Linde has added the R-MATIC reach truck

Linde Material Handling is expanding its portfolio of robotic solutions with the addition of the autonomous R-MATIC reach truck. This truck transports palletised goods of up to 1.6 T fully automatically to high-bay racks, storing and retrieving them independently at lifting heights of up to 10 m. The R-MATIC operates non-stop 24/7, storing and retrieving goods on and off the shelves as required. Sensors attached to the truck ensure that pallets are placed or picked up safely and in the right place. A further sensor mounted on the fork carriage prevents the danger of overhanging loads. Three-dimensional cameras are used to detect the storage location on the shelf and adjust the position of the forks using the sideshift. The infrastructure-free contour-based geo navigation system guides the automated guided vehicle safely through the various warehouse areas. A navigation laser permanently scans the surroundings within a 360 deg. radius to allow the AGV to orientate itself in space. Linde boasts about the AGV's reliability, accuracy and safety. The damage rate is reduced to a minimum, since human error can be excluded. In addition, the automated processes lead to greater transparency and support operational process optimisation. Finally, efficiency gains result from the fact that previously required staff can be used elsewhere in the warehouse. "With two- or three-shift operation, we assume that the R-MATIC will have paid for itself after two years at the latest," says Philipp Stephan, product manager - robotics at Linde Material Handling.