In a Japanese first, beverage company Kirin will deploy automated guided forklifts (AGFs) at its Ebina Logistics Centre in Kanagawa Prefecture.

The AGFs will be part of an automated picking system supplied by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and its subsidiary Mitsubishi Logisnext.

The system is the first of its kind in Japan to use AGFs, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and palletisers for the picking process.

ΣSynX (Sigma Synx), MHI's standard platform for synchronising and coordinating various types of machinery systems, will coordinate multiple AGFs, AGVs and palletisers to reduce the number of picking and transfer operations, optimise the picking process and improve throughput.

Full-scale operation is scheduled to begin in December 2024.

MHI Group and Kirin Group began collaborating on the automation project in November 2022.

The companies say they will continue working together to provide solutions the logistics industry resulting from regulatory changes being introduced in 2024 that will affect picking of heavy loads and night work.