SSI Schaefer receives the German Design Award 2019. The "innovation driver" (own statement) is honored for the product design of the SSI Flexi Shuttle, which was presented for the first time at the intralogistics trade fair LogiMAT 2018: The scalable single-level shuttle for highly dynamic automated small parts warehouses is "Winner" in the "Excellent Product Design" competition segment, Industry category. The award will be presented at a ceremony in Frankfurt on February 8.

With the German Design Award, the German Design Council, as the brand and design authority in Germany, honors products and projects as well as their manufacturers and designers that are groundbreaking in the German and international design landscape. "Those who prevail against the high-caliber competition here have successfully proven that they are among the best," judges the independent, international jury of experts.

SSI Schaefer has achieved this with the design of the SSI Flexi Shuttle. It impresses not only with its intelligent functionality, which allows the storage of a wide range of transport units and dimensions up to 50 kg, even under deep-freeze conditions. The SSI Flexi Shuttle combines future-proof technology components and aesthetic aspects in equal measure.

The modular concept consisting of shuttle, lifter and shelving system enables customized system concepts. "Unique" is the shelving concept with dynamically adaptable storage location sizes. By dispensing with permanently assigned x-storage positions, the shelving concept enables space-optimized shelf allocation with maximum storage density. The functions required for this, such as the universal load handling device with width adjustment, have been integrated into the design. The contours of the flowing shapes of the devices, under whose surfaces sensors, communication and control technology have been bundled, also translate the dynamic overall impression of the shuttle - true to the design principle "form follows function" - in terms of shape and appearance.

All in all, SSI Schaefer has created a futuristic design for a storage machine that impressed the 45-member jury of the German Design Council. "We are delighted to receive the Winner Award in a competition segment that also focuses on and recognizes aspects beyond the technical scope of performance," says Peter Berlik, Managing Director Technology at SSI Schaefer, in response to the notification of the award. "Nevertheless, the award-winning design of the innovative SSI Flexi Shuttle allows legitimate conclusions to be drawn about its performance and dynamics in fully automated processes. The modern, novel shape indicates the functional added value that goes hand in hand with the future-proof system development."