Safer Logistics in a Smart Factory Powerhouse

Intelligent Transport with Pedestrian Awareness

In Gimo, Sweden, MAXAGV’s FX15 vehicles work seamlessly within one of the world’s most advanced cutting tool factories—navigating autonomously and responding intelligently to their surroundings to support Sandvik’s 24/7 industrial operation.

A Safer, Smarter Way to Move Materials

At Sandvik’s high-volume manufacturing site in Gimo—recognized globally for its advanced automation and precision tooling—manual trucks once dominated internal logistics. These presented safety risks and constrained production efficiency. To future-proof operations, Sandvik introduced a fully autonomous material handling solution built around MAXAGV’s FX15 AGVs and an intelligent camera-based safety system. The goal? Reduce manual traffic, enhance safety, and ensure stable, around-the-clock delivery of materials across the factory—without interrupting complex production flows.

With deep integration into Sandvik’s ERP platform and a powerful site-wide control system, the AGVs now form a central part of the factory’s smart logistics backbone.

The Challenge: Improve Safety Without Compromising Output

Sandvik needed to eliminate the risks and inefficiencies of manually operated trucks while maintaining its high production tempo. The system also had to support mixed pallet types, adapt to varied workflows, and operate autonomously across the entire facility—without adding new safety risks.

The Solution: ERP-Integrated AGVs with Smart Zone Control

MAXAGV delivered a complete material handling system based on five FX15 AGVs—each built for heavy-duty, palletized transport in industrial settings. The vehicles are managed by MAX’s control software, which ensures real-time coordination between logistics tasks and production data via Sandvik’s ERP system.

Key features include:

• Intelligent pedestrian detection via 30+ cameras using SoftVision ZoneControl
• Auto-pausing when pedestrians enter a shared zone
• Real-time load tracking and destination assignmen
• Built-in blue spot warning lights and TiM scanners for enhanced safety
• Deep system integration for seamless data exchange with production planning

The Impact: Higher Safety, Lower Downtime

The installed AGV system has resulted in:

• Improved workplace safety through reduced manual traffic
• Greater operational efficiency with 24/7 autonomous transport 
• Flexible logistics that adjust to changing pallet types and workflows
• Scalable infrastructure aligned with Sandvik’s long-term automation roadmap

What began as a targeted logistics improvement has become a model of safe, intelligent transport for the wider Sandvik organization—one that’s still running strong since 2016.

The Result: A Scalable Model for Industrial Safety and Efficiency

This collaboration illustrates how purpose-built AGVs and smart safety systems can elevate factory logistics in even the most advanced manufacturing environments. For Sandvik, it marks a major step forward in aligning world-class automation with workplace safety and flexibility.

“The system has exceeded expectations in terms of performance, safety, and adaptability.”

Want to learn how MAXAGV can enhance your logistics? Contact us to explore your automation goals.