More than 20,000 votes were cast in the readers' poll of materialfluss, the specialist medium for logistics and intralogistics.

material flow PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2021 - Conveying and lifting technology category

1st place: SSI Carrier bag sorter from SSI Schaefer
Fenix Outdoor Logistics has invested in a new logistics center in Ludwigslust to meet the growing challenges of the omnichannel business. As general contractor, SSI Schaefer implemented a logistics solution that efficiently serves stores and e-commerce customers from a single warehouse. At the heart of the new system is the highly dynamic SSI Carrier pocket sorter, which gently conveys, sorts and sequences hanging and flat-packed goods in one system - with a high throughput rate. This means that orders of different sizes and destinations can be automatically provided in the desired sequence and in a short time. In addition, returns can be stored directly in the SSI Carrier and used fully automatically for reshipment. The overhead conveyor technology requires little space and offers process reliability with sorting accuracy.

2nd place: Gebhardt Fördertechnik - ConVer goods elevators
The Gebhardt ConVer product range consists of four product variants. The free-standing frame construction only requires a load-bearing footprint. Thanks to the safety components, it can also be installed above accessible areas. Gebhardt ConVer goods elevators types 146 and 147 transport loads of up to 2,000 kilograms, type 150 up to 3,000 kilograms and the ConVer 149 small goods elevator up to 350 kilograms. With a transport height of over 20 meters, two or more stops with up to twelve access points can be implemented. The lift is operated from the outside with a fetch and send control system; the type 147 also has a cabin control panel for internal operation. The user-friendly roller shutter solution on type 150 eliminates the need for awkward maneuvering.

3rd place: Knapp - Project RetailCX in-store system
Project RetailCX is a configurable in-store system developed by Knapp AG under the leadership of its subsidiary KHT Kommissionier- und Handhabungstechnik. The core of the in-store system consists of a fully automated picking robot and a shelving system that is adapted to the customer's requirements, the different product types and the store layout. Products are stored and retrieved fully automatically with the help of the robot, digitally recorded, stored in a space-saving and theft-proof manner. The picking robot and the shelving system can be expanded with many components depending on the store layout, business objectives, customer structure and purchasing behavior, creating more opportunities to design shopping experiences. The system combines the advantages of bricks-and-mortar retail with those of online stores and translates them into "unique, contactless customer experiences" (in Knapp's own words).

2020 saw the premiere of the reader award materialfluss PRODUCT OF THE YEAR, the winners and best placed can be found here.