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HUBTEX and INTIS launch an inductive charging system

Photo by HUBTEX Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG

The efficient use of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) in intralogistics is largely dependent on the charging technology. The goal is to keep the energy supply of the vehicles cost- and time-saving and to maximise the internal material flow. HUBTEX therefore relies on a partnership with INTIS.

With the PhoeniX AGV, HUBTEX has introduced the world’s first fully automated electric multi-directional sideloader for handling long, heavy and bulky goods. With the inductive charging system from INTIS, the vehicle can be charged with a 48V lithium-ion battery with a charging current of 400A without contact, without cables. The concept is transferable to all HUBTEX vehicles with electric drive.

Energy management comes into focus

Due to the continuously growing requirements in intralogistics, energy management is becoming more and more important in order to achieve time and cost savings. For a maximally economical AGV solution, it is important to determine the optimal charging system. 
From HUBTEX’s point of view, stationary charging shows disadvantages in terms of costs and space in the long run: manual charging is the most cost-effective solution, but it also depends on the reliability of the employees. With an exchangeable battery, users benefit from a shorter dwell time of the vehicles when changing the battery, but need a corresponding exchange infrastructure and personnel. An automatic battery changing station can reduce the number of vehicles needed in many cases, but must also be taken into account in terms of design.

Inductive charging system brings maximum performance

For HUBTEX, inductive battery charging for AGVs therefore makes the most sense: charging pads on the vehicle automatically interact with charging plates on the floor or walls once the vehicle is positioned accordingly. “Together with INTIS, as a specialist in inductive charging technology, we are focusing on a fully autonomous overall concept, which we believe works best with a combination of lithium-ion batteries and inductive battery charging system,” says Michael Röbig, energy management expert at HUBTEX.

“In the past, maximum charging performance was achieved primarily with cable-based chargers,” says Röbig. “What is new now are inductive fast charging systems, which ensure a fast charging time and thus high device availability due to the high charging currents.”

The compact charging station can be placed sensibly in the respective warehouse or in production; for example, production-related waiting times can be used for charging. The user can access data such as capacity, status and charging time at any time. Inductive charging is maintenance-free, insensitive to vandalism and resource-saving due to the smaller lithium-ion batteries. It also reduces the effort required for the energy supply of the charging stations.

For more information, please visit: https://www.hubtex.com/de-de