IFOY Test Report: STILL PXV

The second IFOY Award 2023 entry for STILL is its PXV vertical order picker. We take a closer look at it as we race towards Thursday’s winner announcement in Dortmund.

The PXV vertical order picker inspires with performance, reach height, safety and comfort in a new dimension. Whether in wide or narrow aisle warehouses, employees can pick loads at working heights of up to 14.5m.

IFOY category: Warehouse Truck “highlifter”

IFOY Test Report

With its PXV, STILL launches a new generation of high-lift order pickers that fits into the current development. Megatrends such as urbanisation, increasing e-commerce and retail logistics require more storage space, but there is no room to expand warehouses. The gain lies in storage densification, i.e., narrower aisles and higher storage.

With the successor to the EK-X, STILL is literally reaching for higher ground. With a reach height of 14.5m, the new high-lift order picker makes it 2.5m higher than its predecessor. A plus that in practice corresponds to two storage levels. To enable this gripping height, the chassis has been modified. The design is much stiffer and features stronger profiles. The new, V-shaped chassis can be better adapted to the width of the cab and improves steering behaviour.

In addition to more efficient use of space and higher storage density, STILL engineers have addressed ergonomics and operator comfort. A significant improvement can be found in the lift mast. There, the central free lift cylinder has been replaced by two cylinders positioned behind the mast profiles. The operator’s view is thus significantly better. As an option, the free stroke can even be dispensed with. With this unique option, a triple mast reaches the highest position much faster  ̶  without interruptions and with significantly more comfort for the operator. Especially in combination with the iGo pilot navigation assistance system, this can provide significant benefits in practice.

The display is also new, at least for the high-lift order pickers. STILL has already used it on the MX-X and RX series, increasing uniformity and ease of use. In the IFOY test, the display is mounted on the mast side of the truck. If desired, the display can also be mounted on the fork side.

During the driving impression, the IFOY test team noticed that the PXV is much smoother to operate compared to the EK-X. The truck vibrates less, is quieter and this gives additional safety during operation. In addition, the truck lifts faster and is easier to position. The new silver-grey colour scheme of the cabin also makes the workplace seem much more spacious. The PXV is faster and easier to position on the induction wire. The display helps with colour coding and good signalling. Lifting and lowering speeds are higher.

The IFOY truck has a Li-ion battery and the integrated easy charging system for quick and easy connection of the stacker to the charger. Compared to the previous model, the number of practical storage options has increased. There is even an integrated waste bin. The outward-sloping doors, already familiar from the EK-X, make it easier for order pickers to pick deeper into the racks. On the PXV, the doors are reinforced and available for retrofitting.

Unique to this type of truck is the ability to activate the main and initial strokes simultaneously. This allows for higher throughput. Thanks to the easy-touch function, the initial lift can be activated with just one touch of a button. The fork then automatically lowers to a pre-set level while the picker is already picking the next order.

IFOY test verdict: The STILL PXV is a comfortable truck that can be easily adapted to changing conditions. The truck is quieter, more powerful and offers a more comfortable workplace than its predecessor. The improved visibility on the mast side is unique for high-lift order pickers, while the free-lift models provide faster and jerk-free operation without mast transitions.

IFOY Innovation Check

Market relevance: The ever-increasing shift towards e-commerce and goods handling in the retail sector in general are leading to increasingly greater storage heights and increasing demands on the performance of order-picking tasks. The STILL PXV achieves new records with its characteristics to meet these requirements, which means that it is highly relevant to the market.

Customer benefit: Maximising handling performance, comfort and flexibility is what STILL’s new PXV stands for, leaving hardly any wish unanswered. The unique maximum picking height of 14.5m for the model without free lift opens up new possibilities in terms of warehouse height and thus space utilisation. Flexible use across warehouses is also possible with variants with free lift, to name just one of the numerous configuration options. With the large dimensions, customers can still benefit from the high travel and lifting speeds for high-performance operation. In addition, the STILL assistance systems, iGo pilot navigation and safety can further optimise time savings while ensuring a high level of safety in the workflow.

Novelty / Innovation: The main innovation with the PXV is simply the technical data, which sets new standards for order pickers and thus broadens the horizon for warehouse design. The highly efficient operation at this picking height is unique on the market. In addition, the innovations lie in the implementation of assistance systems, which considerably simplify compartment approaches, make driving and lifting movements safer and order picking more comfortable.

Functionality / Type of implementation: With the proper finish of the entire machine, STILL lives up to its reputation and shows with the PXV that development has not yet come to an end. The configuration options of the model series are diverse and go as far as aspects of sustainability, whereby the trucks can be prepared accordingly for refurbishing so that configuration changes are easily possible. A regenerative lowering movement is standard, in addition to a variety of options that are available.

Verdict: An order picker with new maxima that can compete at the top of this category.

Market relevance +
Customer benefit ++
Novelty / Innovation +
Functionality / Type of implementation +
[KEY: ++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / — not available]