Some AGV systems will require AGVs to use elevators to travel to multiple floors. In the following example, AGVs transport items to three different upper floors using elevators to move between floors:
If you are simulating a business system in which AGVs will travel on elevators to multiple floors, you will need to complete the tasks explained in the rest of this topic. These tasks are presented in the suggested order in which you would need to complete them.
The first step will create a layout with multiple floors. You can possibly create a model in which the floors are stacked on top of each other in the simulation model, as shown in the following image:
You could alternatively just locate the upper floors in different sections of the model while still keeping them on the same plane as the ground floor, as shown in the following image:
The stacked floor model has the advantage of looking a little more realistic. However, keeping the floors on the same plane has the advantage of being much easier to work with. You could also consider building the floors on the same plane to start and then moving the floors into a stacked position toward the end of the simulation project. See Creating Model Layouts for more information about working with multi-level simulation models.
As was discussed in Building AGV Network Logic, control points are the basic building blocks of logic in an AGV network. AGV elevator systems use control points with the following possible connection types:
Type | Description | Appearance |
---|---|---|
Elevator Floor CP | Elevator floor control points become the point where AGVs enter and exit the elevator on each floor. When an AGV passes over an elevator floor control point, it will appear inside the elevator. When an AGV exits an elevator, it will appear on the elevator floor control point. | ![]() |
Elevator Redirect CP | Elevator redirect control points handle requests for elevator transport. When an AGV passes over the redirect control point, it will attempt to acquire an elevator for transport. If one is available, it will then proceed on the path until it reaches an elevator floor control point. If an elevator is not available, it will wait at this control point until an elevator is free. | ![]() |
Elevator Entry CP | Elevator entry control points connect to elevator redirect control points. If an elevator is not available when an AGV passes over an upstream elevator control point, it can travel to the elevator entry control point to wait until the elevator is available. | ![]() |
Elevators can be found under the Task Executer group in the Library. Add an elevator to your model using the same method that you would use to add any 3D object to a model.
If you need to add multiple elevators to the same area, you will need to add a dispatcher as well:
At some point, you should add and set up the AGV Elevator process flow template:
After you've got your floor plan and AGV network laid out and you've connected the elevators to the process flow, you'll need to add control points to direct the AGV to the elevator. Depending on your simulation model, you might need to set up four different types of control point connections in your AGV elevator system, as discussed in the following sections.
Next Look for Work connections tell AGVs where their next destination should be if they are looking for work. You'll need these kinds of connections between control points if you want your AGVs to travel on a loop throughout the AGV network.
To create these connections:
Elevator redirect control points handle requests for elevator transport. When an AGV passes over the redirect control point, it will attempt to acquire an elevator for transport. If one is available, it will then proceed on the path until it reaches an elevator floor control point. If an elevator is not available, it will wait at this control point until an elevator is free.
To set up a redirect control point:
floorZ
.Elevator floor control points become the point where AGVs enter and exit the elevator on each floor. When an AGV passes over an elevator floor control point, it will appear inside the elevator. When an AGV exits an elevator, it will appear on the elevator floor control point.
To set up an elevator floor connection:
Elevator entry connections are optional. If an elevator is not available when an AGV passes over an upstream elevator control point, it can travel to the elevator entry control point to wait until the elevator is available.
To set up an elevator entry connection:
The AGV network needs to be able to find a travel path from one floor to another. For that reason, you need to create a two-way AGV path that connects the AGV network on the ground floor to each of the AGV networks on the upper floors, as shown in the following image:
Be aware that the AGV will not actually use this path to travel to the upper floors. In fact, if the AGV does travel on this path instead of using one of the elevators during a simulation run, it means that you haven't set up your elevator control point logic correctly.
The path needs to be two-way so that the AGV can navigate back and forth between the floors. You also need to make sure that the AGV will pass over an elevator redirect control point before it reaches the connecting path. Otherwise, the AGV will travel on the connecting path rather that using the elevator. You can probably avoid this problem by creating the connecting path from a point on the AGV network that is relatively close to the elevator's position in the 3D model.
For example, in the following image, the AGV will pass over the redirect point and will be sent to the elevator before traveling on the connecting path: