New lift trucks have to go right to work in existing applications without disrupting operations. What’s more, the basic lift truck remains the backbone of most warehouses, DCs and manufacturing plants. Those evolutionary changes are resulting in trucks that are more productive, smarter and reliable than ever before,” according to the staff at Modern Materials Handling magazine,
Modern Materials Handling staff recently discussed the trend in automating lift trucks. Raymond ready lift trucks can operate as automatic guided vehicles. Raymond will introduce an automated lift truck incorporating a camera-based navigation system from Seegrid in early 2012. The justification for automation is simple: Labor is expensive. “If you look at the five-year economic life of a lift truck, labor represents 70% to 75% of the total investment,” says Frank Devlin, manager of advanced technologies at Raymond. “If you can maximize your labor force, there is a tremendous need for this.”
Robotic industrial vehicles are, according to the insurance companies, ten times as safe as human-operated vehicles. In addition to reducing costs, improving safety is another reason that this industry is becoming increasingly interested in robotics.
About Seegrid:
Founded in 2003, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Seegrid Corp. (www.seegrid.com) brings robotic vision-guided technology to the material handling industry. With more than thirty years of innovation and research by the leading robotic scientists, engineers, programmers and logistics practitioners worldwide, Seegrid’s exclusive Robotic Industrial Trucks are revolutionizing the movement of materials in manufacturing and distribution environments. Seegrid’s technology transforms industrial vehicles into un-manned, automated pallet trucks and tow tractors that operate without the need for wire, tape, laser or other costly automated guided vehicle (AGV) guidance systems. Seegrid offers solutions that optimize workflow processes by increasing productivity and reducing costs, creating economic and operational advantages. Scott Friedman, Co-Founder and CEO of Seegrid, started the company with a clear mission: taking the driver off a forklift would be safer and save money. Seegrid is now poised as a leader in the $38 billion forklift market.
Seegrid Corporation
www.seegrid.com
Dave Noble
[email protected]
412-379-4500
