With the advent of intelligent manufacturing, factory intelligence has become an irreversible development trend. As an important core component of automation technology upgrading, AGV has undoubtedly become one of the focuses of the industry. How to choose good AGV accessories, especially AGV caster wheels, has become a headache for many engineers and purchasers. Today, Xinchen will talk to you about how to choose AGV follower wheels.

01. Determine the basic physical indicators such as follower wheel height, bearing capacity, wheel width, wheel diameter, and rotation radius

Installation height: The height of each AGV for the AGV follower wheel is different, so the installation height must be determined before purchasing the AGV follower wheel. Note that the height of the follower wheel and the drive wheel may be different, but make sure that they are all stressed on the same plane

Bearing capacity: According to the different bearing capacity of the AGV, different follower wheels need to be configured, and the size of the follower wheel should be determined;

Wheel width, wheel diameter, and rotation radius: The AGV chassis has limited space, so the rotation radius of the casters must be measured and calculated to avoid collision and interference between several wheels.

02. Determine follower wheel durability

A large number of conventional casters on the market are for industrial products. The use of these wheels follows the actions of people. The average person works for 8 hours at a speed of 1.4m/s, and needs to rest in the middle. It is impossible to use the equipment at all times. However, AGV does not rely on human actions, and it works 7*24 hours without interruption, with a speed of 3-4m/s. In this way, the use loss of follower wheels is much higher than that of conventional casters.

Maybe the service life of conventional casters is 3 years, but it can only be used for 3 months on AGV. Therefore, the life of the conventional caster cannot be used to evaluate the life of the AGV follower wheel.

03. Shock absorption and stability

The floor of the workshop cannot be completely flat. Traditional casters are pushed or pulled by people. Once there are potholes, people can push them; but AGV is a highly automated device, and no one is holding it. Watching, once a small hole is encountered, the wheels of the AGV trolley are not on the same plane, and it is easy to slip.

Xinchen suggested that you can choose a caster designed with a flat pressure bearing structure. Through this design, it can effectively bear the pressure of left and right rotation, cushion the shock and ensure the stability of the AGV. If the follower wheel with plane bearing structure is still prone to slippage, then Xinchen recommends purchasing casters with "spring shock absorption" to ensure that the AGV caster wheels and the drive wheel are on the same plane.

04. Flexibility

The power of the AGV car is highly dependent on the driving wheel, and the flexibility of the follower wheel affects the power system of the driving wheel. Especially when the AGV car moves forward and back directly or turns left and right, the smoothness of the auxiliary wheels is not good, and the AGV is prone to deflection, causing movement problems and even causing the transported goods to fall.

The flexibility of the AGV drive wheel is determined by two aspects. The first is the flexibility of the wheel itself. Not only is there no obstacle to the 360° rotation of the wheel; if the second bracket can rotate, it must also be 360° flexible without hindrance. Only when both the bracket and the wheels are flexible can a good AGV wheels be truly flexible.

	AGV wheels	Common Casters
Equipment	ATV Devices	Industrial Equipment
Working Time	7x24 hours	Usually less than 7 x 8 hours
Working Speed	3-4m/s	1.4m/s
Flexibility	360° Rotation smoothly	Can’t ensure 360 smoothly
Shock absorbing	Shock absorbing structure And wheel surface material	Shock absorbing wheels can be configured as required
Turning Radius (mm)	Small	Big
Structure	Plane bearing structure is more stable	Steel ball stamping forming, poor stability
Noise	No more than 40 decibels	More than 50 decibels

It is precisely because of the uniqueness of the AGV caster wheels that it is difficult to directly use the conventional casters on the market for AGV trolleys. Therefore, Xinchen suggests that you can choose to customize the exclusive AGV wheels to meet the needs.

But we have to face such a dilemma! Most AGV companies cannot find suitable manufacturers to provide customized solutions. There are several reasons-

1. The demand is limited and customization is difficult. A large number of AGV companies are start-ups. The demand for follower wheels is actually not large, while conventional companies have strict requirements on the quantity, and they will not customize if the quantity is small;

2. The price is high. Once customization is involved, the caster company has to open the mold. This cost is very high, and the supplier will directly pass it on to the AGV company;

3. The technology is not up to standard. Conventional enterprises still make casters with industrial casters as the core, but the application occasions and material requirements of AGV casters are completely different. Enterprises without experience in this area are prone to problems.

If you have any questions about AGV casters, please contact Xinchen

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