The automobile industry is at the forefront of industrial innovation and technology, whether it is electric vehicles, autonomous driving, connected car data sharing, or the embracing of Industry 4.0 to drive considerable cost savings through intelligent manufacturing.

AGVs have proved their usefulness and flexibility in meeting the production demands of a diverse range of applications in recent years. In an intelligent automobile manufacturing plant, AGVs can essentially replace people for in-plant logistics distribution, moving around the factory and transporting different volumes of engines, tools, or parts faster and more efficiently than before. AGVs can also be managed centrally, remotely connecting to the control center through their built-in management software, enabling a streamlined schedule and dispatch of AGVs in the field as well as monitoring of their location, remaining power, and working status. Finally, real-time updates and follow-ups of in-plant logistics data can be realized by connecting relevant data to the ERP, MES, or other systems.

An electric vehicle factory in China, with a plant spread over more than 40 hectares, introduced AGVs to reduce the labor burden and improve logistics efficiency to boost their overall production capacity. The small AGV is responsible for loading and unloading on the production line, and at its core is the Cincoze DC-1200.

Light, Compact, Power Saving

The space inside an AGV is limited, so the embedded computer must be small and light. Low power consumption is preferred because that reduces trips to the charging station and increases the working time between charges. Finally, a small fanless industrial computer is the most suitable choice for long-term continuous operation in a 24/7 production environment.

Plentiful I/O

AGVs use sensors and scanners connected to the computer to navigate, so the embedded computer must connect to various sensors or scanners to capture that data and complete multiple operational tasks. Always on the move, AGVs also need wireless connectivity so the control center can accurately assess its current status and location in real-time.

Rugged Design

Due to the harsh environment in the factory, heat and poor ventilation often cause machinery to overheat and stop working. A suitable embedded computer needs features such as wide temperature operation, anti-vibration, stable signal transmission, and running for a long time without frequent repairs or maintenance.

Small, Power-saving

The DC-1200 is small and lightweight, measuring 185 x 131 x 56.5 mm, and weighing only 1.4 kg, making it easy to integrate into the narrow space of the AGV. It’s equipped with a power-efficient quad-core Intel® Pentium® N4200 processor with a TDP of only 6W, saving battery power and extending AGV operating endurance.

Multiple I/O and Expansion

The DC-1200 has multiple I/O interfaces, including 2x GbE, 4x USB 3.0, and 2x COM for external I/O, one mSATA and SATA port for internal storage, and two full-size Mini PCIe slots for optional Wi-Fi and 4G LTE modules. Cincoze’s exclusive CMI and CFM expansion support additional DVI-D/VGA/HDMI, 2x COM, 8x DIO, ignition sensing (IGN), and PoE.

Rugged Design

In order to ensure long-term stable operation in harsh environments, the DC-1200 has a cable-less and fanless design. Industrial strength features include a wide operating temperature (-40 to 70°C), wide power input (9 to 48V), and vibration and shock resistance (5G/50G). The DC-1200 is E-mark certified for in-vehicle applications.