Kollmorgen recently introduced the CVC600 Vehicle Controller. Just 125 x 50 x 195 mm in size, the CVC600 can fit where other vehicle controllers can't. The compact controller boasts an IP65-classified design that is highly immune to vibrations, unstable power supplies, temperature variations, humidity and dust to deliver high-performance, 24/7 operation. It is a suitable solution for automating standard lift trucks with limited space for add-ons that demand compact, robust and reliable vehicle control solutions. "Those tasked with automating standard forklifts or improving vehicle control on AGVs often run into a big problem-they don't have enough space to mount a controller that will deliver the robust performance demanded of the vehicle," says Markus Johansson, product manager, Kollmorgen.  "The CVC600 solves that problem by combining high-performance operation with a compact design, which enables lift truck vendors to gain space on the lift truck or AGV without compromising performance."

The CVC600 vehicle controller is based on industry-standard technology that can handle any vehicle type, wheel configuration and navigation technology, including laser, spot, range, EyeWay, magnetic tape or inductive wire. The CVC600 also offers support for WLAN, LAN, CAN, RS232/422/485 communication. This combination of features makes the CVC600 an extremely flexible solution to customize, implement and use. The CVC600 supports 24 to 48 V operations, with built-in under voltage, over voltage and reverse polarity protection. It is also highly energy efficient, consuming a maximum of 5 W of power and is rated for use in temperatures ranging from -20 to +55 degrees C.

The CVC600 is part of a complete, open-architecture AGV controls platform from Kollmorgen that includes all the software, hardware and services needed for vehicle automation. The platform is application-independent, scalable and easy to integrate with host systems and material handling systems. The result is lower total costs for warehouse operations and their customers.