Tell us about yourself and your role with IDEC.

As IDEC’s AGV Vertical Market Mgr., I focus on supporting OEM’s, End Users and Integrators, developing next generation Mobile Automation. My role is centered at the intersection of Customer application needs and product capability. I work closely with Engineering teams, safety champions, and end-users to ensure our drive systems and safety architecture meet or exceed performance, safety and integration expectations.

Give us some background on your AWD & SWD drive wheels.

Our AWD and SWD platforms are integrated drive solutions designed specifically for Safer Mobility! The AWD Assist Wheel Drive solution provides higher traction and load distribution for medium to heavy duty applications while our  SWD Safety Drive Wheel offers an ISO3691-4 Safety architecture for AGV and AMR development that offers a compact, cost effective solution that’s ideal for Safe Automated Material Movements. The Safety electronics, encoder, and Motor are all embedded in the wheel reducing the need for additional safety electronics and other components.

What customer problem or challenges do the AWD and SWD drive wheels solve?

Our customers are always under pressure to shorten their development cycles while keeping High Safety standards at the forefront. With our platforms the customer can realize reduced integration complexity, Simplify the compliance aspect with Safety Requirements and standards, reduce maintenance requirements and obsolescence with their own custom Mobility solution.

When should a customer choose SWD or an AWD?

AWD Assist wheel drive is chosen when good traction and load management are needed with a Semi-Automated Ergonomically friendly solution. Manual Carts and Trolleys for various tasks for example.

SWD Safety Wheel Drive is more geared towards robotics, mobile robotics or AGV development. ISO3691-4 Safety Compliant, with all of the electronics in the Drive Wheels (Wheel, Gearbox, Encoder, Safety Electronics) for a seamless safety architecture. This also means 40~50% fewer components, and quick to development and scaling of an AGV system.

What automation trends are driving the demand for these types of Drive Solutions?

Companies with manufacturing and warehousing operations still have many manual carts, and trolleys moving heavy loads. To do this persistently can become a challenge and can increase the risk of musculoskeletal injuries in any operation. Companies are pushing semi-automated and Fully automated solutions to address Ergonomics among many other challenges like Efficiency, SKU proliferation, Labor Challenges etc. OEM’s, Integrators and End Users are seeking the modular “building blocks” instead of Engineering Wheels, Encoders, gearboxes, controllers, and wiring from scratch. This Modularization trend touches every industry. Our SWD for instance integrates the Wheel, Gearbox, Encoder, & Safety Electronics into a single compact unit reducing the component count, engineering time, and cutting design and installation effort by 50% in some cases.

How do you adapt the Ez-Wheel platforms for different vertical markets?

Each vertical market or type of end user or OEM has specific requirements and processes. Some of these processes are the same in many verticals in terms of material movements. Our Drive Wheel solutions are adaptable depending on each clients specific challenges, ambitions, and specifications. So, the same shoe or Robot doesn’t always fit! In some cases the AWD may be the best solution simply because the process wouldn’t require an AGV or anything automated because their cart simply needs to be motorized to assist with a heavy load. Then for other customers they may choose to build a Fleet of AGV’s designed specifically to address their business challenges and processes at a fraction of time and cost of a standard portfolio AGV.

You will be exhibiting at MODEX in April, can you share a bit on the importance of this event and what visitors can expect at your booth?

Yes, we are very excited to be MODEX this year with so many brilliant folks under one roof collaborating and learning about what is new and exciting in the world of Automation! We are excited about the design of the booth this year in collaboration with our Global Marketing Teams from California, India, Japan, & France to be most effective in Illustrating our latest IDEC and APEM Solutions for Booth visitors and existing customers.