Wireless Inductive Charging for Industrial Vehicles

Maximum Availability for AGVs, AMRs, CoBots and Industrial Trucks

When vehicles charge, processes often stop. Inductive charging eliminates this trade-off. Instead of charging breaks, battery swaps and dedicated charging zones, contactless energy transfer enables charging during operation – exactly where vehicles already make short stops.

The result: higher availability, stable material flows and measurably higher productivity.

The Challenge in Automated Industrial Environments

In production, intralogistics and assembly, automated guided vehicles (AGVs/FTS), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs/CoBots) and industrial trucks are critical performance drivers. Yet conventional charging and energy concepts limit their efficiency:

• Charging breaks cause downtime
• Dedicated charging zones consume valuable floor space
• Mechanical contacts wear out and require maintenance
• Battery changes are time-consuming, costly and safety-critical
• Mixed fleets require complex, manufacturer-specific charging infrastructure

Energy supply becomes the bottleneck for throughput.

The Solution: Inductive In-Process Charging

Inductive charging transfers energy contactlessly via a magnetic field – fully automatic, wear-free and safe. Vehicles charge whenever they stop briefly anyway: at handover points, buffers, machines or workstations.

This principle is known as In-Process Charging.

At a Glance: Key Benefits

✔ Maximum Vehicle Availability

• Charging during operation instead of outside the process
• No charging breaks, no downtime
• Vehicles remain continuously operational

✔ Higher Productivity with Smaller Fleets

• Continuous opportunity charging keeps the state of charge stable
• Fleets can be dimensioned smaller
• Higher throughput with fewer vehicles

✔ Maintenance-Free and Robust

• No plugs or sliding contacts
• No abrasion, no cable damage
• Ideal for 24/7 operation

✔ Maximum Process and Occupational Safety

• No exposed contacts, no sparks
• No tripping hazards or charging areas
• Suitable for sensitive environments (e.g. cleanrooms, automotive, EX-adjacent areas)

✔ Flexible Layout Integration

• Charging points exactly where vehicles already stop
• No dedicated charging zones required
• Easy to retrofit and scale

✔ Space and Cost Savings

• Elimination of charging areas and battery rooms
• More space for value-adding processes

✔ High Energy Efficiency

• Efficiency comparable to wired charging systems (≈ 90%+)
• Energy is transferred only when charging is required

✔ Manufacturer-Independent Use

• One charging infrastructure for different vehicle types
• Independent of manufacturer, voltage or battery chemistry
• Ideal for mixed fleets

How Does Inductive Charging Optimize Availability of AGVs, AMRs, CoBots and Industrial Trucks?

1. Charging Becomes Part of the Material Flow

Instead of removing vehicles from operation for charging, energy follows the process. Every short stop becomes a charging opportunity. Even a few seconds are enough to replenish energy.

➡ Vehicles are no longer “either working or charging” – they do both at the same time.

2. Constant Energy Level Instead of Deep Charge Cycles

Through frequent, small charging impulses:

• the state of charge remains stable
• batteries are protected
• usable battery capacity increases

➡ Especially in combination with lithium-ion batteries, battery lifetime is extended and smaller battery sizes become sufficient.

3. Elimination of Classic Bottlenecks

Inductive charging removes typical causes of availability losses:

• no travel to charging stations
• no waiting for free chargers
• no manual plugging
• no battery swapping

➡ The material flow remains continuous.

4. Increased Safety, Fewer Disruptions

Without mechanical contacts, there are:

• no sparks
• no abrasion
• no damaged connectors
• no tripping hazards

➡ Especially critical in automotive production, cleanrooms, food and electronics manufacturing.

5. Scalability for Growing Automation

Inductive charging systems can be:

• easily expanded
• flexibly repositioned
• used across manufacturers

➡ New vehicles can be integrated without rethinking the charging infrastructure.

Typical Use Cases

• Automated guided vehicles (AGVs/FTS) in production and intralogistics
• Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and CoBots in assembly and material supply
• Industrial trucks with high duty cycles
• 24/7 operations with short takt times
• Mixed fleets from multiple manufacturers

The Result for Industrial Companies

• Up to +30% higher vehicle availability
• Significantly reduced downtime
• Smaller fleets at the same throughput
• More available floor space in production and warehouses
• Lower maintenance and operating costs

Inductive charging is therefore not a convenience feature, but a strategic lever for productivity and automation.

Conclusion

Anyone who thinks automation through must also rethink energy supply. Inductive charging makes energy invisible, automatic and process-integrated – creating the foundation for stable, scalable and highly available material flows.

In short:

It’s not the vehicle that defines throughput – it’s how it is charged.

Find out how inductive charging can optimize your fleet

Let’s analyze together how In-Process Charging can increase availability and future-proof your automation strategy.