Innovative Conveyor Technology for Efficiency and Sustainability

Digital technology and the automation it brings to intralogistics processes, the continued growth of e-commerce, and the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI): These are the consistent drivers of new developments in the field of conveyor technology systems. The response to these ongoing trends can be seen in the diverse system solutions for conveyor technology that exhibitors are bringing to LogiMAT—the 18^th International Trade Show for Intralogistics Solutions & Process Management in Stuttgart.

The trend toward sustainable solutions and the integration of modern technologies such as sensors, imaging, and robotics also help nurture innovations. “The result is new sorters and overhead conveyors, cobots, advanced shuttle solutions, and smart, resource-optimized control units,” explains LogiMAT Exhibition Director Michael Ruchty from Munich-based organizer EUROEXPO Messe- und Kongress-GmbH. “We’re also seeing fascinating engineering breakthroughs and revolutionary changes in conventional conveyor technology components. It is in this context that equipment and system manufacturers, traditionally the largest exhibitor group at LogiMAT, will return once more March 10–12 to offer a comprehensive picture of the latest innovations of today and the stimulating trends of tomorrow—an opportunity unequaled anywhere else in the world.”

The exhibitor group for conveyor technology, shelving and warehouse construction, and warehouse and plant equipment will occupy Halls 1 (including the gallery), 3, 5, and 7 at LogiMAT 2020. Industry professionals can expect a complete overview of innovations, products, and system solutions for end-to-end process automation in warehousing, order picking, and shipping production. This year’s exhibitions focus on solutions and equipment planning for continuously controlled processes with high-performance system and conveyor technology components that grow with the company. Also on display are systems that offer greater flexibility through multi-material handling, as well as new and extended applications for tried-and-tested devices and systems for integrating digital technology. “Equipment and system manufacturing is one of the most innovative industrial sectors of all,” says Ruchty. “The process innovations on offer yield clear gains in greater efficiency, lower costs, and a more sustainable environmental footprint through reduced emissions.”

Hands-on innovations and future-proof solutions

There is still a lot of catching up to do when it comes to implementing digital technology, as many studies and investigations have shown. Digital transformation, the internet of things, AI: Amid rapid technological developments, many companies seem unaware, or at least lacking in information, about where things are going and which investments make sense for a given strategy. “This gives LogiMAT 2020 a big role to play in the industry’s current economic situation,” Ruchty emphasizes. “The visions and forward-looking solutions presented in the accompanying program, together with the concrete products and innovations on display in the exhibit halls, make LogiMAT an ideal first-hand source for industry professionals to overcome their information deficit.”

From the new standalone components exhibited by system developers and integrators to the latest fully automated systems: LogiMAT offers a cross-section of the current range of solutions for efficient intralogistics in industry and commerce. Caljan GmbH (Hall 1, Booth K53) is coming to LogiMAT with its new AutoLoader, designed to be used by parcel service providers and local retailers alike with Caljan Performer telescopic conveyors to accelerate throughput times when handling parcels and individually packaged goods.

BEHA Innovation GmbH will be on the gallery in Hall 1 (Booth OG78) presenting the new BEHAbelt elastic conveyor belts, whose dual-component construction allows for a wide range of designs and structures in two different degrees of hardness. FAB Fördertechnik und Anlagenbau GmbH (Hall 1, Booth D44) will present a customizable conveyor technology solution for automated loading and unloading that the company reports is capable of completely unloading a semi-trailer with 33 pallets within four minutes.

cellumation GmbH (Hall 3, Booth B78) is coming to Stuttgart with an absolute innovation in conveyor technology: the “celluveyor” cellular conveyor and positioning system. This unique new development consisting of small conveyor cells with omnidirectional drive wheels brings a completely new design and potential applications to conveyor technology for managing complex material flows. Depending on the application, this can also reduce space requirements by up to 95% compared to conventional conveyor technology components.

Combining various technologies for greater efficiency

LogiMAT 2020 offers the opportunity to discover many new developments in the area of fully automated storage and order picking, both at the component level and in the design of complete systems. Stock Solutions (Hall 1, Booth K64), for example, has completely reimagined the automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS). Short:CUT is an ASRS for small parts warehouses that operates according to the windshield wiper principle, which lets it cover a range of performance between a conventional ASRS and a shuttle solution.

New developments such as the StoreBiter One-Level-Shuttle (OLS) X from GEBHARDT Fördertechnik GmbH (Hall 5, Booth A71), the patented shuttle solution Dynamic Fashion Warehouse by psb intralogistics GmbH (Hall 1, Booths B11 and B04), and the fully automated picking solution for fruit and vegetable containers by Stöcklin Logistik AG (Hall 3, Booth B35) bring fresh momentum to the storage system marketplace. The Stöcklin system solution consists of a depalletizer with universal gripper, pre-stacker, special conveyor technology, sequencer, palletizer, and wrapper. Automatic picking allows both single-use and reusable containers to be provided directly from the article pallet in a single process flow on store pallets, eliminating time-consuming intermediate steps.

The shuttle solution from psb combines a shuttle system with suspended goods technology in a newly developed suspended goods shuttle. With a performance boost of 700% and 25% more storage density than an automated warehouse with an ASRS, this opens up completely new usage scenarios for handling mixed goods carriers and partial removals of suspended goods from blocks. The OLS X from GEBHARDT offers a combination of shuttle and AGV technologies. The aisles of the shuttle storage system are connected to one another via platforms, so that the vehicles can change between the aisles without rail guidance and interchangeable bogies.

Eurofork S.p.A. (Hall 3, Booth B19) presents the ESMARTSHUTTLE, a new pallet shuttle that transcends traditional warehouse structures using patented DataMatrix technology with precise 3D mapping for the positioning, storage, and monitoring of goods in the warehouse.

Innovative new handhelds offer an exciting glimpse into the future. The medical technology company Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA (Hall 1, Booth A75) is presenting applications with AR glasses that support order picking and building planning—plus the much-anticipated exoskeletons in the Paexo product line, on display for the first time in Stuttgart. “Lifting loads, moving pallets, working in a squatting position: In such situations, our solutions provide noticeable relief in the lower back, shoulders, and wrists,” says Dr. Sönke Rössing, Head of Industrials at Ottobock. “This makes our Paexo product line especially beneficial to the logistics industry.” The Paexo Soft Back exoskeleton, launched in October 2019, can be put on like a hip belt in just a few seconds and then ensures an ergonomic posture. It supports the user around the lower spine during standing activities and light load handling, so that even longer picking tasks can be carried out standing up. Another plus: The various Paexo exoskeletons can be combined with one another for extensive support.

Sustainability engineered into the systems

The international exhibitors at LogiMAT 2020 are also presenting numerous exhibits that showcase their expertise in the area of sustainability. “Mechanical engineering is critical in the effort to protect our climate,” proclaims VDMA President Welcker. At the joint booth sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, automation specialist EHATEC GmbH (Hall 7, Booth C61H) is presenting many options by which green logistics is helping to optimize processes and resource consumption through smart control concepts for automated intralogistics. SSI Schäfer (Hall 1, Booth D21) has even adopted green logistics as the very focal point of its presentation this year. “Sustainable intralogistics encompasses everything from ‘green crane’ construction of logistics facilities to shuttle technology, green conveyor technology, predictive maintenance concepts, and the adoption of reusable container closed loops,” says the company about its approach.

“The potential applications and challenges of intralogistics in the industrial, trade, and services sector are quite complex,” Ruchty concludes. “The equipment and system manufacturers offer flexible, highly innovative solutions that help businesses find a strategy for aligning their own intralogistical processes. They offer a path for making technologically essential investments both prudent and sustainable. If you want to put your intralogistics on a sound path toward digital automation, you simply must come to LogiMAT.”

About LogiMAT

LogiMAT, the 18^th International Trade Show for Intralogistics Solutions and Process Management, is coming to the Messe Stuttgart convention center, directly adjacent to Stuttgart International Airport, March 10–12, 2020. Presented by EUROEXPO Messe- und Kongress-GmbH, LogiMAT ranks as the world’s largest trade show for intralogistics solutions with a complete market overview of everything driving the intralogistics industry, from procurement to production to shipping. International exhibitors gather early in the year to showcase innovative technologies, products, systems, and solutions for streamlining operations, optimizing processes, and cutting costs in a company’s internal logistics. Beyond the exhibitor booths, visitors can also experience a different program of presentations each day covering a wide range of topics.

EUROEXPO has also partnered with Landesmesse Stuttgart since 2014 to present the annual LogiMAT China, which returns to Shanghai alongside transport logistic China, June 16–18, 2020.

Bangkok, Thailand, is a new venue in the portfolio. “LogiMAT | Intelligent Warehouse” makes its debut May 13–15, 2020. It focuses on the Southeast Asian market and follows in the footsteps of “Intelligent Warehouse,” which was presented by local organizer Expolink Global Networks Ltd. from 2015 to 2019.