VNA AGV - List of Manufacturers and Characteristics of Very Narrow Aisle Robots
An automated VNA truck is a vehicle specifically designed to do one thing: operate in very narrow aisles while performing high lifting racking operations.
Think about a warehouse robot specifically designed to handle pallets while saving floor space... that's the Driverless Very Narrow Aisle Truck.
Top VNA - Very Narrow Aisle Truck AGV for high racking
What is a Very Narrow Aisle VNA AGV?
It is a type of Robotic Forklift designed to work in warehouse aisles narrower than 6,5 feet (78 inches / 2000 mm). This kind of AGV is used in racking operations and it is able to store pallets at 36 feet height (11 m / 430'). This vehicles are also known as trilateral AGV.
You can find the content of this article in the freely downloadable "The Robotic Forklift Guide" together with info about other types of self-driving forklifts and general info like costs, sensors used, applications...
Do not miss agvnetwork's free guide listing more than 60 Robotic Forklift Manufacturers
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Let's come back to our VNA topic...
How do VNA AGVs look like? The first time I saw one of these vehicles... I simply was astonished. Check this video .
When space is at a premium cost, you need a system that maximises the use of every inch of available floor space and the automated narrow aisle pallet racking systems do exactly that.
Space is limited and expensive. For this reason, warehouses are becoming taller and more compact thus the available space for vehicles transit are narrowing.
Very narrow aisle pallet racking condenses standard pallet racking into a smaller area which creates a high-density storage system enabling you to store more product without having to increase floor space.
For this reason, VNAs are widely used in countries with expensive land costs. VNAs are extremely specialized machines and hence are excellent for high volume handling applications.
If we talk about racking, they are the fastest option in terms of load handling per hour.
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Did you know?
Very Narrow Aisle AGVs can save up to 50% more space than standard Reach Trucks. |
What is the standard aisle width needed for a VNA Truck AGV?
There are two main dimensions regarding aisle width.
The first dimension is the minimum corridor width needed for the VNA to perform loading/unloading activities in the working aisle between two racks.
The typical dimension to be checked is the “distance between pallets” that should be around 1,600 mm (63 inch / 5.3 ft).
The second important dimension is the transit corridor needed for going from one warehouse aisle to another one.
This one:
VNA AGVs are like “automated mammoths,” so the corridor should be around 7 m (275 inch/23 ft).
Remember that you must leave enough safety space from the vehicle to the fixed structures to avoid personnel risks. This space, typycally covered by a Safety Scanner is around 0,5 m (near 20 inch).
In the sketch above, the red line is the physical contour of a VNA and blue line is the safety distance to be respected.
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You can also check this article about AGV safety for further details: Automated Guided Vehicles Safety Systems
What is the standard loading height for a Driverless VNA Truck?
VNAs are very accurate, and they can perform loading and unloading operations at around 12 m high (470 inch/40 ft)
How fast is an Automated Very Narrow Aisle truck?
Forward speed is around 2 m/sec (710 inch/sec- 3103ft/min).
The VNA’s main task is to stock pallets on high racks, hence it is also important to know lifting speed.
Lifting speed can reach up to 300 mm /sec (12 inch/sec – 60 ft/min) .
What kind of AGV navigation method is preferred for VNAs?
Typically, Automated VNAs work with Laser target Navigation, so they are LGVs.
In any case, considering the very tight tolerance required to deposit a pallet at 12 m high, in many cases, VNAs can switch to inductive wire navigation when they are into the aisle between two racks which enables better stopping tolerance.
Once they are out from the aisle, VNAs can switch the navigation technology.
What type of forks do about Robotic VNAs use?
The options are the same that we have for the manned operated VNAs.
Robotic VNAs can be equipped with telescopic load handling forks or with turret head for trilateral turning (100º…0º…+100º) of load for more versatile pallet handling.
With trilateral forks, the head that supports the forks can rotate and can pick up and deposit loads on one side of the aisle or the other, as well as in front. They can also deposit pallets directly on the ground.
Trilateral forklifts picture
With bilateral forks, the forks are telescopic and assembled on what is called a cradle.
The telescopic forks handle pallet loads in racks to both sides of the vehicle symmetrically.
Unlike trilaterals, these machines can neither deposit pallets on the ground nor place them in front. Yet they do have the advantage that they can operate in even narrower aisles and can complete a greater number of cycles.
The load fork system is equipped with sensors to detect load presence in the rack as well as on the forks. Sensors also ensure that load is properly positioned and centralized.
How much does an AGV Very Narrow Truck cost?
Of course, it depends on the supplier, but these AGVs are very complex and sophisticated.
A VNA AGV costs between 180.000 $ and 230.000 $ for each vehicle.
On top of this, you must add other costs, such AGV Manager, Programming, Installing, Commissioning, etc.
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Summary VNA AGV Truck Technical Specifications
Technical Specification Value Minimum Aisle width (distance between pallets) 1600 mm / 63' / 5,3 ft Minimum transfer corridor bewteen rack aisles 7 m / 275' / 23 ft Load stocking height 11 m / 430' / 36 ft Load capacity 1200 kg / 2.645 lbs Vehicle Speed forward 2 m/s - 386 ft/min Navigation Type Laser navigation and possible combination with indictive navigation in the aisles Forks type Trilateral or Telescopic bilateral Vehicle price 180.000 $ - 230.000 $
The numbers above are indicative, they could change depending on each specific supplier and project. You are kinldy welcome to contact suppliers directly.
What is the ROI of a Very Narrow Aisle truck AGV?
Good question… that.. unluckily does not have a single answer.
Let's make some quick calculations.
A customer would like to install a VNA AGV System in a warehouse with racks 10 m high (32 ft / 390 inch). The alternative is to buy nr 2 manual VNA.
Is an AGV system worth?
Let’s imagine that number of missions requires to install nr 3 VNAs. Remember that AGVs use to be slower than manned vehicles.
The company works nr 3 shifts and the warehouse counts on near 5000 stocking positions.
Of course, the AGV System ROI and payback will depend on salaries, number of shifts, Manual VNA cost, and some other stuff.
Here below some raw numbers… (very raw).
The total investment cost for an AGV turnkey solution cost is around 750.000 USD. Let’s imagine that operating costs are zero.
Total cost after 3 years with manual solution could be around 850.000 USD, including operating workforce costs.
Manual solution cost
If we consider other extra costs related to maintenance, absenteeism, personnel backup, welfare, etc. I would say that payback is around 2,5 years.
Of course, if the system works 2 shifts, payback could be around 4 or 5 years.
Please consider these numbers very approximative and ask your supplier for an accurate technical offer.
Advantages and disadvantages of Very Narrow Aisle AGV trucks (VNA-AGV)
Advantages of VNA AGVs
- Significantly faster pallet handling in narrow aisle applications compared to reach trucks.
- No risk of operator mistakes.
- Reduced aisle width, increasing warehouse holding capacity compared to reach trucks.
- Possibility to add weekend shifts without additional costs.
- Large possibilities of integration with WMS and ERPs.
- Increased safety thanks to restrictive AGV safety standards.
Disadvantages of VNA AGVs
- Low flexibility. VNA AGVs are specifically designed for narrow aisle operations. Whatever they do out of the aisle… is wasting time and money.
- They should require other types of AGVs (pallet mover or counter-balance forklifts) to perform non-aisle tasks, hence increasing investment.
Who are the main manufacturers of Automated VNAs?
There are few reliable Very Narrow Aisle AGV manufacturers able to supply such a complex vehicle… here they are.
VNA AGV Manufactures: Balyo, BA Systemes, DEMATIC, JBT, Proxaut, ROCLA,
- BALYO
- BALYOK-MATIC is BALYO VNA robotic reach truck with the advantage of the Linde VNA quality standards, combined with Driven by Balyo technology.
- BA SYSTEMES
- BA SYSTEMESBA Systèmes VNA offers very narrow aisles bi-/tri-directional automated vehicles to meet the needs for automated storage in VNA or great height.
- DEMATIC
- DEMATICHybrid DEMATIC VNA AGVs combine a KION-family VNA lift truck with a Dematic automation pack. The KION-family VNA truck is manufactured with all the wiring necessary for the automation pack.
JBT VNA deliver real value in your warehousing operation. Well-suited for work in warehousing and distribution centers, our narrow aisle automatic guided vehicle (AGV) simplifies picking and dropping operations in high-bay racks.
- PROXAUT
- PROXAUT PROXAUT VNA Forklifts are delivered with either bi-directional or tri-directional forks. Standard applications are limited to 11 m working height, but customization is always available.
- ROCLA (MITSUBISHI LOGISNEXT EUROPE OY)
- ROCLA (MITSUBISHI LOGISNEXT EUROPE OY)ROCLA VNA AGV is equipped with a turret head for tri-lateral turning of the load forks. The turret head forks handle pallet loads in three directions: to each side and directly backward.
