Front AGV and Kollmorgen Form Partnership to Develop AGVs

Front AGV and Kollmorgen Automation have teamed up to develop automated guided vehicles, or AGVs. 

Front AGV is a part of 3Button GROUP AB and said it makes AGVs and AMRs “to cover a range of processes in the manufacturing line; from machine tending, assembly and labeling to picking, packing, and palletizing.” It is an authorized partner of ABB and sells mobile robots developed by ASTI, which was acquired by ABB in 2021.

3BUTTON GROUP AB is made up of Front AGV AB, Front Automation AB, Fröjd Automation AB, and IML Technologies AB.

Kollmorgen Automation said it caters to automakers developing “driverless logistics automation solutions.” It added that its software and hardware products help customers route vehicles for efficiency and navigational control. 

Earlier this year, Vanderlande Industries B.V. announced that it had chosen Kollmorgen as a technology and service partner. Its technology is used in Toyota Material Handling forklifts. 

Kollmorgen also recently announced that it has formed a partnership with the Spanish Association for Mobile Robotics to “offer high-quality integration solutions for AGVs and mobile robots based on the NDC8 platform.” 

Front AGV calls Kollmorgen the 'logical choice'

“Kollmorgen’s NDC Solutions is the logical choice for us,” said Emil Arnesson, CEO, Front AGV, in a statement. “They provide a superior, reliable, and customizable software and hardware solution for vehicle routing and navigation—and we have a close collaboration. This enables us to innovate faster and build more optimized vehicle systems.”

“Front AGV is a very visionary and innovative vehicle designer. The ease-of-use and simplicity of their Production Butler AGV makes it perfect for end-users in need of compact and efficient vehicles that support their manufacturing lines, added Tobias Byfeldt, vice president of Kollmorgen Automation. “We are convinced that the demand for these types of vehicle systems will continue to grow.”

The companies did not specify how they would work together or outline any specific goals. While AMRs adoption continues to grow among users, AGVs are still very much sought after. Markets and Markets reported that the AGV market is expected to be valued at $3.2 billion U.S. at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% from 2021 to 2026.

The research firm cited e-commerce demands and a rising need for automation in warehouses as two of the main factors driving growth. It noted that the five biggest AGV makers include Daifuku, JBT, KUKA, KION, and Toyota Industries.