Start-up promises in-process MHE charging

The solution enables in-process charging of lithium-ion-batteries of automated guided vehicles (AGVs), industrial trucks and mobile robots. Charging processes can therefore be flexibly integrated into intralogistics procedures. The scalable energy solution is the world's first contactless battery charging system with an output of 12kW and an efficiency of 93%. The result is fully automated charging processes and up to 30% higher vehicle availability.

With an output of 12kW, the lithium-ion solution is said to be the world's first contactless rapid charging system that enables in-process charging with high currents. Cable or track-bound charging technologies severely limit the degree of automation or require cost-intensive interventions in the infrastructure. etaLINK, on the other hand, can be quickly and easily installed at critical points in the logistics and production environment using a charging pad. There is no need for large loading zones, says the firm.

Peak shaving

In-process charging keeps the energy level of the vehicles at a constant level. The results: peak shaving is a thing of the past and the batteries used can be significantly smaller than for charging processes with plug connections. Downtimes due to charging pauses are also eliminated. Vehicle availability increases by up to 30%. Wiferion is said to offer an economical and flexible alternative to classic charging technologies, which cannot be automated and have associated operating, installation and maintenance costs.

The kit

Wiferion's patented charging technology consists of a stationary transmitter unit with a wallbox and charging pad as well as receiver electronics that are installed in the AGVs and industrial trucks via Plug & Play. If a vehicle drives to the charging point, the charging process starts automatically in less than a second. It does not matter which direction the vehicle approaches the charging station from. An integrated CAN interface transmits data about battery status and energy level to the fleet management system. etaLINK 12000 is compatible with all available battery systems. At a height of 14mm, the new version is 30% flatter and suited for compact integration in AGVs. The wallbox cable to the charging pad stretches to 10 metres. As a system supplier of charging and storage technology, Wiferion's battery tray, known as etaTRAY, also allows for existing forklift fleets to be retrofitted.