Large crowds at CeMAT 2018

Organisers have confirmed that CeMAT will again be held in conjunction with the giant HANNOVER MESSE from 20 to 24 April 2020.

Separate attendance figures for the logistics and materials handling show are not available, but the combined events drew 210,000 visitors and 5,800 exhibitors.

There were a significant number of product launches among the materials handling displays.

CLARK Europe showed off its new S-Series, a completely redeveloped generation of internal combustion counterbalance trucks alongside a redesigned CGC series LPG forklift range with models from 4 to 7 T.

France's Manitou had 19 machines on show, with new additions including the ER16 reach truck, the EP15 electrical pallet truck, revamps of the MSI 25 and MSI 35 semi-industrial trucks, and some tailored solutions such as the ES7 "special applications" stacker from the Loc brand.

Toyota presented its own lithium-ion battery system at CeMAT 2018 as part of the demonstration of its "lean-thinking". Toyota says it is committed to taking full advantage of Li-ion technology and has established its own modular design concept. The capacity of the battery is determined by the number of modules used, and this is configured to match customer requirements.

The Japanese market leader used CeMAT to launch the all-new Toyota Traigo80 heavy-duty 80 V counterbalance truck.

Jungheinrich's high-profile visitor, German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Jungheinrich welcomed a special visitor to its stand when German Chancellor Angela Merkel dropped by. She was accompanied by Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto and other members of the German federal cabinet. CEO Hans-Georg Frey and board member for marketing and sales Lars Brzoska informed the chancellor about the latest trends in the intralogistics sector. With the push of a button, Chancellor Merkel set off a driverless stacker truck that then transported a 1.5 T pallet load to its destination fully automatically.

With more than 5,500 sqm of exhibition space, Jungheinrich had one of the biggest displays at the showground and used it to show its entire portfolio of planning, project management and realisation products for semi- to fully automated warehouses, including the EKX 516a automated high-rack stacker.

While other manufacturers displayed their new and current equipment and solutions, Cesab Material Handling Europe used virtual reality technology to display its range, including the soon-to-be-launched M300H hydrostatic truck.

Nathalie Arlt, head of marketing, Cesab Material Handling Europe, explained that this approach aimed to demonstrate "why close working relationships with our customers are so important". "Buying a forklift goes far beyond machine specifications. To ensure any operation can run efficiently and productively, customers need to be confident in the support and advice, and know that they can count on their forklift supplier to be there whenever they need them," she said.

Ruyi showed 22 different models at CeMAT

Ruyi showed 22 different models at CeMAT, including a full range of lithium-powered pallet trucks, hand pallet trucks, lift tables, manual stackers, electric stackers (single and double pallet), electric reach trucks, tow tractors, order pickers (low- and mid-lifting range), and forklifts. According to John Wang, sales manager, almost half of the display was new models.

Wang says it was a successful event, with a 20% increase in visitors to the stand compared with the last CeMAT. "Some old customers visited to look into our new developments, but plenty of new customers came with new enquiries," he says.

Narrow Aisle Ltd had strong interest from visitors to its stand in its new lithium-ion battery-powered range of Flexi articulated forklift truck-based intralogistics solutions.

"This year's CeMAT was one of the best ever in terms of leads taken, and our new lithium-ion powered Flexis received plenty of attention," says Narrow Aisle's sales and marketing director, John Maguire. "We met a number of senior people from diverse industries - many of whom were at the show to discuss plans for major projects - and from the feedback we received at CeMAT, modern lift truck users really appreciate the benefits of lithium-ion battery technology."

EP Equipment unveiled its LiST (Lithium integrated Smart Trucks).

EP Equipment unveiled its LiST (Lithium integrated Smart Trucks), equipment purpose-built from the ground up for the new power source. New models included the L2 counterbalance truck equipped with a 460 Ah lithium-ion battery developed and produced by EP Equipment, and the JX1 and JX0 order pickers.

"CeMAT gives us the opportunity to go into detailed discussion with existing and new partners about our newest products. We always appreciate the feedback from our customers to produce products fitting the need of the industry," says Sang Tian, VP sales at EP Equipment. "This year, the feedback at CeMAT was overwhelming and we want to thank our worldwide partners for their trust."

Anadolulift showed the first forklift designed and built in Turkey.

Making its debut at CeMAT, Anadolulift showed the first forklift designed and built in Turkey. President Erkan Boyluc founded the company after visiting CeMAT four years ago and developed a forklift with a triple clear-view mast. While full-scale production has not yet started, Anadolulift attracted interest from Ireland, Kuwait, New Zealand, Mexico and further afield during the show.

HELI's display included two debut products: the G2 series 3.5T double-drive electric forklifts and G3 series 4.5T IC forklift which meet European high emission standards.

A HELI spokeswoman says the new models attracted the "attention of the customers from all over the world".

Based on the high level of interaction with visitors, she says: "We have reason to believe that this show has been a huge success for HELI."

STILL focused on safety, security and ergonomics at its stand, showcasing its EASY Drive man-machine interface. Modelled on the automobile industry, safety and assistance systems were another key feature, with STILL showing its Active Load Stabilisation (ALS) and Active Floor Compensation (AFC) solutions together with its optical lift height sensor, Dynamic Load Control (DLC) and STILL EASY View lift mast.

"The use of a very wide variety of new and already proven safety and assistance systems in STILL's trucks show that our company is also ideally positioned for the future in this area," says Thomas A. Fischer, managing director sales, marketing and service. "Our engineers remain on the ball to develop further innovative solutions in the interests of safety and ergonomics for our customers in the future as well."

Dutch newcomer Trône Seating showed off what it claimed was a world first: an electrically adjustable forklift seat that remembers the preferences of its user and ensures that the seat is always correctly adjusted. Various optional and unique features, such as vibration measurement and the Wake-Up Call, were also on show. "Sitting well on the forklift is vital for the driver," says director/owner Frans-Jozef van Seumeren. "This means not only providing a good seat with all the relevant adjustment options and shock absorption, but also ensuring that the driver always can rely on those correct settings. Particularly when a truck has several users, the correct re-adjustment of the seat often fails."

Tyremaker Camso unveiled what it says is the first patented anti-static forklift tyre to resolve the important safety issue of static electricity generated by non-marking tyres. The new Solideal PON 775 NMAS (Non-Marking Anti-Static) press-on tyre provides 63% better resistance to heat build-up and 33% greater energy efficiency compared to the company's Solideal Magnum SM NM (smooth non-marking). It also ensures greater operator safety while minimising human electrical shocks, outages, electrical component damage and fire risks.