© IFOY Award

The intralogistics specialists Cargotec Engineering, Jungheinrich, Locus Robotics, Magment, NAiSE, Noyes Technologies, robominds, SICK, SSI Schäfer, Still, stow robotics and Synaos want to win one of the trophies.

The company Cargotec Engineering from Ireland will enter the final in 2022 with the Moffett E5 25.4 NX. The new development is the latest addition to the all-electric truck-mounted forklift series and part of the second generation of the world's first all-electric truck-mounted forklift. The truck is also available with four-way steering (multidirectional). Its main advantage fits in with the times: emission-free customer deliveries.

Intralogistics provider Jungheinrich secured two places in the final. In the warehouse technology category, the Hamburg-based company made it to the final round with its ERD 220i electric pallet truck. Thanks to the lithium-ion battery concept, the dimensions of the double-decker truck are ultra-compact for the simultaneous transportation of two pallets. In addition to smart features that make everyday work much easier, the fixed platform in particular offers high side protection on three sides and plenty of space in the driver's platform.

The jury also gave the green light to the EKS 215a from Jungheinrich. The automated guided vehicle (AGV) with a lifting height of up to six meters is the first AGV from the Hanseatic company to be developed for purely automated use in logistics and production. The integrated safety concept enables smooth operation in existing environments where there is also manual traffic. The Hamburg-based company also developed a 24-volt energy concept with an automatic charging function.
The US manufacturer Locus Robotics reached the final round in Dortmund with its Locus Robotics AMR Solution. The solution consists of an integrated platform that uses proprietary optimization algorithms and real-time operational performance data to coordinate workers and AMRs. According to the manufacturer, the Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) model enables customers to achieve a return on investment (ROI) within six to eight months and a two- to three-fold increase in productivity.

The Unterhaching-based start-up Magment reached the final with dynamic wireless charging for intralogistics vehicles. The company developed a wireless charging infrastructure for the electrification of industrial floors for inductive charging. Based on a patented magnetized floor in combination with special winding and casting technologies, robust inductive charging plates are produced that enable loss-free charging while driving. This reduces or even completely eliminates charging breaks for industrial trucks.

Naise Traffic, a manufacturer-independent traffic and order management software from NAiSE in Stuttgart, was also nominated as a start-up. The elementary feature of this application is that the patented localization network (Naise RTLS) incorporates the entire mixed operation - i.e. all people and vehicles in the warehouse - into the traffic control and analysis, thereby ensuring a more efficient and safe material flow.

The third start-up in the final is Noyes Technologies. With NoyesStorage, the Munich-based company has launched the first robotics-powered, ultra-dense, automated and highly flexible nano-logistics system for urban logistics. The aim is to solve complex problems using simple approaches: To this end, the technology is reduced to what is necessary and attention is paid to a high degree of standardization and modularization. Thanks to the modular design, areas as small as ten square meters can be used for the system.

Also from Munich is robominds: the company is in the final with the AI-based robobrain.Neuros (Neural Robotic Operating System) - an industrialized operating system for intelligent robotics. The robotics specialists' credo is: parameterizing and configuring instead of programming. The basic principle: on the industrialized operating system, every function of the robotic components becomes a skill, i.e. an application - easy to obtain via the robominds Skill Store, individually adaptable or to develop yourself thanks to the robominds Skill SDK.

The jury nominated sensor specialist SICK with PACS (PAllet Classification System), a pallet identification system based on deep learning. The development was triggered by a customer's challenge: employees in the incoming goods department had to manually determine whether incoming pallets belonged to a pallet pool and were tagged accordingly. With the new solution, users can easily automate this previously manual process based on a modular system of hardware and software.

SSI Schaefer made it to the final round with the IKEA Project Flat Pack Picking. With Flat Pack Picking, the manufacturer offers an automated and turnkey system solution from a single source for the efficient and volume-optimized palletizing of large items that are typical for the furniture trade. The picking module with gantry robots enables efficient handling of a heterogeneous range of items and is characterized by high scalability.
In the same category, STILL is in the running for a trophy with the automated warehouse expansion at Hase Safety Workwear. The Hamburg-based company expanded the facility to a total of 10,000 pallet spaces. At the same time, existing industrial trucks from Still were replaced by automated and more powerful trucks with telescopic forks. Optimized driving courses also contributed to the increase in performance.

The Hanseatic company also successfully applied for the Special of the Year category with DSR (Descend Speed Regulation). This is a three-stage assistance system for trailers and tractors that makes it easier for the driver to descend safely - especially with heavy trailer loads. The system regulates - manually or automatically - the speed of the vehicle to a value that can protect against dangerous situations.

With e.scala, stow robotics, a member of the Belgian stow Group, is in the final round. This is a standardized, robot-based goods-to-person storage and picking system for small and medium-sized applications. With a robot that moves three-dimensionally in the storage cube via rails and a patented ramp system, it replaces all the classic components of an automated storage system. This enables an implementation time of just three months. Further advantages: a low investment and low running costs.

Synaos is also looking forward to the final with its SYNAOS IMS - Vehicle Localization solution. This enables the position of manually controlled industrial trucks to be displayed - thanks in part to a sensor kit with a camera. SYNAOS uses modern computer vision technology to enable its accurate and robust localization system, which can be easily installed and scaled. Instead of UWB or LIDAR, the Visual Odometry technology known from robotics is used.

The 26-member jury from 20 countries will make its decision in the competition after the IFOY Test Days from March 18 to 23 at Messe Dortmund. All finalists will undergo the three-stage IFOY Audit in Hall 3. In the IFOY Test, experts determine the key figures of the finalists in a standardized procedure. In the IFOY Innovation Check, scientists assess the innovative value of the nominated devices and solutions. The Innovation Check is carried out by specialists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML), the Chair of Technical Logistics at the University of Dresden and the Chair of Materials Handling, Material Flow and Logistics (fml) at the Technical University of Munich. For the first time, an expert from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) is also part of the research team. At the end of the IFOY Test Days, jurors from all continents will travel to the Ruhr area to inspect the nominees on site.
The international jury consists of trade journalists from leading logistics media. The criteria assessed include innovation value, technology, ergonomics and handling, safety, marketability, design and customer benefits as well as cost-effectiveness and sustainability. The coveted trophies will be awarded on June 30. Details of the location will be announced shortly.