Kendrion establishes itself as a full-range supplier for AGVs
The industry has experienced an enormous boom in recent years, mainly due to the increased demand for goods in industry and the private sector. Automated guided vehicles can be used to efficiently plan tasks in warehouses or production environments, and they are excellent for repetitive tasks and transports that occur at a high rate. Safe stopping and holding of autonomous vehicles requires brakes that are built into the drive unit to ensure workplace safety during operation.
For industrial trucks, Kendrion INTORQ is already the market leader in Europe for spring-applied brakes. "This applies to vehicle classes 2 and 3, which is actually all electrically driven industrial trucks except counterbalanced trucks," explains Frederik Mönks, Key Account Manager at Kendrion INTORQ. This experience, combined with modern, agile working methods and a broad, tailored product portfolio are used to meet all the requirements of this young industry. "With compact and, above all, flat brakes, we are currently increasingly conquering the small AGV sector." In principle, Kendrion has a solution for all electrically powered vehicles on the market - whether for transporting small loads, forklifts for high loads, huge transport systems that carry containers or even special applications. This is because, as a result of increasing diversification, driverless transport vehicles are also being designed for areas outside of logistics where you would not expect to find them: For example, in the agricultural industry, where autonomous AGVs can take over the cultivation of fields. So here an electrification of traditional vehicles is taking place. In addition, completely new solutions are also coming onto the market, such as an AGV that transports suitcases at airports.
Regardless of whether it is a niche or classic application - Kendrion is always very close to the customer and his requirements. "Our experience is based on years of working in partnership with major brands in the industrial truck industry," explains Frederik Mönks. "However, for several years we have also been working with start-ups developing innovative AGVs. These customers put a lot of trust in our know-how and often give us a lot of creative freedom." In addition to vehicle manufacturers, Kendrion also works with component suppliers, for example manufacturers of gearboxes or electric motors.
This does not always mean that special solutions have to be created or modifications have to be made. For classic floor vehicles, safety brakes from the standard portfolio can often be used - for special solutions, Kendrion also offers special small or flat brakes for the drive train in all torque ranges. In fall, another extra flat brake will be launched on the market. "The more compact the brake, the leaner the vehicles can be. This is a money-saving advantage, especially in warehouses where every square meter is needed," concludes Kevin Zysk, Sales Manager in Aerzen. "Together with our customers, we continue to develop our brakes to meet new requirements."
