These "Highlights" are a small selection from the Products and innovations press service for the CeMAT 2008 (registration is mandatory). The press service already covers nearly 110 exciting product innovations and will be updated and extended up until the start of the fair.

Kito will be introducing a new electric chain hoist from their ER2 series, which features innovative frequency inverter technology for dual lifting speeds. The 6:1 speed ratio is pre-set in the factory as standard, but it can also be adjusted individually up to a ratio of 12:1. This is said to enable the user to position the load even more precisely.

According to the German manufacturers, the newly developed load sheave in combination with the adoption of advanced chain processing technology ensures reliability and safety and also increases the durability of the load chain.

The special feature of the load sheave is the seen in its five- or six-pocket system, depending on the model. This is claimed to guarantee smooth and low-noise operation. Another highlight is the newly designed electro-magnetic brake. The brake unit has a significantly longer service life since it apparently only needs servicing after two million brake applications.

Jungheinrich, a leading supplier of warehousing technology based in Hamburg, reports that it will be presenting its new combustion engine fork-lift truck with hydrostatic drive to professional visitors at an international fair for the first time.

The new vehicle is described as an extremely quiet VFG 425s-435s-type high-tech truck. Compared with the competitor models, it is said to offer the highest handling turnover rates with the least consumption. It is also claimed to have a minimal impact on the environment thanks to its very low emission values. According to its manufacturers, the counterbalance stacker from their plant in Moosburg is able to transport up to 3,500 kilograms, stack up to a lift height of 7.50 meters, and is equipped with German-made hydrostatic drive technology.

The core component of the forklift truck consists of Volkswagen engines that are used both in the diesel (DFG) and the gas (TFG) versions. The variable displacement pump and the wheel engines come from Bosch Rexroth. The basis for maximum performance and maximum energy efficiency at the same time reportedly lies in the vehicle's system control and the company-developed software with which it runs.

At the world's leading intralogistics trade fair this year, Linde Material Handling will be showcasing their newest developments as well as around 60 trucks from their highly diversified product range in pavilion P32 on the open-air site. According to the exhibitors, the display will be based, both in terms of design and content, on their Pure Motion concept, with the focus being on ergonomics, the environment, and economic efficiency.

The company says it will be demonstrating its position as a technology leader with its three different drive concepts for the future that take account of the fact that fossil energy sources are limited.

These include a 39X series IC (internal combustion) truck with what is claimed to be the world's first hydrogen engine with direct injection and compressor, the P 250 platform truck and tow tractor with a fuel cell, and a 39X series IC truck with a starter generator and an automatic start/stop system, which is known as a smooth/mild hybrid.

The Italian company Carreffe will be presenting their Selfloader, which is described as an innovative stacker for handling, loading and unloading goods on pallets to and from commercial vehicles. With the help of the patented Innolift EP 0553086 B1EP system, the machine self-loads itself onto the vehicle containing the goods and can then be transported to its destination.

A single operator can reportedly handle the collection, transport and delivery of the goods independently and easily. As is explained, the device can climb onto the truck even when empty, that is to say with no load on the forks, thanks to its counterbalanced fork system. It can also be used as a regular stacker in the warehouse.

However, the machine cannot be used on ramps or on uneven, slippery floors. It is available with capacities of 600 and 500 kg, with three different loading heights of 750, 950 and 1,200 mm, and with manual traction and electric lifting. Charging is possible on board during transport. The manufacturers insist that its unique and operator-friendly features make loading and unloading operations simple and convenient to perform.

The versatile ML 5016SR side-reach stacker from Oy Meclift is said to replace the conventional method of using many different machines to handle and carry loads. The new stacker handles and carries freight containers and other loads in a longitudinal direction, reportedly enabling a higher transport speed and more efficient performance.

Thanks to its low center of gravity, the machine can handle loads up to 42.5 metric tons under the top-lift spreader at a load distance of 1.6 meters, and 30.5 metric tons without using support legs. According to the Finnish manufacturers, the device can lift a container, two coupled containers or heavy loads on its frame, move the load at a speed of 30 km/h, as well as unload and stack containers up to four high.

The Italian company Tellure Rôta will be presenting its new TR-Roll wheels from the 62 series. The development is described as an innovative product that combines the silent running, comfort and ability to overcome obstacles of a rubber-covered wheel with the wear resistance, load capacity and resistance to mechanical movement of a polyurethane wheel.

Technical features include a wheel tread made of polyurethane and an aluminium center. The wheels have a ball-bearing bore and there is also a version without bearings. Diameters are specified as ranging from 100 to 200 mm. The load capacities are said to extend from 300 to 700 daN. The brackets can be of the types NL for standard duty applications, P for heavy-duty use or EP for extra-heavy duty use, or the wheels can be delivered in an electro-welded EE enclosure.

The series is seen as suitable for use in industrial environments for carrying medium-heavy loads, including uses in mixed outdoor and indoor settings. On floors that are not uneven, speeds of up to 16 km/h can apparently be achieved.

TGW notes that top performance and optimum volume utilization are prerequisites for the direct storage of cartons. At the fair, TGW will be presenting their new Mustang high-speed stacker crane and their flexible Twister V load-handling device as an optimum carton storage solution. The former is described as an automated storage and retrieval machine that achieves an acceleration value of 4 m/s2 and a top speed of 6 m/s.

The crane has a maximum height of 18 m and a maximum payload of 100 kg, which allows its use in very high-volume small-parts storage applications. The second exhibit, the company's load-handling device, has been specially developed for the double-deep storage of cartons of different dimensions and qualities.

As a result, the manufacturers maintain, cartons ranging from 300x200 mm to 600x600 mm can be handled simultaneously by one and the same device in a reliable manner. Flexibility and highest storage and retrieval performance is said to be achieved by these two handling units in combination. The combined solution also aims to satisfy any possible future requirements that may arise for the direct handling of cartons.

The new Safe-T-Lock (STL) from TVH is claimed to effectively prevent unauthorized use of a truck or vehicle. The programmable code switch has an input requirement of 12 to 120 VDC and supports up to 99 different users or drivers. The maintenance cycle is given as 250 on-hours. Thanks to its last user ID function, a supervisor can easily identify the last vehicle operator, for instance in the event of an accident.

The device is reportedly waterproof and IP65-protected. The switch also has an internal clock that records the operating hours and warns the user when the vehicle reaches the 250-hour mark. Moreover, it can also be connected through the seat switch to deactivate the vehicle after three minutes of inactivity.

As an example of cost-saving system integration in the field of industrial trucks, Schaltbau points to new combination devices that carry out all the electrical functions between a connector and drive, thus making mounting easier and more cost-effective. The company's combination contactors, for instance, comprise the emergency disconnect switch with auxiliary contact, the main fuse and control fuse with their holders, the main contactor with its auxiliary switches, the holder for the buzzer and the connector plug, as well as the complete wiring of all these components.

As is pointed out, this means that there will only be a single system-integrated subassembly that has to be mounted for all these manifold functions in future. In cooperation with a leading supplier of forklift trucks, the first combination switching device has reportedly been developed within a year. Two design variants have followed and others are in preparation.

Complete Logistic Systems will be showcasing the new Express Loader for the automatic loading of transport containers, such as trucks, on the basis of a platform. As the developers point out, the integration of an automatic loading station while retaining existing arrangements for the warehouse and for consignment results in cost savings.

Moreover, staff can be assigned more flexibly, the number of operations is reduced, and the time that trucks spend in the yard is cut. The heart of the transport system is a large-dimensioned piece of loading equipment to accommodate the truck loads. It can be loaded as a whole or stowed away in a flow rack. The equipment is seen as particularly suitable for mixed loads, such as pallets, roll cars, bags, coils, skeleton containers and long pieces of material, which cannot be loaded using conventional conveyors.

- Deutsche Messe -