The New Modular Drive Platform for Your AGV and AGC System – “Ket-Rob” From Ketterer
November 10, 2020
The abundance of possibilities for efficient application with an autonomous AGV / AGC system can be difficult to manage, even for experts. This raises the question of a solution with which new ideas and strategies for the use of an autonomous AGV / AGC system can be implemented quickly and at low cost.
This is why Ketterer developed the modular “Ket-Rob” drive platform, which forms the basis for customer-specific AGV / AGC systems and can be adapted quickly and flexibly to individual requirements in practice. Ketterer’s “Ket-Rob” helps to save both resources and many development steps along the way to an innovative AGV / AGC system.
Platform for AGV / AGC systems with plenty of room for adjustments
The modular “Ket-Rob” drive platform consists of a slim frame made of aluminum profiles to which two drive wheels and four freely movable wheels that carry the load are attached. The steering wheels are freely rotatable around the steering axle. The system can turn on the spot if the drive wheels rotate in opposite directions.
“Ket-Rob” has drive wheels with a Vulkollan (R) coating or are made of solid rubber. They are driven by wheel hub drives (BLDC) with a maximum output of 210 W each(maximum 5.4 Nm). Wheel hub motors up to a maximum of 34 Nm can be used for customer-specific heavy-duty solutions. This makes a design without gears possible and reduces the number of wear parts. The installation space saved is thus available for the transport tasks.
The BLDC wheel hub drives are supplied with encoder and brake. Systems for regulation and control can be integrated by the customer as part of their project. The drive wheels with spring suspension (20 mm spring travel), along with the 30 mm ground clearance of the frame, help to overcome unevenness in industrial floors. Energy sources with 24 V to 48 V are options for power supply.
With “Ket-Rob,” Ketterer offers a maintenance-free basis for automated guided vehicles, which can be equipped with a height-adjustable carrier platform. The main dimensions, such as the width and length of the frame, are customizable. The end positions and the lifting height of the height adjustment for the carrier platform can also be set up according to customer requirements. The system carries loads of up to 100 kg and can handle inclines of up to 4 %.
Gears saved thanks to wheel hub drive
According to market research, Ketterer’s “Ket-Rob” drive platform for AGV / AGC systems is currently the only one that does not require additional gears. This not only eliminates the need for maintenance, but also allows the AGV / AGC to be moved manually in the rare event of a standstill. “Ket-Rob” is also quite fast at up to 7 km/h and runs very smoothly. The direct drive with wheel hub drives eliminates gear backlash and facilitates exact positioning. An automated guided vehicle based on this drive platform offers the customer plenty of leeway for the design process. In addition to the variable dimensioning, lifting and tilting units for the AGV / AGC system can be integrated and further adjustments can be made on customer request.
More time for essential tasks
Ketterer’s “Ket-Rob” drive platform allows the project manager developing an AGV / AGC system for their company to concentrate on the complex part of the work, i.e. their own applications and ideas, including programming and coordination of the necessary control systems. If the control system needs to be evaluated, a prototype can be created and tested for an AGV / AGC system very quickly with the Ketterer platform. The time saved can be used in the development of system variants to find the optimal solution for the in-house AGV / AGC system.
