Award-winning BEST PRODUCTS for intralogistics

Innovation was the key to their success. An independent jury of scholars and journalists reviewed over 100 submissions and chose three winners that fully live up to the name of BEST PRODUCT as outstanding manifestations of the award criteria: They enhance productivity, reduce costs, and streamline operations. The award-winning companies, through their products, are helping to make processes more stable yet flexible in adapting to changes. By improving efficiency, they are ultimately boosting the productivity of the logistics industry. The BEST PRODUCT award was presented to the winners during the gala opening ceremony on the first morning of the LogiMAT trade show. Presenting the awards for the first time was Prof. Johannes Fottner, Chair of the Institute for Materials Handling, Material Flow, Logistics at the Technical University of Munich. Dr. Fottner took over as president of the jury from Prof. Willibald A. Günthner, who retired at the end of last year.

In the category of "Software, Communications, IT," the award went to Berger Engineering GmbH (Hall 3, Booth A62) for it global innovation of SEOS® technology.

SEOS® technology reduces oscillations in stacker cranes, allowing better throughput in highrack storage facilities. Its developers call SEOS the most efficient software solution for boosting the throughput rate in high-rack storage systems.

The basic principle behind SEOS software is to prevent vibrations from developing in the first place. This makes it possible to achieve high acceleration rates without a corresponding increase in material load and attrition. Intelligent controls prevent excessive mechanical stress. The main benefit of this is to prevent hairline fractures from developing in the base of the mast, but the optimized driving trajectory that SEOS enables also extends the life of motors, gear Messemechanisms, and drive wheels. The result is longer-lasting mechanical components and lower maintenance costs. In addition to equipping new facilities with SEOS software, companies can also integrate SEOS into existing systems as a simple and affordable alternative to expanding their high-rack storage capacity. The SEOS Calculator is an integrated solution for stacker cranes that will be on display for the first time anywhere in the world at LogiMAT 2018.

In the category of "Order Picking, Conveying, Lifting, and Storing Technology," the award went to Magazino GmbH (Hall 5, Booth D55) for its SOTO robot.

The fully autonomous mobile robot SOTO relies on 3D camera technology to pick up objects from a conveyor system, place them on the vehicle, navigate to the destination, and place the objects on the precise shelf location where they belong. This makes SOTO the world’s first perception-controlled robot offering this spectrum of capabilities in a single solution. The smart robot is used primarily in distribution centers for the fashion industry, but it is also designed to provide automated replenishment in production logistics using small load carriers. SOTO features multiple cameras in its arm to help it pick up objects with precision: A 3D camera helps find the objects on the shelf and identify their precise dimensions and location in space, while a 2D camera is used to scan barcodes. Before picking up or returning any object, SOTO looks at the shelf to test its assumptions against reality. It then plans and executes the movements of its arm mechanism based on what it sees.

The result is a flexible, scalable solution for many intralogistical processes that were previously too complex for automation. But above all, SOTO relieves human workers of ergonomically unpleasant tasks. Besides reducing the costs of wages and processes, SOTO also has the potential to greatly expand operating hours. SOTO can assist or take over during the more expensive or unpopular times such as early morning or night shifts. SOTO can also do prep work on the weekend to significantly alleviate the heavy workload that otherwise accumulates on Monday morning.

In the category of "Identification, Packaging and Loading Technology, Load Securing," the award went to ProGlove (Hall 10, Booth C76) for its ProGlove MARK smart glove.

The first-of-its-kind "smart glove" works with the most commonly used tool in the world: the human hand. ProGlove Mark frees up your hands and provides additional feedback on your work processes. A button activated by the thumb can scan a barcode, for example, and immediately gives the wearer optical, acoustic, and haptic feedback. Users know right away whether they chose the right tool or performed the work steps in the right sequence without having to look at a screen or use a handheld scanner.

Wearing the glove eliminates the need to repeatedly reach for a scanner, significantly increasing the speed of production and logistics processes. Motion sensors can document work steps and identify errors as soon as they occur.

The ProGlove Mark system consists of a central processing unit and a work glove with integrated electronics. According to ProGlove, the Mark supports easy plug-and-play integration into existing systems.

The three products awarded BEST PRODUCT 2018 represent all the other exhibitors at LogiMAT 2018 who are presenting their innovations to industry professionals across 117,000 square meters of exhibit space in 9 halls.

Background information:

The BEST PRODUCT award was initiated 15 years ago by the organizers of LogiMAT in order to draw attention to the outstanding achievements of the exhibitors, many of whom are small or medium-sized businesses. Since that time, the award has honored innovative products that have made a significant contribution to streamlining processes, cutting costs, and enhancing productivity in the internal logistics of businesses. The BEST PRODUCT award is presented in three categories:

– Software, communications, IT
– Order picking, conveying, lifting, and storing technology
– Identification, packaging and loading technology, load securing

In the run-up to LogiMAT, an independent jury of scholars and journalists critically evaluates the submissions based on the aforementioned criteria, then selects the winners. The award has since been recognized as one of the most coveted distinctions in the intralogistics industry. Winners are presented with a certificate and a medal during the gala opening ceremony of LogiMAT.

Members of the BEST PRODUCT award jury:

– Prof. Johannes Fottner (Dr.-Ing.), Chair of the Institute for Materials Handling, Material Flow, Logistics at the Technical University of Munich (Jury President)
– Jan Kaulfuhs-Berger from the industry journal Hebezeuge Fördermittel
– Prof. Rolf Jansen (Dr.-Ing.), Institute for Distribution and Retail Logistics (IDH) at the Society for the Promotion of Innovation in Logistics (VVL e.V.)
– Thilo Jörgl from the industry journal LOGISTIK HEUTE
– Prof. Wolf-Michael Scheid (Dr.-Ing.); Association of German Engineers, Society for Production and Logistics (VDI-GPL)
– Tobias Schweikl from the industry journal LOGISTRA
– Prof. Karl-Heinz Wehking (Dr.-Ing.), Institute for Conveyance Technology and Logistics (IFT), University of Stuttgart