Focus on material transfer and information flows
A common misconception when implementing intralogistics automation is the idea that all existing manual forklifts need to be replaced with the same number of AGVs. Petri Petäys emphasizes: "When you think about automation, you have to completely forget about the equipment and focus entirely on the material transfer and the associated information. Automation means understanding customer processes and collecting and processing big data." Although the ongoing digitalization is a hot topic, it has been an integral part of Rocla's day-to-day operations for decades.

"Thanks to our many years of in-depth experience in the field of intralogistics and automation, we know our customers' business processes very well. And we are fully aware of the challenges they face. Precisely because we have listened to them carefully. This insight is a key unique selling point of Rocla," Petäys continues. "Our automated intralogistics solutions are customized for each customer, easy to implement and designed to work 24 hours a day, all week long - for decades. We want our customers to have a sense of security when implementing Rocla AGVs. For this reason, the 'Lifetime Service' aspect is a central part of the comprehensive solution," summarizes Petri Petäys.

Developed by people for people
The latest addition to Rocla's comprehensive intralogistics automation solutions is the automated reach truck Rocla ART, which was presented at LogiMAT 2019 in Stuttgart. The innovation process for the Rocla ART was initiated by the requirements of Rocla customers. "The manually operated reach truck is the workhorse - the reliable machine that moves the loads. Together with the low-lift order pickers, reach trucks form the heart of the supply chain," explains Dr. Anna-Kaisa Repo, Project Manager at Rocla ART. "We asked for the opinions of the end users, the warehouse employees who handle all the loads. They are very familiar with the bottlenecks and disruptive factors that slow down the processes," Repo continues.

Automated solutions for handling loads in warehouses are necessary for various reasons. The tendency to build upwards leads to higher storage racks and narrower aisles. And this makes the driving position unergonomic. "Some industries can hardly find skilled workers, or any workers at all, because operating manual reach trucks is really hard work. And if we take a look at the driving skills of the employees, we immediately see serious differences between experienced master drivers and beginners who have just started driving AGVs". Despite the obvious need to automate, the level of automation of reach trucks is still very low. "A reach truck must be able to juggle the heaviest loads in narrow aisles and at dizzying heights. Automation based on a manual reach truck can in no way meet these requirements. In addition, the software was unable to exploit the full potential of the automation," analyzes Anna-Kaisa Repo.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
The conceptualization of a multi-purpose solution for automated load handling began in late autumn 2016 at the Global Design Center in Järvenpää, Finland. This was followed by customer surveys in spring 2017. In the same year, a laser-guided AGV, which, like the Rocla ART, is equipped with route and energy optimization, received an award from the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group. "We were delighted to receive this recognition," says Anna-Kaisa Repo, visibly proud. The Rocla ART is the result of a smooth collaboration between experts. "Our R&D department, software developers, electrical engineers and suppliers did a really good job. The brilliant collaboration of these top people is more than the sum of its parts," concludes Repo.

Rocla-Oy develops and produces pallet trucks, stackers and automated guided vehicles for various applications. The company can look back on a 75-year history. Rocla has been offering automation solutions since 1983. The company offers modular solutions in series production that can be customized. To date, the company has delivered over 7,000 AGVs worldwide. The Finnish manufacturer is also part of the Mitsubishi Logisnext group.