Yet they all illustrate the same challenge. Internal transport cannot always be automated using a standard robot straight from the product catalogue.
Standardized AGVs can handle many transport tasks in production and warehouse environments. They are often the natural starting point because their design and functions have already been thoroughly tested.
However, the load, the operating environment or the pick-up point may present requirements that a standard model was not designed to meet. In these cases, a modified or custom-built AGV may be the right solution.
Customization can take different forms
A custom AGV does not necessarily begin with a blank sheet of paper.
In many projects, an existing standard model can be modified with specially designed forks, a different lifting unit or a gripping mechanism suited to the specific load. The vehicle platform remains standard, while the load carrier is developed for the task.
In other projects, the load influences the AGV’s entire design. Its dimensions, lifting principle, load carrier and movement pattern may need to be developed as one complete solution to ensure safe and stable transport.
That is precisely the flexibility WEWO AGVs provide.
The load sets the parameters
Developing a custom AGV begins with a thorough understanding of what needs to be transported.
Weight is only one part of the assessment. The load’s length, shape, center of gravity and stability also matter. The same applies to how it must be picked up, secured and delivered.
The operating environment also plays a central role. An AGV may need to maneuver within a confined space, operate outdoors or collect a load directly from a machine. It may also need to communicate with gates, production equipment or other company systems.
The technical solution is therefore shaped by the interaction between the load, the operating environment and the required transport flow.
Three examples of custom AGV solutions
A selection of WEWO’s previous projects illustrates how differently a custom AGV can be designed.
For Skylux, WEWO developed a custom-built AGV for transporting long loads outdoors. Both the length of the load and operation outside the production facility place specific demands on the vehicle’s design and load handling.
At Essity, a compact AGV transports large rolls of raw material used in diaper production. The AGV collects the rolls from an unpacking machine and moves them to the next stage of the production process. The round load requires a carrier that supports and secures it during transport.
In an entirely different weight class, 17 custom-built WEWO AGVs transport modular housing units weighing up to 20 tons through the production facility at Daiwa House Modular Europe. The AGVs form an integral part of the assembly flow and have been developed around loads considerably larger than conventional intralogistics goods.
These examples demonstrate that customization does not describe one particular type of AGV. It describes a development approach in which the task determines the direction of the solution.
Custom design should remove complexity
A custom solution requires more clarification, engineering and testing than a standard model. Every modification should therefore address a specific problem within the transport flow.
One key consideration is where the complexity is best handled.
If a standardized load carrier or a modified pick-up point creates a simple and stable flow, a standard model will often be the strongest solution.
However, if this requires manual transfers, additional buffer areas or impractical changes to production, the process can quickly become more complex than the vehicle needs to be.
A custom AGV can remove these intermediate steps by collecting the load where it originates, securing it correctly during transport and delivering it directly to the next process.
Otherwise, there is a risk of removing the customization during the project phase only to reintroduce it as daily friction in operations.
