seegrid robotic industrial trucks deliver a rapid return on investment, improve facility safety, and reduce equipment and product damage. In addition to the 2014 Edison Award, Seegrid was named Manufacturer of the Year and the Food Logistics Top 100 software and technology providers. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, the company is quickly expanding its global presence. Follow Seegrid Corporation on Twitter at @Seegrid.