MARCH 10-14, 2020 • LAS VEGAS EXPO PREVIEW
ADVANCED LIFT-TRUCK TECHNOLOGY JUNGHEINRICH LITHIUM-ION
EYES ON THE FORKS
How can an operator be certain
they are picking the right item off
a high shelf with their lift-truck?
The answer, from Jungheinrich, is
that the forks of trucks can now be
equipped with a new networked
digital fork camera, for intelligent scanning of goods.
The solution, which prevents storage and retrieval errors,
is the latest feature of the optical assistance system family
called addedVIEW (which also includes 360° camera to give
counterbalance forklift trucks a panoramic, bird’s eye view)
and works by matching barcodes on the storage compartments
with goods.
The code content on the goods and the shelf compartment is
compared with the specifications of the merchandise management
system and highlighted visually. Using this system, classical
insertion errors, where goods are stored in the wrong compartment
but are scanned as correctly stored, can no longer occur. During
retrieval, the networked digital fork camera prevents the picking of
wrong pallets in the rack.
“When barcode lists are scanned manually at the shelf
compartments or on order papers, which has been common
practice up to now, errors occur time and again because the place
of storage is not directly checked,” says Dr Felix Riesenhuber, head
of product management assistance systems and modules at
Jungheinrich. “The digital scan using the new fork-arm camera now
effectively helps to prevent storage and retrieval errors and the
associated search times and missed trips”
Even under difficult lighting conditions, the digital fork camera
can guarantee high image quality by dynamically adjusting the
exposure parameters. By digitally sharpening the contrasts, the
high-resolution camera makes it possible to reliably detect the QR
codes even on the upper shelf levels.
On the Web
Read the February 2020 edition of iVT at
www.iVTinternational.com/online-magazines
entry damping system ensures smooth
mast transitions when lowering.
Automation evolution
Lithium-ion technology is also central
to Jungheinrich’s latest AGV – the
ERC 213a automated pallet truck. It
gives the vehicle a particularly high
availability – a 2.8kW three-phase AC
motor ensuring constant power, while
the electrically controlled lift motor
can be finely adjusted while lifting at
heights of up to 4400mm.
Thanks to its compact design, the
ERC 213a automated pallet truck is
perfect for use in confined spaces, but
a closed frame structure means it is
also particularly robust.
Looking ahead
Last, but not least, it should not be
forgotten that Jungheinrich has what is
perhaps the most powerful lithium-ion
lift-truck ever built in the pipeline. We
ran a full report on the P30i hydrostatic
counterbalance lift-truck in our February
2020 edition, which you can read in our
online back issues (see ‘On the Web’).
But to briefly recap, the P30i, which is
scheduled for launch in the second half
of 2021, delivers its unprecedented
power thanks to the new high-voltage
lithium-ion technology. Meanwhile, it
maintains the cabin comfort of ICE
equivalents, due to the compact nature
of the lithium-ion batteries, which can
be split into two modules and therefore
be easily fitted into an IC truck shell.
“This it the first truck in the world
where we use the shell of an IC truck
and put the high-voltage lithium-ion
technology inside,” says Marvin
Jentzch, product manager for
Jungheinrich. “Previously our lithiumion
technology was 80V. Now with
96V for the first time we can replace
high-performance IC trucks.”
The challenge of creating an
environmentally friendly industry is
pressing. Jungheinrich believes
lithium-ion technology will be a key
part of the solution, but it’s not the only
option. Turn the page for the lowdown
on the other big contender... iVT
“THE DIGITAL SCAN USING THE NEW
FORK-ARM CAMERA HELPS TO
PREVENT STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
ERRORS, AND THE ASSOCIATED
SEARCH TIMES AND MISSED TRIPS”
Dr Felix Riesenhuber,
head of product management assistance systems and modules, Jungheinrich
ABOVE LEFT: The new
ERC 213a is the latest
Jungheinrich AGV to benefit
from next-generation lithiumion
battery technology
LEFT: The compact nature
of Jungheinrich’s lithiumion
battery means it can be
positioned centrally in the
vehicle, giving more room for
the mast on the ERC216bi
ABOVE: An on-board screen
enables operators to get
a fork’s-eye view
iVTInternational.com June 2020 29
/online-magazines
/iVTInternational.com