Murata Machinery Partners With AGVE Group to Increase North American Sales

Murata Machinery USA Inc. has expanded its automated guided vehicles product offering and is partnering with AGVE AB.

The company has added seven standard A-Series models to its Muratec Premex Series. The automated guided vehicle (AGV) models are customizable for a wide range of load capacities, lift heights, navigation methods, temperature ratings, and software applications, the company said.

Murata partners with AGVE in North America

From its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., Murata Machinery will take over and lead all North American operations in partnership with the AGVE Group, directing day-to-day North American sales, installation, service, and marketing operations.

AGVE is a part of the Murata Machinery Group. Since 1985, the company has deployed more than 4,000 general vehicles and 160 custom-made ones.

“Combining our AGV sales and service operations in North America into a single-unified front enables us to offer customers exceptional storage and transport solutions and creates tremendous value for stakeholders,” said Jörgen Lindgren, president of AGVE Group in Sweden.

A-Series standard forklift to roller and lift deck vehicles can transport payloads from a few pounds to 65 tons, the company said. They can lift to 36 ft. (10 m) and can operate in extreme temperatures ranging from -10 degrees Fahrenheit (-23 degrees Celsius) to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).

The robots are equipped with navigation systems and multiple layers of safety features. They comply with ANSI/ITSDF safety and ISO 3691-4 manufacturing standards as well as Class 1 for clean factory environments, the company said.

“We approach each customer as a partner, helping to solve problems and increase productivity by safely automating manual handling and transportation,” said Scott Matlock, general manager of the Logistics and Automation Division at Murata Machinery. “AGVs are common in Industry 4.0 settings, a high-value, easy-to-implement first step in automation. This partnership strengthens our integrated, value-added approach and expands our capabilities as a system integrator.”

The value of AGVs

Driverless vehicles automate a wide variety of repetitive transport and material handling tasks within manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and logistics facilities—tasks that traditionally require manual labor, the companies said. Automated vehicles move single or multiple loads and transport material between processes or to and from storage.

Typically, AGVs are used to replace manual forklifts for all types of loads—pallets, totes, bins, auto body parts, and coils, the companies said. Vehicles can be customized to move unique load types and are quick to reroute, resulting in less downtime for the facility.

Murata Machinery said AGVs reduce labor needs, remove opportunities for human error and product damage, and improve working conditions. They help preserve margins and increase output, paving the way for continued productivity and growth.

Muratec conducted live demos of both Muratec A-Series and Premex AGVs at MODEX 2022 in Atlanta, GA from March 28-31, Booth B7632b.