Motor solutions for AGVs must be lightweight and compact with high power density and energy efficiency at the same time. The shuttle vehicles used for distribution systems in warehouses have very little space available for these drives. In accordance with the requirements of the AGV manufacturers, the gear manufacturer Framo Morat and the motor manufacturer Dunkermotoren have developed and implemented a particularly compact DC drive system.
The newly developed hub gears use standard ball bearings to absorb the high radial loads and the entire gearbox can be accommodated inside a narrow wheel hub. To make the entire drive package particularly compact, a bevel gearbox connects the brushless DC motor with integrated controller to the input shaft of the hub gears. The combination of our motors with over 90% efficiency and the very light, low-loss bevel and planetary gearboxes enable us to achieve very high efficiency for the entire drive system and therefore high energy efficiency.
The drive units are configured according to the individual requirements of the AGV manufacturers with the integrated electronics allowing for complete driving profiles to be stored and retrieved. The CANopen, Profibus or EtherCAT bus systems provide data communication with higher-level controllers. At the same time, by using their existing modular system, the motor and gearbox manufacturers can ensure a competitive solution by combining their standardised, modular components to create the required drive system. This innovative drive system plays a decisive role in making the AGV’s particularly cost-effective.
