Yale tow tractor with Guide by Seegrid technology

Automated guided vehicle (AGV) provider Seegrid Corp will make its Guided by Seegrid technology available to customers of Yale Materials Handling Corp of Greenville, South Carolina. The MO50T tow tractor is the initial Yale product using the Guided by Seegrid technology.

The Guided by Seegrid technology is already available in Europe under a different manufacturing relationship.

Brett Schemerhorn, Yale vice president of marketing, says: "Our customers have materials handling challenges, and we're looking to provide solutions that deliver efficiency to their business. Seegrid is the recognised industry leader for vision-guided technology, and the Guided by Seegrid technology will enhance efficiency and productivity for our customers' day-to-day needs."

Yale markets electric, gas, LPG and diesel-powered forklifts and narrow-aisle, very narrow aisle and motorised hand trucks. Yale services include Yale Vision wireless asset management, fleet management, maintenance, parts, financing and training.

Yale is an operation of publicly traded Hyster-Yale Materials Handling Inc of Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

Anthony Horbal, Seegrid CEO, says of the collaboration with Yale: "This is an important relationship for two strong companies with recognised brands. Seegrid delivers innovative and proven vision-guided navigation technology and with Yale's sales and service networks and loyal brand customers, the Guided by Seegrid technology is poised for extraordinary success."

Pittsburgh-based Seegrid provides flexible vision-guided AGVs ? pallet trucks, tow tractors and walkie stackers ? to the materials handling industry.

In an offering available since December only in the European market, Seegrid provides its Guided by Seegrid technology for integration onto the unmanned P50 C tow tractor from Linde Material Handling GmbH of Aschaffenburg, Germany.

Seegrid says the P50 C tow tractor can use vision guidance in an existing infrastructure to navigate without use of wires, laser targets, tapes or magnets. The technology includes dual laser safety sensors and E-stops.

Linde parent firm KION Group AG has other forklift brands including STILL, OM STILL, Baoli, Fenwick and Voltas.