Subscribe

Tag: Materials Handling

IFOY FINALIST FOCUS: MOFFETT E5 25.4 NX

Posted on by David Priestman

In the first of our deep-dives looking at each of the IFOY Award nominated finalists ahead of the winners are announced at BMW World on 30th June, we look at the MOFFETT E5 24.4 NX truck-mounted electric multidirectional forklift from HIAB, a part of Cargotec Corporation.

IFOY category: Special Vehicle / Warehouse Truck

The MOFFETT ‘E5 25.4 NX’ is the latest addition to the all-electric truck mounted forklift range and part of the second generation of the world’s first all-electric truck mounted forklift. The machine now also comes with 4-way steering (Multi-Directional) and the first moving mast machine offering zero-emission, noiseless deliveries and health and safety benefits for drivers. They have not been seen before in this type of application.

Description

The MOFFETT E5-NX e-Series Electric Truck Mounted Forklift is the world’s first all-electric 4-Way Truck Mounted Truck (Multi-Directional) with a moveable mast. Within the dimensions of an existing M5 machine, the manufacturer was able to install batteries, motors, controls, etc. to fully electrify the forklift. The M5 is known for its off-road capabilities, which are now no problem even fully electric.

Typically, truck mounted forklifts are used in many applications around the world such as handling construction materials, lumber, gas, beverage/food/last mile deliveries, agricultural products (turf, animal feed) and many more. There is an increasing demand for lower-emission or zero-emission and noise-free (i.e.: morning or night) deliveries, which poses a challenge for current diesel-powered forklifts. With the new e-series, it is now possible to make zero-emission, noiseless deliveries directly from the delivery truck, even in warehouses. With a truck-mounted forklift, no additional staff is needed, which is an advantage in Europe and countries struggling with driver shortages, and also in compliance with safety regulations due to Covid-19.

CLICK HERE to watch a video of the E5

IFOY TEST REPORT

The MOFFETT E5-NX is the world’s first all-electric 4-way truck-mounted forklift. It is the bigger brother of last year’s IFOY winner. It is also the first all-electric truck with what the manufacturer calls a “moving mast”.

The unique mast can be extended, making it easier to load and unload trucks from one side. In addition, this design makes it extremely light. Extending the mast is much faster than with comparable vehicles with pantograph masts. Also, the speed at which the mast is extended is adjustable by the manufacturer. Nevertheless, this vehicle also has a pantograph, namely on the fork carriage. After the mast is extended, this pantograph brings the fork carriage forward.

For loading and unloading loads at the far end of the loading area, the test vehicle is also equipped with the optional Lift Assist. This patented system tilts two armrests against the side of the load floor. Especially when the load’s centre of gravity is further away from the truck, Lift Assist helps prevent tipping. Loads can be set down and picked up more easily and safely at the far end of the load floor. The reach is exactly the same as the loading area of a truck. When handling loads at this maximum distance of about 2.2 metres, the residual capacity of the truck – thanks to the special design – remains at 2.5 tonnes.

As there is no IFOY test protocol for this type of truck, this test report only describes the testers’ impressions. In short: the testers are impressed by the nomination. The E5-NX makes a robust and solid impression, although the legroom and the position of the pedals deserve extra attention according to the testers. When working, the advantages of an all-electric truck quickly become clear. The lack of a brake pedal (the vehicle brakes exclusively via the motor) is not a problem at all, as the brakes work as expected. The braking force is even dependent on the driving speed so that the driver does not experience any surprises.

Two other advantages stand out in the impression: the all-electric truck-mounted forklift guarantees quiet and emission-free operation. This means that the forklift can also be used indoors without any problems, so that deliveries from outdoors to indoors are also possible.

Thanks to its quiet operation, it can also be used in the early morning hours or at night without disturbing the surroundings. In addition, the operator does not need to wear hearing protection. A low noise level also means that the operator is generally more aware of his surroundings. For added safety, the steering speed can also be adjusted.

The 4-way concept in itself is not new and enables smooth driving, even with long loads and narrow passages. However, the system has been further improved on this truck. For example, the wheels are automatically and electronically controlled into the correct position. When driving sideways, the reverse warning can also be heard, which the testers found annoying.

The lithium-ion battery can be easily recharged if necessary while driving to the next delivery address. In many cases, however, the minimum operating time of six to eight hours is more than sufficient.

IFOY Test Verdict:

Following the introduction of the first all-electric, IFOY AWARD winning MOFFETT E4-25.3 NX, Hiab-Cargotec Engineering Ireland takes a logical next step towards a zero-emission and quieter future for 4-way forklifts too with the MOFFETT E5 25.4 NX. Intelligent features such as the movable mast and the patented Lift Assist make work safer and more pleasant for the operator.

IFOY INNOVATION CHECK

Market relevance: With the E5-25.4 NX, MOFFETT continues to respond to demands for individual delivery of goods at modern requirements. The environmentally friendly version of the truck-mounted forklift reaches a new performance range and is now on a par with comparable diesel-powered vehicles. The circle of interested parties will thus continue to increase, which is seen as having a high market relevance.

Customer benefit: Thanks to the emission-free operation, the user can move a wide variety of goods in load ranges up to 2.5 t very flexibly in confined spaces outdoors and indoors. The electric drive eliminates the usual restrictions when driving indoors. A further developed manoeuvrability with 4-way steering as well as the increased performance now allow easy traction on different surfaces even on steep inclines. The significantly lower noise emission of the truck offers a high increase in the daytime flexibility of deliveries. In addition, the lower operating costs lead to a positive cost-benefit balance after a manageable operating time.

Novelty: Compared to the previous model, further technical details have been added that continue to make the E5-25.4 NX appear innovative. The increased performance means that the machine has no disadvantages in a direct comparison with the diesel-powered M5-NX. A multidirectional drive solution for long goods and further options for integrating flexible lift masts are examples of innovative additions to the MOFFETT E-Series.

Functionality / type of implementation: As expected, the E5-25.4 NX features a solid yet high-quality design that is fully up to the high demands placed on truck-mounted forklifts. The all-electric version can be compared with other already electrified in-plant industrial trucks in terms of operating comfort and control sensitivity. The functions have been expanded and offer more flexibility, e.g. for long goods on various terrains.

Conclusion: MOFFETT shows that technical progress does not remain stagnant and once again delivers a convincing candidate for the IFOY AWARD.

market relevance +
customer benefit ++
novelty +
functionality / type of implementation ++
[++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / – – not available]

For an overview of all the finalists, visit www.ifoy.org

CLICK HERE to find out more about the MOFFATT E5.

Hyster supplies fuel-cell trucks to Hamburg port

Posted on by David Priestman

Hyster has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding to provide Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) with two Hyster electric container handling vehicles, including the first-ever empty container handler powered by fuel cell technology in a real-world application. In addition, this will be the first Hyster terminal tractor supplied in Europe. Both units will be powered by Nuvera fuel cells and run on hydrogen fuel produced locally at the HHLA Hamburg Green Hydrogen Hub.

Fuel cell-powered clean port equipment from Hyster is a key component of the ‘Clean Port and Logistic’ programme and subsequently HHLA’s H2LOAD project aiming to achieve climate neutrality across the HHLA group by 2040. The initial agreement is for two hydrogen-powered vehicles. The delivery of the terminal tractor is planned for late 2022, with the empty container handler to follow in early 2023.

“The ‘Clean Port and Logistics’ programme, a joint initiative of HHLA and other European companies, aims to operationalise and test the next-generation hydrogen-powered port equipment in order to reduce emissions in port handling and the associated logistics chains,” says Georg Böttner, head executive board projects, HHLA.

“The results of this programme will be the basis for a possible scaling up of further zero-emission hydrogen-powered port equipment, which is a part of our ‘H2Load’ project that was selected by the German government as one of the Important Projects of Common European Interest. This initiative is a further step as we help lay the foundation for a strong hydrogen economy not only in Hamburg, but elsewhere in Germany and Europe.”

The hydrogen fuel cell-powered equipment from Hyster will be deployed at HHLA Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT) in Hamburg. It is planned to equip CTT with a refuelling infrastructure and connect the terminal to the future Hamburg hydrogen grid. A possible phase two of the H2LOAD project includes the rollout of hydrogen fuel cell equipment and infrastructure to several HHLA locations in Central and Eastern Europe.

“Our goal is to provide the innovative technologies customers need to help meet emissions reduction targets,” says Jan Willem van den Brand, director, global market development, big trucks, Hyster. “But developing the technology is just the start. Ultimately, our commitment to HHLA is about delivering hydrogen fuel cell-powered equipment at scale to help make their hydrogen-focused vision a reality.”

The hydrogen fuel cell-powered empty container handler is a result of intense collaboration and rigorous application analysis. It will be powered by a single, 60kW Nuvera fuel cell, while the terminal tractor will be powered by a 45kW Nuvera fuel cell. Both trucks will share many of the same components such as drive motor, battery modules, converters, hydrogen tanks and controls. This design approach offers a level of familiarity for operators who have experience with other Hyster big trucks and helps limit complexity, cost of design, manufacturing, service and maintenance.

“We are transforming the way the world moves materials, from busy ports moving shipping containers to the warehouses responsible for bringing goods right to your front door,” says David LeBlanc, president, technology solutions division, Hyster-Yale Group – parent company of Hyster and Nuvera. “This project with HHLA truly exemplifies that. We relish the opportunity to leverage our combined resources to push container handling forward.”

STILL enters into partnership with SYNAOS

Posted on by David Priestman

Hamburg-based intralogistics provider STILL has entered into partnership with the innovative software manufacturer SYNAOS to help explore opportunities around the VDA 5050 communication interface.

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have become indispensable in the modern logistics world. “Automation is increasingly finding its way into our warehouses and production halls – in all sectors and in all processes,” says Florian Kratzer, International Key Account Manager Automated Solutions. AGVs impress above all with their individuality and speed with which they automatically transport materials. But to make these AGVs suitable for the mass market, a uniform interface is needed, such as the VDA 5050.

A uniform interface is the only way to control and coordinate trucks across manufacturers. “At STILL, we believe that a standardised interface will be essential in the future in order to continue to serve the needs of our customers,” adds Kratzer.

The solution is provided by the standardised VDA 5050 communication interface. With its support, order management or traffic management of heterogeneous fleets, for example, can be standardised within a single user interface. The performance of the interface was demonstrated, among other things, during the AGV Mesh-Up events under the auspices of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association.

STILL had already participated in this event last year, which took place as part of the IFOY Test Camp, and together with various manufacturers demonstrated how a wide range of driverless transport vehicles can communicate with each other via the VDA 5050 interface, navigate safely and efficiently in a common area and complete transport tasks in a network. “During this test event last year, we very successfully integrated vehicles from different manufacturers with very different navigation technologies and transport capabilities into a homogeneous unit under the control system of the KION Group, to which STILL also belongs,” says the STILL expert.

AGVs leaving the niche

Successful demonstrations such as the AGV Mesh-Up show that driverless transport systems will no longer be niche solutions in the future, but suitable for the mass market. Kratzer: “STILL has the vision of bringing automated solutions to the general public. This will enable us to cater for long-term, high-volume customer enquiries that require large automated fleets.”

By adapting the group’s internal control system software for AGVs as well as the vehicle-integrated software to the VDA 5050 interface, STILL also wants to consolidate its competence to be able to integrate other suppliers’ products into its system as well as to offer series-produced AGVs that can be integrated into other suppliers’ control systems via the VDA 5050, such as those of the software manufacturer SYNAOS.

Partnership with SYNAOS

The fact that VDA 5050 is not only used at events and for demonstration purposes is made evident by the partnership that STILL has entered into with the innovative software manufacturer SYNAOS. This cooperation not only serves to implement and roll out state-of-the-art automation projects in practice, but above all to offer customers the opportunity to choose both the software and the hardware themselves and to bring the two together individually – exactly what the VDA 5050 promises.

Dr Wolfgang Hackenberg, CEO & Co-Founder of SYNAOS: “We are very happy to add STILL, another strong brand, to our international partner network. Our Intralogistics Management Platform SYNA.OS LOGISTICS has supported the VDA 5050 interface from the very beginning. Today, we manage numerous customer implementations on this basis. Through the partnership, our customers will benefit several times over, because they can individually select their hardware and software for the realisation of their intralogistics processes and significantly increase their efficiency. We look forward to joint projects with STILL.”

Florian Kratzer: “The standardised VDA 5050 communication interface will make processes even more secure and simple. As a responsible manufacturer, we will therefore continue to actively take part in this process – also in the interest of our customers – and actively support it.”

 

Flash Battery signs strategic partnership with Q-Tronic

Posted on by David Priestman

A new partnership between Q-tronic BV – a Netherlands-based powertrain system integrator – and Italy’s Flash Battery, a leading producer of custom lithium batteries with over 500 different models and more than 200MWh supplied in 54 countries around the world, has its sights set on one of the most electrification-oriented markets in the world.

The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are the focus of the alliance between the two companies. As pointed out by Flash Battery CEO Marco Righi (pictured) and Q-tronic Managing Director Marcel Doppenberg, these areas “have set on an uncompromising journey towards far-reaching sustainability and are pushing hard for electrification, something that’s taking place in every Northern European country”.

Doppenberg explains: “With the Climate Agreement and the Climate Law, the Netherlands introduced restrictive measures in every industrial sector in order to reduce CO2 emissions, going as far as to prohibit the use of carbon.

“This evolution will drive an increasing number of manufacturers to adopt zero emissions technology and the partnership with a lithium battery expert the likes of Flash Battery will definitely accelerate this process in many OEMs.

“Q-Tronic BV, a powertrain system integrator operating in different sectors with over 40 years’ electrification experience, walks customers through the choice of components, such as motors and inverters, transaxles and battery chargers; it works on projects that are very different from one another, ranging from off-road (construction) and agricultural applications all the way to electric vehicle mobility applications, which are widely used in cities, airports and industries,” continued Righi. “Some of the most important applications we are already working on come from the construction and earth-moving sectors, especially compact loaders, which are requiring increasingly more energy in less space.”

“The partnership with Flash Battery is the natural evolution of the demand from markets needing to electrify and looking for a one-stop source for their powertrain systems,” underlined Doppenberg. “This is why integrating all the functions revolving around the electrification process is necessary: consulting, design and prototyping; quality of materials; sustainability; reliability; high performance; and, last but not least, the personalised support service demanded by SMEs and large OEMs alike (including adequate remote control systems and training of the professionals managing the systems and vehicles).

“The partnership with Flash Battery is very important to us,” he continued, “because we can now combine Flash Battery’s innovative and exclusive lithium battery technology with our expertise in the field; together we’ll be able to offer a complete powertrain system made to a very high quality level, giving us the capability to create new electrical systems equipped with lithium batteries and customised solutions built around our customers’ needs.”

Righi went on to underscore that “the partnership with Q-tronic represents a remarkable value for markets that have been oriented towards electrification for some time now and, as a result, are demanding high-quality, reliable products; we can deliver with our technological know-how and that part of the job that is essential to us, the design consulting stage, when we analyse specific requirements so that the application gets exactly the energy it needs.

“Here we are sure that supported by our product R&D activities, one of our greatest strengths, we can make a substantial contribution to the creation of tremendously innovative solutions for the manufacturers who turn to Q-tronic – high-performance and reliable solutions that have earned us a place as one of the technology partners involved in developing EU supported projects.”

 

EPAL pallet production reaches record levels in 2021

Posted on by David Priestman

The European Pallet Association e.V. (EPAL) maintained the continuous growth of the EPAL Euro pallet pool in 2021. More than 100 million new EPAL Euro pallets were produced for the first time in a calendar year in 2021.

The record result of 101.3 million new EPAL Euro pallets represents a year-on-year growth of 5.5 % (96.1 million EPAL Euro pallets were produced in 2020). There was also significant growth of 7.6 % in repairs. The production of EPAL Box pallets, which grew by 66.7 % to 288,149 box pallets, is worth highlighting here. The total production and repair volume in 2021 for all EPAL load carriers grew by +6 % to a total of 130.8 million pallets.

Robert Holliger, President of EPAL: “2021 was a year of profound challenges. On the one hand, the economic upturn following the anticipated easing of the COVID-19 pandemic generated a substantial demand for EPAL load carriers. On the other, the shortage of and considerable increase in the price of wood made the situation very difficult for producers and repairers of EPAL Euro pallets. We are therefore particularly proud that it was possible to increase production of EPAL Euro pallets, despite the shortage of wood. We would like to thank EPAL licensees and users of EPAL Euro pallets for this exceptional result.”

Maintaining industrial and retail supply chains

Concerns that it would not be possible to supply industrial and retail users with sufficient numbers of EPAL Euro pallets as a result of the shortage of and increase in the price of wood in spring 2021 proved, in hindsight, to be unwarranted. The EPAL Euro pallet pool continued to be a reliable partner in 2021 for industry and retail, and their supply chains, and ensured the on-going availability of EPAL Euro pallets.

Bernd Dörre, EPAL CEO: “The high levels of trust users have for the open EPAL Euro pallet pool also proves how important EPAL Euro pallets are for the international logistics sector. In addition to guaranteeing the efficiency and safety of logistics processes, using EPAL Euro pallets also helps users achieve their sustainability goals. The reuse of EPAL Euro pallets protects wood resources and reduces CO2 emissions from production and transportation. The EPAL Euro pallet pool is an exemplar for a sustainable circular economy. It is therefore no surprise that the number of participants in open pallet exchange is continuing to grow and that this has led to the record number of EPAL Euro pallets produced.”

It is currently difficult to know whether this record result can be repeated in 2022 due to the significant impacts of the war in Ukraine. However, the growth in the production of EPAL Euro pallets continued in the first quarter of 2022. Secure supply of EPAL Euro pallets is therefore guaranteed.

 

Fulfyld selects inVia Robotics for fast order fulfilment

Posted on by David Priestman

inVia Robotics – a leader in eCommerce fulfilment automation systems – has been selected by Fulfyld, a 3PL provider specialising in eCommerce fulfilment, to integrate a full WES (warehouse execution system) and AMR (autonomous mobile robots) solution into its Huntsville, Alabama (US) warehouse.

Built specifically to address the unique challenge of random access to inventory required with eCommerce fulfilment, inVia’s robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) suite integration will be deployed into Fulfyld’s existing facilities while it continues fulfilling orders without disruption to daily operations.

The system will include:

  • inVia PickerWall system including a fleet of inVia Picker AMRs
  • inVia Logic, the AI-powered WES software
  • inVia’s Robotics Operation Center (ROC) for 24/7 monitoring and support

Fufyld will benefit from a reliable workforce of inVia Picker robots to do all of the non-stop travelling to retrieve each day’s ordered SKUs and deliver it to inVia’s dynamic put and pick wall where people pick individual items. The result is people walking only inches between picks versus miles, and pick rates increasing 4-5x.

As eCommerce businesses continue to flourish, the needs of 3PLs have rapidly evolved. Traditionally, retail store fulfilment took less labour because full cases and pallets of like SKUs were being shipped. In contrast, eCommerce orders are made up of an ever-changing combination of SKUs, all in small quantities and headed to different locations. This has created the need for more labour, all during a time when labour has never been scarcer.

“We’ve specifically designed our system to increase productivity in eCommerce operations where more labour is required to ship directly to consumers,” says Lior Elazary, CEO and Co-Founder of inVia Robotics. “As consumer demands for next- or same-day delivery increase and labour supplies decrease, we’re able to help 3PLs keep up and meet their SLAs. We are honoured to have been chosen by Fulfyld to automate their fulfilment operations and look forward to helping to strengthen their business.”

inVia’s systems are offered on a subscription basis, where customers pay only for the productivity of the system. There are no big capital outlays or burdens of equipment ownership and maintenance, and technology updates are included in the price of the system. So, as new features and performance enhancements are added, customers seamlessly benefit from the updates. inVia operates the robotics system with 24/7 monitoring and support and ensures labour – both people and robots – is managed throughout the day to get orders out on time.

“inVia’s RaaS model is ideal for eCommerce fulfilment 3PLs like ours, because it allows us to avoid large CapEx, which ultimately helps Fulfyld deliver better pricing to customers,” says AJ Khanijow, CEO of Fulfyld.

“It also extends our operations resources, not only by supplementing our workforce with robots, but also by finding greater efficiencies in our workflows so our teams can work smarter,” says Spencer Mundt, Chief Operating Officer of Fulfyld. “We looked at all of the automation solutions on the market, and only inVia delivered the level of flexibility and productivity increases we needed for the level of service we’re committed to giving our customers.”

Bekuplast presents special solutions for intralogistics

Posted on by David Priestman

At LogiMAT in Stuttgart, bekuplast will be presenting containers, pallets, trays and special solutions for intralogistics at its stand. The focus will be on new models in the “contecline” intralogistics series.

The contecline series will be supplemented by an oversize container and a tray. The new oversize containers are available in heights of 270, 320 and 400mm. With a basic dimension of 650 x 450mm, they are suitable for storing cardboard boxes in the standard format of 600 x 400mm. For the storage and transport of smaller goods, the contecline oversize containers are equipped with an integrated partition system. The sturdy injection-moulded dividers allow 1/2 to 1/12 subdivision as required.

The tray has a basic dimension of 638 x 424mm. It is optionally available with water drainage holes in the base and can be fitted with four in-mould labels if required.

All products in the contecline series have been specially developed for use in miniload and shuttle systems. The contecline is characterised by low weight and high performance. The containers and the tray have the characteristic, circumferentially closed miniload base, which convinces with ideal running properties.

The manufacturer of reusable plastic solutions will not only be presenting a wide range of solutions on its stand (Hall 6, Stand C05) at LogiMAT, but will also be advising on the use of the recycled material BQC (bekuplast Quality Compound). The BQC compound is a high-quality secondary raw material with documented and tested properties and an environmentally friendly alternative to virgin material.

Saving costs with intelligent door opening system

Posted on by David Priestman

Wherever high-speed doors are installed in production and goods distribution centres, customers will benefit from the new Door Control module offered as part of Linde Material Handling’s (MH) innovative Safety Guard assistance system. The intelligent control system enables communication between industrial trucks and infrastructure, thus avoiding above all, high costs due to collision damage.

High-speed doors can be found in businesses of all sizes and in all industrial sectors. They enable the rapid passage from indoor to outdoor areas and at the same time help to maintain constant temperatures in production and logistics buildings, protect workers from unhealthy drafts, deter the entry of birds and unauthorised persons and prevent contamination.

However, the positive effects of high-speed doors are partially diminished by the fact that they are repeatedly subject to damaging incidents, including those involving industrial trucks. One example in this context is the collisions that occur when the roller shutters are not yet fully open at the time that entry is attempted. In most cases, this only leads to property damage, but these instances can add up to considerable costs if rolling doors and forklifts are in need of repair or transported goods are damaged.

“A single accident can quickly result in costs in the five-digit euro range,” Fabian Zimmermann, Product Manager Safety Solutions, recalls from practical experience. “Drivers are often under pressure to meet deadlines or their minds are simply elsewhere and therefore not paying attention,” says the expert, citing possible causes of collision damage.

“Using the Safety Guard Door Control, our customers can now effectively defuse this accident-prone area and thus avoid costs and disruptions to their operations,” says Zimmermann, describing the benefits of the new safety feature.

Forklift speed is adjusted as needed

Like the Linde Safety Guard assistance system, the new Door Control function is based on ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. The truck communicates with the building infrastructure via high-frequency radio waves. When a truck approaches a rolling door, its travel speed is gradually reduced and the door opens automatically. To accomplish this, the intelligent system determines the distance between the permanently installed units on the forklift and the high-speed door to within 10cm. After passing, the door closes again and the forklift driver can continue on at the usual speed.

To prevent the door from being triggered by passing forklifts or to prevent neighbouring doors from opening, the size and shape of the zones around it (spherical or rectangular) can be adjusted to suit the specific needs. Yet another advantage of this technology is that the doors are only open for as long as necessary.

Highly integrated geared motors from NORD

Posted on by David Priestman

The fewer interfaces, the higher the system efficiency – based on this maxim, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS has introduced a revolutionary geared motor in a hygienic wash-down design one year ago, where the especially energy-efficient IE5+ permanent magnet synchronous motor and a single-stage helical gear unit are installed in one single housing.

The completely new, compact design with full integration of motor and gear unit in one single housing is described by NORD as an extraordinary leap in the development of geared motors and has now been successfully patented. The long-term durability and reliability of the innovative solution in terms of design and materials has been successfully proven in months of testing during the development of the DuoDrive, and thus real pioneering work has been accomplished in the field of geared motors.

The integration has been decisively advanced to achieve an optimal utilisation of installation space. Along with the IE5+ motor on which it is based, the encoder, speed feedback and brake are all safely accommodated in the housing.

Excellent system efficiency

As a system, the very compact DuoDrive concept achieves a significantly higher energy efficiency than the already proven drive systems with IE5+ synchronous motor and bevel gear unit, says NORD. At up to 92%, DuoDrive currently offers the highest system efficiency on the market in this power class, and achieves very high efficiency in the partial load range. It is thus future-proof and a real cost reducer.

The constant motor torque over a wide speed range allows for consistent version reduction and reduction of operating costs. Market-compatible connection dimensions facilitate the replacement and the integration into existing plant designs.

The first available DuoDrive size covers gear unit speed ratios of i = 3.24 to i = 16.2 and is designed for output torque ranges of up to 80Nm and speeds of up to 1,000rpm. In addition to the high system efficiency, the smooth, unventilated and compact design, and the quiet running with minimum noise emissions are further important features of the new DuoDrive geared motor. Elimination of many wearing parts results in lower maintenance.

 

Bosch announces innovative forklift collision warning system

Posted on by David Priestman

Forklifts and other industrial trucks have become essential work equipment in logistics and warehousing. However, the risks associated with using forklifts are often underestimated. According to data from the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), more than 13,500 accidents resulting in personal injury and involving forklift trucks were reported in 2020 alone.

To avoid accidents, the drivers must constantly have the entire area around the forklift in view while driving and manoeuvring. Many drivers are under constant stress, which impairs their performance and often leads to driving errors. This is in addition to health problems from constantly turning their heads while driving backwards.

A new multicamera-based collision warning system from Bosch helps minimise the risk of accidents and reduce stress for drivers by improving the general view around the entire vehicle and actively warning the driver of impending collisions.

“With this system, we are making an important contribution to improving the level of safety when using forklifts and reducing the health-related strains for the drivers,” says Stefan Schenk, who is responsible for the Off-Road operating unit at Robert Bosch GmbH.

Multicamera system with active warning feature

The new assistance system comprises four compact near-range cameras and a control unit that creates an all-around view of the vehicle’s surroundings and displays this to the forklift driver on a monitor. Depending on the driver’s current information requirements, different views can be selected and shown on a display in full-screen format or in a split-screen layout. Additionally, the driver can choose from a variety of viewing modes like overlay of the driving trajectory or virtual camera panning.

The visual assistant presented at LogiMAT 2019 already ensures good all-round view even in blind spots, when the driver’s view is blocked by the load on the fork. With the expansion, the system now additionally warns of stationary or moving objects in the vicinity of the vehicle in dangerous situations with a colour marking on the monitor and an audible signal.

To achieve this, three characteristic and particularly dangerous driving scenarios were identified and corresponding use cases for the warning feature were derived. When driving in an aisle or past rows of shelves, the forklift driver is shown anyone kneeling, standing, or moving in front of or alongside the vehicle. If the system detects that a junction is approaching, it switches to intersection mode and additionally warns the driver of people or vehicles approaching from the side. A further benefit of the new assistance system is the warning feature that assists the driver when handling storage items. The detection is then aimed at people moving relative to the vehicle at a distance of 4m.

Object recognition with neural networks

To enable the system to reliably detect impending collisions and only provide warnings for relevant accidents risks, two analysis methods, object detection and object recognition, are combined. With object detection, the system logic decides whether or not an object is relevant to the collision warning on the basis of characteristic movements. With object recognition, the decision is made based on the shape of the object. To do this, the image of the object is automatically compared to stored image patterns.

“This is done by what are known as neural networks, a software architecture from the field of artificial intelligence, which are trained to recognise specific visual patterns. Merging the two measurement principles ensures that the three situations with a potentially critical accident risk are fully covered by the collision warning and both stationary and moving objects, for example, are detected,” says Schenk.

Ultrasonic sensor technology for working platforms

Bosch launched two versions of the 24V ultrasonic sensor system for near-field monitoring of the working area at the beginning of January. The ultrasonic sensors can be used to secure blind spots, such as a work cage on aerial work platforms. Although both 24V systems feature identical hardware, there are differences when it comes to the processing of the sensor data and thus the functional scope of the different versions.

While the basic system simply measures the distance of a specific obstacle, the high-end solution also features object localisation. Bosch designs assistance systems and functions for industrial trucks, but also for other industrial and off-highway applications, such as construction, agricultural, and municipal vehicles, to be tailor-made for their specific applications.

Subscribe

Get notified about New Episodes of our Podcast, New Magazine Issues and stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter.