Linde's new driverless KMATIC VNA order picker

Linde Material Handling has added a new driverless K-MATIC VNA order picker with 1.5 T load capacity to its range of standard robotic vehicles.

Independently operating industrial trucks, which can be flexibly integrated into existing intralogistics systems and gradually expanded in number, are meeting with steadily growing customer interest. "We assume that, in the future, robotic equipment will increasingly become part of multi-stage autonomous process chains, in which different trucks, as well as various machines and fixtures, will communicate and interact with each other in order to further increase the productivity in warehouses and distribution centres," predicts Philipp Stephan, product manager, Linde robotics at Linde Material Handling.

Integrating the K-MATIC VNA into the operational data flow is achieved by means of the Robot Manager, which provides the interface to the warehouse management or enterprise resource planning system. As supervisor software, the Robot Manager receives, processes and transmits data in real-time and thus controls interaction with other networked machines and devices. The intelligent computer unit also ensures the transmission of data, such as the vehicle status for servicing purposes.

Compared to classic automated guided vehicles or solutions based on laser reflectors, the installation of Linde robotics trucks reduces the effort required of customers. For the Linde K-MATIC order picker, if the Robot Manager instructs the truck to change aisles, then existing structures such as walls, pillars or racks are sufficient for it to navigate safely and reliably. When in the rack aisle, the VNA order picker is guided by an inductive or mechanical track system to enable faster driving.

The Linde K-MATIC comes with all the equipment features and options that are available for other models of the modular series, allowing for perfect adjustment according to different customer requirements. Servicing is carried out in the usual way by the Linde sales organisation.