Three forklifts and two autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have been named as winners at the prestigious iF Design Awards, held in Berlin recently, standing out among the thousands of entries across 93 categories.

The iF Awards, held since 1953 to recognise outstanding design globally, this year received almost 11,000 submissions from 68 countries with Chinese manufacturer Heli taking out two awards, German producer Jungheinrich also winning two awards and ABB Robotics winning an award for its AMR.

Heli was named the winner of the product concepts - for its Heli 55T heavy duty, electric concept forklift, which was designed by Heli’s European R&D centre “as a forward-looking solution for heavy-duty logistics applications in Europe”.

Described as “the world’s largest electric forklift”, the Heli IEO550-700 “redefines heavy logistics through zero-emission power and human-centered intelligence”, according to Heli.

Heli says its fast-charging battery delivers 10 hours of operation after just one hour of charging — achieving 40% greater efficiency than diesel models. 

The forklift features a 180-degree rotating seat, AR-assisted 360-degree vision, and a voice-controlled digital cockpit while adaptive counterweights and modular forks enhance both safety and versatility. 

The forklift is built with recyclable materials and has a modular lifespan design.

“With a core design philosophy of “green load-bearing and intelligent efficiency,” it is equipped with an advanced electric power system that enables zero emissions and low noise operation, perfectly aligning with the global trend toward sustainable logistics,” Heli states.

Heli was also named the winner of the product design for commercial vehicles category for its G3-series sit-down electric reach truck.

Developed by its Chinese headquarters technology centre in China, “the product adopts a streamlined wing-inspired design with an integrated overhead guard structure. It features smooth lines and a lightweight appearance while maintaining strength and operational efficiency,” Heli adds.

The fully suspended multi-function seat accommodates operators ranging from 1.6m to 1.9m in height, while the lowered operator platform expands visibility and significantly enhances both safety and comfort. These design features precisely meet the needs of high-efficiency multi-scenario warehouse operations.

Jungheinrich also won two iF Design Awards this year.

The first was in product design for commercial vehicles for its ETV 216i forklift.

“With the help of data loggers on our existing vehicles, we were able to determine the design of a future product platform precisely in line with user requirements based on over 14,000 applications,” Jungheinrich says in its award submission. 

“The result is a modular platform that can offer the optimum vehicle for each of our customers' most relevant applications. 

“The ETV216i is the entry point into the world of reach trucks, offering unprecedented ergonomics for maximum comfort, a unique lighting concept for active safety, manufactured in our most modern and sustainable factory.”

Jungheinrich also won for product design in industry for its EAE212a AMR, a vehicle designed from scratch as automated transport which Jungheinrich says offers the same performance and intuitive operability as manually operated trucks.

Swiss-based ABB Robotics won its iF Design Award for its AMR Flexley Mover P603 AMR which can handle payloads up to 1,500kg, uses AI-driven Visual SLAM, to reduce deployment time by 20% and enables ±5 mm positioning accuracy.

“Its modular design supports various top modules, while AMR Studio enables no-code mission setup and fleet management,” ABB Robotics states of its AMR. “Key features include 24/7 noiseless operation, agile bidirectional drive, and integrated load sensing for safety and stability. 

“It addresses the challenge of safe and flexible material handling in complex and space-constrained facilities.”

Other winners of the iF Design Awards, outside of the materials handling sector, this year include the new Volvo XC70, Siemens Audio Branding, the HSBC banking app, a facial recognition smart immigration app, the Galbot S1 robot.