CeMAT Australia is underway in Melbourne this week, with event organisers expecting some 5,000-plus industry professionals to attend with more than 200 exhibitors, including Jungheinrich and KAUP for the first time.

Much of the talk predictably centred around the top two revolving topics in the sector over recent years – automation and electrification. But sustainability and the impact of the war in Iran also received a lot of attention, with talk about its significant impact on the supply chain.

Hyundai Material Handling launched its B-X Series high voltage electric forklift range with capacities from 4T to 9T and has indicated it plans to release 10-13T and 16-18T models this year.

Hyundai is calling the new series a “major step forward in electric material handling, bringing high-voltage lithium-ion performance to applications traditionally dominated by diesel forklifts”.

The B-X Series, which is suitable for indoor and outdoor applications, is powered by a 309–348V high-voltage lithium-ion system, designed to reduce current draw, minimise energy loss, lower heat generation and extend component life. 

The B-X range uses LFP lithium iron phosphate battery technology, supported by rapid charging, opportunity charging and battery thermal management. Depending on configuration and operating conditions, Hyundai reports up to 11 hours of operation and approximately 2-hour charging, with charger options including 20kW, 40kW and 120kW.

Dematic is holding demonstrations of its Multishuttle FD Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) for the first time in Australia as well as demos of its automated guided vehicle (AGV) and autonomous mobile robot (AMR).

Jungheinrich is showcasing its new entry-level AntOn range of materials handling equipment, which it launched to the Asia Pacific market in January.

Jungheinrich describes AntOn as offering “a straightforward approach to material handling for growing businesses that value efficiency without complexity”. It’s powered by lithium-ion technology and can be deployed quickly with minimal setup.

KAUP has made innovative Smart Load Control technology a focus of its CeMAT exhibit, showcasing its ability to automatically adjust clamping force to the weight of the load being handled.

Swisslog is showcasing its scalable company KUKA Automation solutions including its new 4-way pallet shuttle system WonderStore, its grid-based ASRS solution AutoStore and the SynQ software platform while its parent company KUKA, is demonstrating AMRs from its KMP portfolio as well as industrial robots.

And of course, there are the very well attended and popular Australian Forklift Championships, which highlights the extraordinary level of precision and talent some of the country’s best forklift operators possess.

This year competitors are vying for bragging rights and AUD1,000 (USD700).

We will have more coverage of CeMAT Australia in coming weeks.