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Day: 7 December 2022

Tecsys partners with SVT Robotics

Posted on by David Priestman

Tecsys Inc., an industry-leading supply chain management software company, and SVT Robotics Inc., a leader in enterprise software for the rapid deployment of industrial robotics, have partnered to develop and launch an out-of-the-box integrated connection between the Tecsys’ Elite supply chain platform and SVT’s SOFTBOT Platform.

The integration will provide Tecsys Elite customers faster deployment and lower complexity without the need for lengthy custom code development often involved in multi-system automation and robotics deployments.

SVT Robotics is an enterprise software company that is revolutionising robot deployments in the warehousing and manufacturing industries. With certified connectors to many of the industry’s foremost automation providers, and partnerships with companies such as 6 River Systems, Fetch Robotics (Zebra Technologies), Locus Robotics, MiR, OMRON, OTTO Motors and many more, SVT’s SOFTBOT Platform enables companies to deploy the robots, automation, and IoT devices they need in just days or weeks.

“Automation is becoming more important to power supply chains of the future, so it’s critical those technologies are connected to a solid WMS with core warehouse management functionality,” says A.K. Schultz, founder and CEO of SVT Robotics. “The pre-built integration that Tecsys and SVT are developing connects to top-tier automation from leading providers, enabling Tecsys customers to customise and then rapidly deploy the specific automation they need today.”

Tecsys contends that bringing automation into a warehouse should begin with a needs assessment and design plan, which then informs hardware selection that will meet those needs. Whereas some software vendors operate as automation resellers for a limited set of systems, Tecsys’ partnership with SVT empowers supply chain organisations to assess, design and integrate across a wide spectrum of automation choices. The result is a warehouse operation powered by end-to-end WMS functionality and easily automated workflows using today’s most innovative technologies.

Peter Brereton, president and CEO of Tecsys, comments: “A company’s automation strategy and equipment should be tailored to their specific use case, never throttled by the software, and that is exactly what this SVT partnership makes possible through rapid integration. We want to give Tecsys customers native plug-and-play robotics integration capabilities today and into the future as this warehouse automation market evolves so that they will be ready to deploy the technologies they need to remain competitive. SVT’s SOFTBOT Platform will enable flexibility and freedom in a quickly developing industry.”

Tecsys partners with SVT Robotics

Posted on by David Priestman

Tecsys Inc., an industry-leading supply chain management software company, and SVT Robotics Inc., a leader in enterprise software for the rapid deployment of industrial robotics, have partnered to develop and launch an out-of-the-box integrated connection between the Tecsys’ Elite supply chain platform and SVT’s SOFTBOT Platform.

The integration will provide Tecsys Elite customers faster deployment and lower complexity without the need for lengthy custom code development often involved in multi-system automation and robotics deployments.

SVT Robotics is an enterprise software company that is revolutionising robot deployments in the warehousing and manufacturing industries. With certified connectors to many of the industry’s foremost automation providers, and partnerships with companies such as 6 River Systems, Fetch Robotics (Zebra Technologies), Locus Robotics, MiR, OMRON, OTTO Motors and many more, SVT’s SOFTBOT Platform enables companies to deploy the robots, automation, and IoT devices they need in just days or weeks.

“Automation is becoming more important to power supply chains of the future, so it’s critical those technologies are connected to a solid WMS with core warehouse management functionality,” says A.K. Schultz, founder and CEO of SVT Robotics. “The pre-built integration that Tecsys and SVT are developing connects to top-tier automation from leading providers, enabling Tecsys customers to customise and then rapidly deploy the specific automation they need today.”

Tecsys contends that bringing automation into a warehouse should begin with a needs assessment and design plan, which then informs hardware selection that will meet those needs. Whereas some software vendors operate as automation resellers for a limited set of systems, Tecsys’ partnership with SVT empowers supply chain organisations to assess, design and integrate across a wide spectrum of automation choices. The result is a warehouse operation powered by end-to-end WMS functionality and easily automated workflows using today’s most innovative technologies.

Peter Brereton, president and CEO of Tecsys, comments: “A company’s automation strategy and equipment should be tailored to their specific use case, never throttled by the software, and that is exactly what this SVT partnership makes possible through rapid integration. We want to give Tecsys customers native plug-and-play robotics integration capabilities today and into the future as this warehouse automation market evolves so that they will be ready to deploy the technologies they need to remain competitive. SVT’s SOFTBOT Platform will enable flexibility and freedom in a quickly developing industry.”

Hyster big trucks: productive with reduced emissions 

Posted on by David Priestman

Hyster 8-18 tonne capacity lift trucks include Stage V engines to help businesses comply with emissions legislation while heightening productivity and lowering the Total Cost of Ownership.

The new H8-18XD series of Hyster Big Trucks features Stage V engines and delivers low running costs in terms of fuel and AdBlue® consumption, with no compromise on performance or durability.

“We are constantly evolving our range of Hyster solutions, according to technological developments, changes in legislation, and above all, our customers’ needs,” says Jan-Willem van den Brand, Direct Global Market Development Big Trucks. “Customers can expect high uptime and low TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) in demanding applications where cost pressures are having a big impact.”

Tyre repair and replacement is in fact the second largest cost for most materials handling operations. For this reason, the Hyster trucks feature an adjustable maximum steering angle. This decreases friction when the operator selects the reduced angle, resulting in reduced tyre wear and cost.

Hyster service intervals

“A key way to increase productivity and maximise the profitability of an operation is to prevent downtime for service and maintenance,” says van den Brand. “Therefore, improved serviceability is built into the design of all models in the series.”

The service intervals on the new Stage V engine have increased from 500 hours to 1000 hours. In accordance with regulations, the new Hyster trucks use a combination of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), a Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) like AdBlue and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). For easy access, both after-treatment units are packed in one box and conveniently positioned on the outside of the truck.

To speed up general maintenance and minimise downtime, the truck series is designed with easy service access, with a display providing key truck performance data and on-board diagnostics on one clear screen.

The Hyster H8-18XD truck series is available with a variety of wheelbase sizes.  Businesses can specify a truck for optimal manoeuvrability in tight spaces, boosting productivity and reducing tyre wear. Where space isn’t an issue, applications can select a model with a larger outer turning radius and lower truck weight to help reduce fuel consumption and costs.

Different truck configurations are available, as well as special engineering options, to accommodate other application-specific requirements, from a reversing fan to improve cooling in dusty paper or construction operations, or different handling attachments to accommodate the load variation encountered in the wood industry.

Good Design Award

The truck series also features a redesigned front end and operator-friendly XD cabin, for which the Hyster H16XD-6 lift truck received a 2020 GOOD DESIGN Award.

“The cab and front-end design focuses on visibility, ergonomics and comfort to help drive operator productivity throughout an entire shift,” says van den Brand. “Not only is a comfortable operator often more productive, but comfort also keeps them happy. This is more important than ever as many markets are encountering a shortage of skills in this area.”

The quiet and comfortable cab has the largest cabin entry area in the industry making it easy to get on and off, and it is spacious enough to wear a hard hat inside.

The cab’s redesigned mast and carriage creates a wider view for the operator, providing greater visibility of fork tips at ground level and trailer height. Operators of the new Hyster H8-18XD range benefit from an improved sense of stability thanks to the new cast counterweight. This has shifted the trucks’ centre of gravity downwards and towards the rear, minimising bounce.

“Precision handling of fragile, heavy loads in tight spaces is required throughout applications, such as the chemicals, metals and construction industries. These trucks are sometimes required to work closely alongside materials and workers,” says van den Brand. “In these operations, a truck needs to deliver powerful performance, but with accuracy, for maximum productivity and less costly damage to loads.”

“With our new series of 8-18 tonne lift trucks, we have simplified the range, while simultaneously offering more choice to customers in their specific application requirements,” adds van den Brand.

Hyster big trucks: productive with reduced emissions 

Posted on by David Priestman

Hyster 8-18 tonne capacity lift trucks include Stage V engines to help businesses comply with emissions legislation while heightening productivity and lowering the Total Cost of Ownership.

The new H8-18XD series of Hyster Big Trucks features Stage V engines and delivers low running costs in terms of fuel and AdBlue® consumption, with no compromise on performance or durability.

“We are constantly evolving our range of Hyster solutions, according to technological developments, changes in legislation, and above all, our customers’ needs,” says Jan-Willem van den Brand, Direct Global Market Development Big Trucks. “Customers can expect high uptime and low TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) in demanding applications where cost pressures are having a big impact.”

Tyre repair and replacement is in fact the second largest cost for most materials handling operations. For this reason, the Hyster trucks feature an adjustable maximum steering angle. This decreases friction when the operator selects the reduced angle, resulting in reduced tyre wear and cost.

Hyster service intervals

“A key way to increase productivity and maximise the profitability of an operation is to prevent downtime for service and maintenance,” says van den Brand. “Therefore, improved serviceability is built into the design of all models in the series.”

The service intervals on the new Stage V engine have increased from 500 hours to 1000 hours. In accordance with regulations, the new Hyster trucks use a combination of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), a Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) like AdBlue and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). For easy access, both after-treatment units are packed in one box and conveniently positioned on the outside of the truck.

To speed up general maintenance and minimise downtime, the truck series is designed with easy service access, with a display providing key truck performance data and on-board diagnostics on one clear screen.

The Hyster H8-18XD truck series is available with a variety of wheelbase sizes.  Businesses can specify a truck for optimal manoeuvrability in tight spaces, boosting productivity and reducing tyre wear. Where space isn’t an issue, applications can select a model with a larger outer turning radius and lower truck weight to help reduce fuel consumption and costs.

Different truck configurations are available, as well as special engineering options, to accommodate other application-specific requirements, from a reversing fan to improve cooling in dusty paper or construction operations, or different handling attachments to accommodate the load variation encountered in the wood industry.

Good Design Award

The truck series also features a redesigned front end and operator-friendly XD cabin, for which the Hyster H16XD-6 lift truck received a 2020 GOOD DESIGN Award.

“The cab and front-end design focuses on visibility, ergonomics and comfort to help drive operator productivity throughout an entire shift,” says van den Brand. “Not only is a comfortable operator often more productive, but comfort also keeps them happy. This is more important than ever as many markets are encountering a shortage of skills in this area.”

The quiet and comfortable cab has the largest cabin entry area in the industry making it easy to get on and off, and it is spacious enough to wear a hard hat inside.

The cab’s redesigned mast and carriage creates a wider view for the operator, providing greater visibility of fork tips at ground level and trailer height. Operators of the new Hyster H8-18XD range benefit from an improved sense of stability thanks to the new cast counterweight. This has shifted the trucks’ centre of gravity downwards and towards the rear, minimising bounce.

“Precision handling of fragile, heavy loads in tight spaces is required throughout applications, such as the chemicals, metals and construction industries. These trucks are sometimes required to work closely alongside materials and workers,” says van den Brand. “In these operations, a truck needs to deliver powerful performance, but with accuracy, for maximum productivity and less costly damage to loads.”

“With our new series of 8-18 tonne lift trucks, we have simplified the range, while simultaneously offering more choice to customers in their specific application requirements,” adds van den Brand.

JLT unveils innovative software dashboard

Posted on by David Priestman

JLT Mobile Computers, a leading developer of reliable computing solutions for demanding environments, has launched JLT Insights, a new data-driven software dashboard for industries with warehouses.

The customisable software solution enables warehouse and IT managers to monitor their vehicle-mount terminals (VMT) and to gain greater operational insights. Based on various data-points collected from within the IT device and its sensors, JLT Insights empowers customers to optimise the daily operations of their harsh work environments as well as their host vehicles.

These new capabilities are made possible thanks to information delivered by sensors embedded in the JLT6012 Series VMTs. As well as informing users of the health of their IT assets, accelerometers and other sensors within the VMTs can deliver information relating to forklift movement, speed, acceleration, impact, location, and time.

Access to this digital data opens huge possibilities for warehouse and IT managers to streamline and enhance their picking and logistic operations. By identifying bottlenecks, network connectivity issues, high-traffic areas, driving dynamics, accident-prone zones, and various IT health signals, uptime can be optimised, flow can be improved, and general operations enhanced with regards to both efficiency and safety.

JLT technology similar to cellphone

Impacts are a fact of life in forklift operations. But when you combine impacts with location data, you can ascertain higher safety risk areas and/or physical bottlenecks within logistic operations. Combine impacts with time and JLT Insights users can identify shift patterns, while time and location will highlight overly long local dwell times or indicate heavy traffic areas.

According to Andreas Nivard, General Manager at JLT Software Solutions: “The JLT6012 Series VMTs from JLT Mobile Computers incorporate sensor technology similar to what you would find in a cellphone. By leveraging the data generated by these sensors, we are now delivering even more value-add features through software solutions.

“The real power behind JLT’s new hard- and software combined approach,” he continues, “comes from using JLT Insights to combine and contextualise the data captured via the sensors. This data can then be compared before displaying the results in an easy-to-use and -understand digital dashboard, full of useful information for warehouse and IT managers.”

The software is configurable to the customer’s application. JLT engineers will help users to define which data is most useful to capture and formulate the queries which indicate the most relevant actionable information. The identified data points can be configured by JLT, local partners, or customers themselves to add the biggest operational value for continued improvement.

Predicting issues

There are multiple possibilities for operational improvement, but the primary driver behind the dashboard’s development is to increase uptime, by highlighting and predicting issues before they occur. This gives companies the ability to develop and deliver remedies before these issues turn into far more costly downtime.

“The ability to spot problems before they result in downtime is a huge plus for us,” explains Fredrik Edvardsen, IT Manager at IV Produkt, a company based in Växjö, Sweden that develops and manufactures innovative solutions for air handling. “We now have proactive insights into many more operational features, including power supplies, disk space, forklift run times and service intervals.”

JLT Insights is available today for new and existing users of JLT6012 Windows 10 VMTs on a per month and device cost basis. “The dashboard comes in two tiers,” Edvardsen explains. “The first gives all the essential information from the IT and dynamics sensors, including event-based notifications, while the next tier up adds statistics and allows users to write queries that can compare and action one dataset versus another.”

For new JLT6012 VMT buyers, the software will be preinstalled on the units. Existing owners can contact JLT via the website for downloading the software.

In addition to the JLT6012 unit, JLT Insights can be used with other Windows 10 VMTs from JLT, albeit with limited functionality because previous generations do not include the built-in sensors. Support for the Android-based JLT6012A™ VMT is in development and will be released in the first half of next year. Many more features are on the roadmap, and JLT is accepting suggestions from its user base.

“We’ve worked closely with JLT in testing out the software and suggesting features as part of their pilot program,” says Martin Carlsson, Warehouse Manager at IV Produkt. “We feel like JLT has really listened to our needs and we now eagerly anticipate using JLT Insights over the next 6 months to make data-driven decisions to increase productivity in our warehouse.”

 

 

“Perfect” storage and handling solution for Furniturebox

Posted on by David Priestman

Furniturebox, established in the UK by Monty George and Dan Beckles in 2015 at the age of 17, operated from its old warehouse at Mere in Wiltshire until September, when it opened a new facility in Chippenham. In recent years, Furniturebox has seen a rise in ecommerce, indirect sales, and 3PL opportunities, resulting in the need to expand into its new warehouse.

Furniturebox is a growing online furniture store dedicated to selling beautiful, quality, and affordable products, and providing exceptional customer service. Furniturebox says it prides itself on forming outstanding customer experience, a factor it believes is responsible for the company’s fast growth. This has already been a life-changing year for the company, as the founders made the Forbes “30 Under 30 2022” list for retail and ecommerce entrepreneurs in Europe.

SSI Schaefer, one of the world’s leading providers of storage systems with multiple manufacturing sites across the world, was able to offer what is described as the perfect solution for Furniturebox. The new logistics centre’s layout hosts a five-level pallet pick tower and a combination of VNA (very narrow aisles) and wide aisles racking systems to ensure maximum efficiency and immediate selectivity. Furniturebox had a clear vision of the solution it wanted for its new 7,700 sq m facility from the start. The new system provides the retailer with 5,700 pallet locations, meeting its current needs and space for future growth.

Furniturebox sought forklift supplier

To add up to its warehouse’s efficiency and to complement the thought-through racking layout, Furniturebox sought a new forklift truck provider. SSI Schaefer introduced UniCarriers as its potential partner for this type of equipment. UniCarriers, a growing industry specialist, says it uses a customer-centric and consultative approach when selecting the best solutions for each request.

It offered Furniturebox a range of high-quality, innovative warehouse equipment and IC/electric counterbalance forklifts which, in conjunction with the racking solutions, will ensure improved safety, minimise the unnecessary costs, provide transparency, and optimise its warehouse operations. UniCarriers’ professional and individual approach supported Furniturebox’s strategy and vision, providing it with equipment and solutions to support its everyday needs.

Pete Butcher, Regional Sales Manager at UniCarriers UK, describes the procedure: “Following on from several customer visits, demonstrating how UniCarriers VNA equipment performed in limited space, we provided Furniturebox with several solutions to retain their capacity but to give them back immediate selectivity.”

Range of equipment

As a result, the customer selected a range of equipment to be delivered to its new location, together with a supportive full-service preventative maintenance contract, providing the highest level of tailored after-sales service.

Furniturebox ordered two EK Man-up Very Narrow Aisle Trucks to serve its full-pallet storage units and order picking in VNA applications. Thanks to a smart design concept and modular construction, the EK Series is suitable for all kinds of VNA applications. Two TERGO UHX Reach Trucks, with a high lifting capacity, will support the employees with full rack heights of 14m during storage and retrieval operations, bringing Furniturebox’s operational efficiency to the highest level.

Furniturebox also needed equipment for heavy lifting handling. For this purpose, UniCarriers offered four PLF Powered Pallet Trucks equipped with dampened folding platforms, and traction, damping and stability (TDS) concept, ensuring excellent truck performance and comfort in all conditions for operators, even when the driving surfaces are wet or uneven.

For Furniturebox, the only way is up, as it continues to grow, having recently expanded to supplying the US market. UniCarriers and SSI Schaefer say they will be there to share its journey, a partnership delivering solutions that offer the best integrated value for its ongoing demands.

Growth Goals for stow

Posted on by David Priestman

stow Robotics has impressive growth plans. Founded in 2021 and focused on the development, production and sales of automated and robotic warehouse solutions.

stow is a global market leader in industrial storage solutions. Headquartered in Belgium, stow employs nearly 2,000 people across Europe and the United States. The group has a pan-European production footprint with 10 production facilities and a global commercial network. stow estimates to reach the €1 billion turnover mark in 2022 and plans further growth over the coming years, in which stow Robotics plays a central role.

The first automated warehouse projects were completed in 2019 with the installation of the stow Atlas® 2D shuttles for deep lane pallet storage and retrieval. After completing several projects in our domestic market Belgium, business quickly spread towards the rest of the world with big projects in the UK, US and Australia. Since 2021, all existing automated solutions for pallets & totes and all related services & teams have been regrouped under stow Robotics.

Strategic co-operations and acquisitions

stow Robotics not only grows from within, but establishes this growth through valuable and strategic acquisitions.

After first creating the stow Atlas® 2D shuttle for pallets completely in-house, it was time to expand the product portfolio for bins as well. Through a first acquisition, stow Robotics added the stow e.scala® bin shuttle system to its product range. More recently, stow Robotics also announced the acquisition of a majority stake in iFollow, a collaborative AMR company founded in 2017. The market-leading fleet of AMRs and software are suited for a large range of use-cases, such as collaborative picking and in-and-outbound transport. The company had already deployed its technology in a wide variety of applications across different industries, in line with the full range of markets that stow serves. With these acquisitions, stow Robotics can now offer pallet and bin shuttles as well as AMRs for a fully automated warehouse solution.

Dark warehouse capability

With these co-operations, stow Robotics now has all necessary know-how and expertise grouped in order to further develop & implement solutions for the warehouse of the future – a fully automated dark warehouse. With the iFollow AMR, stow Atlas® 2D pallet shuttle and stow e.scala® bin shuttle, stow Robotics offers the complete chain of in-and-outbound, storage and collaborative picking for all types of warehouses including 3PL, e-commerce and cold stores.

New automation campus

Clearly, the evolution in warehouse automation is highly dynamic and the time-to-market of new concepts is essential. This is why, in October 2022, stow Robotics announced its relocation plans. The entire business unit will move from the west of Belgium to a more strategic location centralised between Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels. The new campus provides enough space to build a large technology and experience centre for European customers, has excellent visibility, and really is a unique opportunity for the further expansion of the robotics activities.

Other than relocating, the entire organization has to adapt to this growth structurally. stow Robotics invests heavily in hiring new sales teams, project managers, and a highly-skilled R&D department with automation at its core.

Growth Goals for stow

Posted on by David Priestman

stow Robotics has impressive growth plans. Founded in 2021 and focused on the development, production and sales of automated and robotic warehouse solutions.

stow is a global market leader in industrial storage solutions. Headquartered in Belgium, stow employs nearly 2,000 people across Europe and the United States. The group has a pan-European production footprint with 10 production facilities and a global commercial network. stow estimates to reach the €1 billion turnover mark in 2022 and plans further growth over the coming years, in which stow Robotics plays a central role.

The first automated warehouse projects were completed in 2019 with the installation of the stow Atlas® 2D shuttles for deep lane pallet storage and retrieval. After completing several projects in our domestic market Belgium, business quickly spread towards the rest of the world with big projects in the UK, US and Australia. Since 2021, all existing automated solutions for pallets & totes and all related services & teams have been regrouped under stow Robotics.

Strategic co-operations and acquisitions

stow Robotics not only grows from within, but establishes this growth through valuable and strategic acquisitions.

After first creating the stow Atlas® 2D shuttle for pallets completely in-house, it was time to expand the product portfolio for bins as well. Through a first acquisition, stow Robotics added the stow e.scala® bin shuttle system to its product range. More recently, stow Robotics also announced the acquisition of a majority stake in iFollow, a collaborative AMR company founded in 2017. The market-leading fleet of AMRs and software are suited for a large range of use-cases, such as collaborative picking and in-and-outbound transport. The company had already deployed its technology in a wide variety of applications across different industries, in line with the full range of markets that stow serves. With these acquisitions, stow Robotics can now offer pallet and bin shuttles as well as AMRs for a fully automated warehouse solution.

Dark warehouse capability

With these co-operations, stow Robotics now has all necessary know-how and expertise grouped in order to further develop & implement solutions for the warehouse of the future – a fully automated dark warehouse. With the iFollow AMR, stow Atlas® 2D pallet shuttle and stow e.scala® bin shuttle, stow Robotics offers the complete chain of in-and-outbound, storage and collaborative picking for all types of warehouses including 3PL, e-commerce and cold stores.

New automation campus

Clearly, the evolution in warehouse automation is highly dynamic and the time-to-market of new concepts is essential. This is why, in October 2022, stow Robotics announced its relocation plans. The entire business unit will move from the west of Belgium to a more strategic location centralised between Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels. The new campus provides enough space to build a large technology and experience centre for European customers, has excellent visibility, and really is a unique opportunity for the further expansion of the robotics activities.

Other than relocating, the entire organization has to adapt to this growth structurally. stow Robotics invests heavily in hiring new sales teams, project managers, and a highly-skilled R&D department with automation at its core.

AGV Mesh-Up 2023: Testing for practice

Posted on by David Priestman

The AGV Mesh-Up will again bring automated guided vehicles to the Test Camp Intralogistics in Dortmund in 2023 and will feature several premieres.

Frankfurt, 6 December 2022 – For the third time, the AGV Mesh-Up will take place as a live test of the VDA 5050 communication interface for automated guided vehicles as part of the Test Camp Intralogistics. For the first time, two master control systems provided by KINEXON and SIEMENS will be used at Messe Dortmund on 29 and 30 March 2023. The vehicles on site will drive with one of the two control stands on each of the two event days.

“In 2023, the participating companies would primarily like to show realistic applications with the vehicles. That means there will be even more handling and storage and retrieval processes on show than last year,” explains Andreas Scherb, project manager of the AGV Mesh-Up in the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association. A total of nine units will be operating in the area in 2023. They will be provided by Bosch Rexroth, DS AUTOMOTION, ek robotics, Fraunhofer IML, Grenzebach Group, MLR, OMRON, SAFELOG and STILL.

In addition, the trade association was able to gain an important partner in Nokia, which is providing a 5G campus network for the AGV Mesh-Up. “With the increasing use of IoT and automation solutions in the logistics industry, the need for reliable wireless connectivity with low latency is also growing. This is required by Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) or Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) to interact with their fleet management software and Warehouse Management System (WMS).

Turning theory into practice

There is also a trend towards collecting telemetry, sensor and video data in real time, shifting computing power away from AGVs and towards on-site edge computing resources, supported by 5G connectivity. Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (Nokia DAC) and Mission Critical Industrial Edge (MXIE) form the 5G campus network here, which is specifically designed for industrial applications,” explains Venkatesh Ramakrishnan, Head of Logistics Vertical, Nokia Enterprise.

The AGV Mesh-Up was created by the VDMA trade association together with its members to test the practical suitability of the interface. For the participating member companies, the worldwide unique event offers the optimal environment to put their vehicles and software through their paces in terms of VDA 5050. For spectators, the AGV Mesh-Up offers the opportunity to experience the functions of the interface as well as vehicles and control systems live. In addition, a personal exchange with the developers and product managers is possible on site.

For the first time, driverless transport systems drove together under one control system via VDA 5050 at the world premiere in 2021. The interface project was initiated by the VDMA Association for Materials Handling and Intralogistics and the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and implemented as an open-source project with the support of the KIT Institute for Materials Handling and Logistics Systems (IFL).

Test Camp Intralogistics

The AGV Mesh-Up will take place in a special exhibition area of the Test Camp Intralogistics 2023 from 29 – 30 March 2023 in Exhibition Hall 3 in Dortmund. Info and tickets for trade visitors are available HERE. All information and background on the AGV Mesh-Up can be found HERE.

The Test Camp Intralogistics is a test event with an accompanying congress organised by impact media projects GmbH. Test-driving forklifts, working with exoskeletons, operating all kinds of warehouse technology yourself, interacting with automated guided vehicles and logistics robots, trying out software – at Test Camp Intralogistics everything revolves around hands-on testing of selected innovations and new developments in warehouse and material flow technology. Decision-makers from industry, trade and the service sector with a concrete interest in innovation and investment have the opportunity to extensively test the exhibits on display for themselves on 10,000 square metres of hall space and to obtain information from experts about the relevant trends.

The Test Camp Intralogistics also provides the exclusive setting for the IFOY TEST DAYS, where the finalists of the IFOY AWARDS are tested, as well as the AGV Mesh-Up of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association.

 

AGV Mesh-Up 2023: Testing for practice

Posted on by David Priestman

The AGV Mesh-Up will again bring automated guided vehicles to the Test Camp Intralogistics in Dortmund in 2023 and will feature several premieres.

Frankfurt, 6 December 2022 – For the third time, the AGV Mesh-Up will take place as a live test of the VDA 5050 communication interface for automated guided vehicles as part of the Test Camp Intralogistics. For the first time, two master control systems provided by KINEXON and SIEMENS will be used at Messe Dortmund on 29 and 30 March 2023. The vehicles on site will drive with one of the two control stands on each of the two event days.

“In 2023, the participating companies would primarily like to show realistic applications with the vehicles. That means there will be even more handling and storage and retrieval processes on show than last year,” explains Andreas Scherb, project manager of the AGV Mesh-Up in the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association. A total of nine units will be operating in the area in 2023. They will be provided by Bosch Rexroth, DS AUTOMOTION, ek robotics, Fraunhofer IML, Grenzebach Group, MLR, OMRON, SAFELOG and STILL.

In addition, the trade association was able to gain an important partner in Nokia, which is providing a 5G campus network for the AGV Mesh-Up. “With the increasing use of IoT and automation solutions in the logistics industry, the need for reliable wireless connectivity with low latency is also growing. This is required by Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) or Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) to interact with their fleet management software and Warehouse Management System (WMS).

Turning theory into practice

There is also a trend towards collecting telemetry, sensor and video data in real time, shifting computing power away from AGVs and towards on-site edge computing resources, supported by 5G connectivity. Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (Nokia DAC) and Mission Critical Industrial Edge (MXIE) form the 5G campus network here, which is specifically designed for industrial applications,” explains Venkatesh Ramakrishnan, Head of Logistics Vertical, Nokia Enterprise.

The AGV Mesh-Up was created by the VDMA trade association together with its members to test the practical suitability of the interface. For the participating member companies, the worldwide unique event offers the optimal environment to put their vehicles and software through their paces in terms of VDA 5050. For spectators, the AGV Mesh-Up offers the opportunity to experience the functions of the interface as well as vehicles and control systems live. In addition, a personal exchange with the developers and product managers is possible on site.

For the first time, driverless transport systems drove together under one control system via VDA 5050 at the world premiere in 2021. The interface project was initiated by the VDMA Association for Materials Handling and Intralogistics and the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and implemented as an open-source project with the support of the KIT Institute for Materials Handling and Logistics Systems (IFL).

Test Camp Intralogistics

The AGV Mesh-Up will take place in a special exhibition area of the Test Camp Intralogistics 2023 from 29 – 30 March 2023 in Exhibition Hall 3 in Dortmund. Info and tickets for trade visitors are available HERE. All information and background on the AGV Mesh-Up can be found HERE.

The Test Camp Intralogistics is a test event with an accompanying congress organised by impact media projects GmbH. Test-driving forklifts, working with exoskeletons, operating all kinds of warehouse technology yourself, interacting with automated guided vehicles and logistics robots, trying out software – at Test Camp Intralogistics everything revolves around hands-on testing of selected innovations and new developments in warehouse and material flow technology. Decision-makers from industry, trade and the service sector with a concrete interest in innovation and investment have the opportunity to extensively test the exhibits on display for themselves on 10,000 square metres of hall space and to obtain information from experts about the relevant trends.

The Test Camp Intralogistics also provides the exclusive setting for the IFOY TEST DAYS, where the finalists of the IFOY AWARDS are tested, as well as the AGV Mesh-Up of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association.

 

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