scope:

Introduction

Considering the requirements of short throughput times, small inventories, and high flexibility, inhouse material flow is gaining more and more importance as an integrative element in companies. Because of their universal applicability, industrial trucks are therefore still being used in almost every company. Automatic means of transport, on the other hand, are largely inflexible. Automated guided vehicle systems (AGVS) are the only means in this group that offer a high degree of flexibility. They have been successfully used to automate in-house material flow since the early 1960s.