In manufacturing plants, palletized materials often need to move between storage areas, production equipment, and designated delivery points. With conventional forklift operations, drivers handle pallet pickup, transportation, unloading, and the return trip. When the same route is used repeatedly throughout the day, these trips can occupy a substantial amount of driving time.
For this project, we deployed a forklift AGV to handle pallet transportation within the workshop. The vehicle picks up a pallet, follows a predefined route to the delivery area, places the load at its destination, and returns to its standby position for the next assignment.
Project Background and Material Handling Requirements
The project was implemented in a manufacturing workshop with production equipment distributed across several work areas. Palletized materials needed to be delivered through the workshop aisles to designated drop-off locations.
Previously, forklift drivers traveled repeatedly between the pickup point and the delivery area. In addition to driving, they had to align the forklift with each pallet, engage the forks, and position the load for unloading. Even with a fixed route, every delivery required an operator.
The workshop also had production equipment, turning areas, and pedestrian traffic. A loaded pallet may be wider than the forklift itself, while stacked cartons raise the load's center of gravity. Route planning therefore had to account for clearance, turning space, and load stability during travel.
We assigned these repetitive movements to a forklift AGV, establishing fixed pickup and drop-off points along with a return route so that pallet deliveries could run automatically according to the production schedule.
Forklift AGV Configuration and Transport Operations
The system uses a forklift AGV equipped with two forks for handling palletized loads. The vehicle incorporates autonomous navigation, environmental sensing, operating status indicators, and blue floor-projected warning lights.
Pallet Pickup and Fork Engagement
When the AGV arrives at the pickup point, it adjusts its position and heading to align the forks with the pallet openings. The forks enter beneath the pallet and lift the load before the vehicle begins its loaded trip.
At the delivery point, the AGV aligns with the designated unloading position, moves the pallet into place, and lowers the forks until the pallet rests on the floor. It then reverses to withdraw the forks completely.
Pallet handling involves more than raising and lowering the forks. Alignment, forward movement, and withdrawal all take time. Each operation may take only a few seconds, but across hundreds of deliveries, those movements account for a considerable portion of the vehicle’s working time.
The layout of the pickup and drop-off areas matters for the same reason. Consistent pallet orientation and sufficient room for the vehicle to approach and reverse help reduce unnecessary positioning movements.
Workshop Routes and Autonomous Travel
The AGV leaves the pickup point and follows its assigned route through the workshop, passing between production equipment and around turning areas before entering the pallet delivery zone.
We planned the route around the vehicle's loaded dimensions. In addition to the forklift body, the layout accounts for pallet width, load height, and the space occupied by the load when turning.
The AGV can maintain a steady speed along straight sections and reduce speed when entering turns or narrow aisles. Its environmental sensing system monitors surrounding obstacles, while the blue floor-projected warning light alerts nearby personnel to the moving vehicle.
After unloading, the AGV returns empty to its standby position.
Pickup, loaded travel, unloading, and the return trip form one complete transport cycle. Travel distance is only part of that cycle. Space at the delivery point, pallet orientation, and waiting time along the route also affect how soon the vehicle can begin another assignment.
Transport Cycle Time and Delivery Capacity
The route covers 80 meters in each direction, with an average travel speed of 1.0 m/s. Loaded travel takes approximately 80 seconds, and the empty return trip takes another 80 seconds.
Including pallet handling, turns, and traffic delays, one complete transport cycle takes four minutes.
| Transport Operation | Cycle Time |
|---|---|
| Pallet pickup and departure | 20 seconds |
| Loaded travel (80 m) | 80 seconds |
| Final positioning and unloading | 20 seconds |
| Empty return trip | 80 seconds |
| Turning, traffic delays, and dispatch allowance | 40 seconds |
| Complete transport cycle | 240 seconds (4 minutes) |
At four minutes per cycle, one forklift AGV can complete 15 pallet deliveries per hour.
With two eight-hour shifts per day and 85% task utilization, the vehicle can complete approximately 204 pallet deliveries per day. Over 22 working days, monthly delivery capacity reaches approximately 4,488 pallet movements.
Travel distance has a direct effect on delivery capacity. With pickup, unloading, and other auxiliary operations taking a combined 80 seconds, and both loaded and empty travel averaging 1.0 m/s, the cycle changes as follows:
| One-Way Travel Distance | Complete Cycle Time | Theoretical Deliveries per Hour |
|---|---|---|
| 50 m | 180 seconds | 20 pallets |
| 80 m | 240 seconds | 15 pallets |
| 100 m | 280 seconds | Approx. 12.9 pallets |
| 150 m | 380 seconds | Approx. 9.5 pallets |
Increasing the one-way distance from 80 to 150 meters extends the transport cycle to approximately six minutes and 20 seconds. Hourly delivery capacity falls from 15 to about 9.5 pallets.
Higher pallet demand also affects the number of vehicles required. For example, if a route needs 25 pallet deliveries per hour but one AGV can complete only 15, additional vehicles and coordinated dispatching are needed.
Forklift AGV Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Configuration / Value |
|---|---|
| Equipment type | Forklift AGV |
| Application | Pallet transport within a manufacturing workshop |
| Load handling | Dual forks for palletized loads |
| One-way travel distance | 80 m |
| Average loaded travel speed | 1.0 m/s |
| Complete transport cycle | 4 minutes |
| Theoretical hourly delivery capacity | 15 pallet deliveries |
| Daily capacity, two shifts | Approx. 204 pallet deliveries |
| Monthly delivery capacity | Approx. 4,488 pallet deliveries |
| Task utilization | 85% |
| Safety features | Environmental sensing, status indicators, and floor-projected warning lights |
| Vehicle standby | Designated standby area |
Manual Forklift vs. AGV: Labor Costs and Investment Payback
Manual forklift transport requires a driver for each production shift. With the AGV in operation, pallet pickup, travel, unloading, and the return trip are handled automatically. Workshop personnel remain responsible for pallet preparation and any necessary exception handling.
Both the manual forklift and the AGV complete one transport cycle in four minutes, giving each a theoretical capacity of 15 pallet deliveries per hour. The main difference is the requirement for a dedicated driver.
| Comparison | Manual Forklift | Forklift AGV |
|---|---|---|
| Load type | Palletized materials | Palletized materials |
| Complete transport cycle | 4 minutes | 4 minutes |
| Theoretical hourly capacity | 15 pallet deliveries | 15 pallet deliveries |
| Dedicated drivers per shift | 1 | 0 |
| Daily production shifts | 2 | 2 |
| Dedicated driving positions across two shifts | 2 | 0 |
Automating the fixed transport route eliminates one dedicated driving position per shift, or two positions across a two-shift operation.
Equipment Investment and Payback Period
The total investment in the forklift AGV, on-site deployment, and system commissioning is RMB 240,000. The fully loaded monthly labor cost of one forklift driver is RMB 8,000.
| Financial Metric | Single Shift | Two Shifts |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated driving positions eliminated | 1 | 2 |
| Monthly labor cost savings | RMB 8,000 | RMB 16,000 |
| Additional monthly operating and maintenance costs | RMB 1,000 | RMB 2,000 |
| Monthly net cost savings | RMB 7,000 | RMB 14,000 |
| Equipment and deployment investment | RMB 240,000 | RMB 240,000 |
| Simple payback period | Approx. 34.3 months | Approx. 17.1 months |
Running two shifts reduces monthly forklift driver labor costs by RMB 16,000. After RMB 2,000 in additional operating and maintenance expenses, net savings reach RMB 14,000 per month, giving the project a simple payback period of approximately 17 months.
Scaling from One Forklift AGV to a Multi-Vehicle Fleet
The project currently operates with one forklift AGV on a fixed pallet transport route. The one-way distance is 80 meters, with a four-minute transport cycle and a capacity of 15 pallet deliveries per hour.
As production expands, the workshop may need to transport more pallets or supply additional machines and work areas. We designed the material handling solution with room for more vehicles and routes, allowing AGVs to be added as demand grows. A fleet management system can then assign transport tasks across multiple vehicles.
For example, if delivery demand increases to 25 pallets per hour, one AGV can no longer cover the full workload. Adding a second vehicle raises the combined theoretical capacity to 30 pallet deliveries per hour.
| Number of AGVs | Theoretical Hourly Capacity | Daily Capacity, Two Shifts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 pallet deliveries | 204 pallet deliveries |
| 2 | 30 pallet deliveries | 408 pallet deliveries |
| 3 | 45 pallet deliveries | 612 pallet deliveries |
| 4 | 60 pallet deliveries | 816 pallet deliveries |
As the fleet grows, transport assignments are distributed through the fleet management system instead of being handled by a single vehicle.
When multiple AGVs share workshop aisles, the system coordinates routes, intersection access, and task priorities to prevent vehicles from blocking one another in narrow areas. Pickup and drop-off points also need to be scheduled so that two vehicles do not attempt to occupy the same location at once.
Additional production lines can be incorporated by extending routes and adding pickup and delivery points. Standby areas and charging stations can also be expanded as more vehicles are introduced.
This allows the factory to begin with one AGV for its current transport workload, then add vehicles as production grows, expanding from a single-vehicle installation into a coordinated fleet without purchasing the entire multi-vehicle system upfront.
Project Summary and Workshop Logistics Expansion
The forklift AGV handles pallet pickup, transport, automatic unloading, and empty return trips within the workshop. It works directly with the existing pallets and delivers materials along planned routes.
One AGV can take over repetitive transport assignments on a fixed route without a dedicated forklift driver. Under two-shift operation, monthly net cost savings reach approximately RMB 14,000, with a simple investment payback period of around 17 months.
As production expands, additional AGVs, routes, and fleet scheduling capabilities can be introduced to increase pallet delivery capacity.
Robotlyne offers free AGV automation feasibility assessments based on workshop layouts, pallet dimensions, load weights, pickup and delivery points, and daily transport requirements, followed by a customized material handling solution.