Still's iGo neo represents the next generation of materials handling solutions

By Allan Leibowitz
This year's CeMAT theme of Smart Supply Chain Solutions was evident in several autonomous shuttle systems and robot solutions for intralogistics showcased in one of the three exhibition halls.

The growth of online retail has been key to stimulating the development of automation, and systems on display demonstrated that the intelligent warehouse is already reality.

What emerged strongly was the shift from traditional materials handling - moving large objects and pallets of smaller ones - to far more precise and refined operations, often involving the accurate picking and moving of single objects.

Many forklift manufacturers who spoke to Forkliftaction News are embracing the changes rather than being threatened by the shifts.

James J Radous III, president of UniCarriers Americas, predicts that "this market is going to explode with technology in the next 10 years and everyone is working on the next biggest thing".

"Our core business is making forklifts and not in technology, so we're looking for partners that can bring technology and take it to the next step," he adds.

Radous adds that "industry is dying for new technologies, but the challenge is getting people to understand the cost of those technologies because we're in an efficiency game now. I'm only going to put something in if I know it's going to save me x dollars".

There were a number of automation displays at CeMAT

John Maguire, director of Narrow Aisle, doesn't underestimate the influence of e-commerce on changing the face of materials handling. Online retailers, he says, are trying to maximise their use of space for efficient pick and pack operations, but, importantly, they need to create space for returns. The e-tailers are driving the move to automation because they have to - and they can afford to because they don't have shop fronts.

"The pressure of e-commerce means that the existing warehouse truck market is going to decline. There won't be the reach trucks and the low-level order pickers down the line. You'll have sortation systems and layer picking systems and automated shuttle systems."

The interaction between forklifts and warehouse automation was one of the themes at Linde's stand-alone World of Material Handling show, according to vice president of sales and service marketing Massimilano Sammartano, who points out that seven of the 10 highlights were non-traditional forklift solutions. The others dealt with new energy forms and new digital apps.

"This is a clear path for Linde and if you experience Linde in the future, you will experience more of that technology," he adds.

He had spoken to more than 100 customers and everyone was talking about the new digital world.

"We see it as an opportunity to support the customer in their journey to get even more efficient in their operation and leveraging the opportunities," he says.

Martin McVicar, managing director of Combilift, says: "Automation is not a competitor in our sector yet because we're focused on space-saving equipment that can operate indoors and outdoors. So we're offering products that are very multifunctional and automation is very specific to warehouses."

He notes that the new autonomous warehouse solutions are "not developed enough to go across multiple buildings and different operating environments".

"But going forward, we see automation as an important part of our product. We're actually building a new factory and we're planning to have our own products running on AGV to feed our production line. So we're moving into automation, but we don't see it as a competitor."

Toyota Material Handling US president Brett Wood was impressed by the rise of automation on show at CeMAT - both process automation and automated forklifts. "There's been a big increase in automated and semi-automated lift trucks. Years ago, it was just moving a product from point A to point B; now it's also lifting it to point C," he says. He believes automation has been beneficial for customers in terms of efficiency and safety. He was also struck by the increased presence of Chinese manufacturers at CeMAT this year.

Will forklift manufacturers manage to integrate their offerings with those from automation suppliers?

Wood notes the rise of telematics, which he says is really important in the forklift industry. Technology is enabling fleet owners to gather data from the equipment, communicate with the environment, and access analytics, he says. "You see here that big data is finding its way into the lift truck industry."

Wood's European counterpart, Matthias Fischer, president and CEO of Toyota Material Handling Europe, notes that the massive Toyota exhibit at CeMAT focused on logistics solutions which are "becoming far more important than any single product".

Commenting on the rise of automation, Fischer says: "I'm not scared (of that) at all. I see it as an opportunity because it means that the logistics process is changing. What we really see is the rise of connectivity, and the 'connected truck' is becoming more and more important for the future."

"I think we will see two directions for the future: one with online shopping and the Internet with one-piece flows and case picking, and another logistics process that has to be handled is the return flow," he explains, adding that online shopping brings with it volumes of returns and industry has to deal with that demand.

The Toyota stand featured examples of automation which Fischer says has been facilitated by rising labour costs and falling technology costs. "Twenty-five years ago, everyone was saying AGVs would be the future. But they were too inflexible and too expensive at the time. Now, that's completely changed. So I think automation will be a big part of our business in the future."

On show at the Toyota stand as well as other exhibits were hybrid vehicles - AGVs with manual controls, with the flexibility to operate traditionally, when required.

Jungheinrich chairman Hans-Georg Frey stresses that his company doesn't just sell forklifts, but instead offers "the complete solution involving the new digitalisation".

"The general trend is towards more logistics processes, but with smaller packages. But regardless, you will always need forklifts. In big warehouses, you will always need pallets and the equipment to move them," he explains. "I don't see one replacing the other: they complement each other and they're both part of a growing industry."

Frey points out that complexity is increasing significantly, and in order to handle complexity, "you need the automation of process and this is why Jungheinrich for many years has differentiated itself from other manufacturers by moving into the provision of solutions. There will be even more demand for automated processes and we're definitely a leader in this respect."

He boasts that his company offers broad solutions, enabling customers to deal only with one supplier. The future, he says, will include more integrative apps to simplify either the whole process or only limited systems, if that's what's needed.

Philippe Vindevogel, sales and marketing manager of wheel and tyre maker Vulkoprin, is also seeing the growth of online commerce stimulating the proliferation of warehouse distribution systems and forcing forklift manufacturers to become integrators. "It's no longer just about moving boxes," he says, and "you need new types of technology". Of course, the new technologies provide an opportunity for Vulkoprin because they often involve new wheel systems which can be sold to existing and new customers.

Event organisers stress that demands on intralogistics continue to grow rapidly. Solutions must be intelligent, connected, highly flexible, transparent, fast, and efficient. Importantly, the new environment requires the intelligent integration of production and logistics - and materials handling suppliers seem to be ready to deliver.