25 January, 2024

Major Innovations from Itoh Denki

Posted on 25 January, 202429 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Itoh Denki, a leading international specialist in motorised drive roller (MDR) based material handling technologies, is set for a busy first quarter of 2024, with major innovations to be displayed at two major international trade shows in March.

The company will be exhibiting at both SITL (stand J086) – short for ‘Salon International du Transport et de la Logistique’ – and LogiMAT, the leading international trade show for intralogistics solutions and process management (stand 1K25). Both shows will welcome visitors from 19th to 21st March in Paris and Stuttgart respectively.

At each event, Itoh Denki will be showcasing major innovations which will bring new opportunities for efficiency and flexibility across a broad range of applications.

Among the new products on display will be M-RAT, a highly innovative new diverter and sorter module, developed in response to burgeoning demands from customers globally for systems which can cope with heavier products, especially in manufacturing or on assembly lines. Drawing on a similar acclaimed 24V DC powered design which form the heart of the company’s F-RAT compact 90° diverter and sorter module for the precise transferring of smaller loads, M-RAT will be able to handle individual loads of up to 250kg. This will provide greater flexibility for specifiers and designers needing to move heavier loads who have previously had to rely on heavily motorised or pneumatically powered systems which bring very specific challenges around commissioning, maintenance and safety.

Also on show will be a prototype of FNR, a new MDR-powered conveyor module which transfers loads via an innovative patented bed comprising plastic wheels. Offering a ready alternative to traditional belt conveyors and belt on roller conveyors when handling small items, FNR is a highly cost-efficient solution boasting supreme safety, near-silent operation and very low maintenance. A versatile solution for many applications, it notably offers a practical and cost-efficient solution for singulation of items for order preparation. The prototype on display will demonstrate how FNR can be used in a singulation application, conveying and separating small individual packets of sweets.

Tatsuya Akashi, President of Itoh Denki Europe, explained: “We have exhibited regularly at both SITL and LogiMAT in recent years, and every year, both events have proved highly valuable in reinforcing existing contacts and forging new partnerships. We’ll have knowledgeable colleagues from our expert European team on hand throughout both events to discuss customers’ application requirements and demonstrate our technical capabilities. We look forward to welcoming decision-makers and specifiers from across Europe and further afield to our stands.”

Major Innovations from Itoh Denki

Posted on 25 January, 202429 July, 2025 by David Priestman

At each event, Itoh Denki will be showcasing major innovations which will bring new opportunities for efficiency and flexibility across a broad range of applications.

Temperature-controlled Rail Transport between Europe and Asia

Posted on 25 January, 2024 by David Priestman

The Swiss InterRail Group successfully carried out its first reefer container transports between Asia and Europe last year. This year, the transport company has added temperature-controlled rail transport to its regular range of services.

InterRail uses diesel-powered 45-foot pallet wide reefer containers on the route between Europe and Asia, which can cool or heat independently of the infrastructure on different modes of transport. The performance and internal temperature of the containers are monitored around the clock. Customers receive at least one detailed report per day with all relevant information about their goods.

The refrigerated containers each hold up to 33 euro-pallets, the use of which allows for good air circulation within the container. Temperature-controlled rail transport offers a number of advantages over other modes of transport: it reaches its destination faster than by sea, is cheaper than air freight, and no transshipment of goods is necessary along the route.

Successful deployment

In late summer last year, InterRail transported 13.5 tonnes of high-quality Swiss chocolate from the Basel region to Shanghai. The reefer was operated at a set point of 12°C and proved its worth even under extreme outside temperatures of up to 42°C. Another example of its successful use is the transport of miso ramen soups from Shanghai to Hamburg. The reefer container successfully protected the goods from the cold at a set point of 10 °C and a lowest outside temperature of -27 °C.

“Especially given the current situation in the Red Sea, our new product is an interesting option for certain sensitive/perishable goods that won’t stand the additional transit time caused by the alternative sea route via the Cape of Good Hope. In addition to the Europe – China route, we can also offer this service to and from Central Asia as well as within Europe,” says Stefaniea Klermund, Business Development Manager at InterRail Holding AG.

Temperature-controlled Rail Transport between Europe and Asia

Posted on 25 January, 202431 July, 2025 by Keith McKinley

Successful deployment

Autonomous Robotic Piece-Picking System

Posted on 25 January, 202429 July, 2025 by David Priestman

RightHand Robotics, a provider of data-driven, autonomous robotic picking solutions for order fulfillment, announces the launch of its next-generation solution, the RightPick™ 4 system. The groundbreaking piece-picking system revolutionizes the level of autonomy and reliability of robotic order fulfillment in modern warehouse operations and distribution centers.

The RightPick 4 system showcases enhanced AI-based software algorithms, an upgraded sensor suite, and newly designed hardware that enables a larger picking range of item SKUs, advanced item handling capacity, and increased system autonomy. With improved picking and grasping techniques, the RightPick 4 system maximizes reliability and enables faster integration through novel approaches in both software and hardware.

“Retailers continue to have challenges with growing demand for faster and more accurate order fulfillment, in part due to ongoing labor challenges. With the launch of the RightPick 4 system, we have created a new piece-picking solution that delivers increased autonomy, reliability, and serviceability,” said Brendon Bielat, VP of Product & Marketing. “We have trained our system by leveraging more than a petabyte of operational data, gathered for over eight years from picking tens of millions of items around the globe. This massive amount of data has helped us create a smarter, more robust solution for real-world fulfillment challenges.”

The RightPick 4 system is reducing the need for human intervention by deploying advanced gripping strategies to pick and place more items, even those it has never seen before. With improved smart grasp and suction seal quality detection, RightHand Robotics can enable autonomous piece-picking for market verticals such as general merchandise, office supplies, apparel, pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, and 3PLs. Powered by RightPick™ AI, the RightPick 4 system is continuously learning and improving on the overall range of items that can be picked successfully.

“We are thrilled to unveil RightPick 4, a product realized through collaboration with customers and partners. We have hardened our product with a focus on reliability and autonomy so that our customers can increase their operational capacity without being hindered by labor volatility,” said Brian Owen, President & CEO. “The total market potential for the RightPick 4 system is staggering, especially in global, post-pandemic logistics. It’s no longer just early adopters approaching our technology. The general awareness of robotic piece-picking has increased, and omnichannel retailers are realizing it’s a necessity. The RightPick 4 system is a competitive advantage with a quick time-to-value for stakeholders within the supply chain.”

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