The Swiss intralogistics specialist Swisslog (Hall 27, Stand D29) has every confidence that this year’s CeMAT will live up to its reputation as the industry’s top international gathering. Many factors contribute to its enduring success: a strong international presence, a highly diverse audience from many different sectors of industry and from businesses large and small, a broad spectrum of exhibitors, and an impressively knowledgeable trade public interested in a wide range of logistics solutions. “For all these reasons we shall be showing our complete range of products and services, including our work to promote sustainability under the energy label ‘Greenlog’”, says company spokesman Christian Winiker. “The guiding principles of ‘Greenlog’ are to reduce weight wherever possible and to use energy-efficient drives. This ensures that the energy consumption of the technology used in any particular case is reduced to a minimum.”

The themes of sustainability and energy efficiency are very much to the fore at this year’s CeMAT. Under the motto “The world of efficiency”, SSI Schäfer is showcasing its complete product range in a high-concept presentation highlighting state-of-the-art intralogistics solutions (Hall 13, Stand C20/40). Numerous technical innovations as well as improved versions of existing systems, modules and components will be featured in a working mock-up of a complete materials-handling operation covering some 2,100 square metres of exhibition space. As well as the high calibre of the business contacts to be made at CeMAT, SSI Schäfer also values the fact that the trade public is very international. Various technologies and products for process integration and increased efficiency will be demonstrated live at this year’s show, and the company will be unveiling three brand new systems in Hannover: the highly flexible and cost-effective Auto Cruiser Conveyor, a new fulfilment and order picking concept billed as “Fulfillment Factory”, and the Schäfer Order Verifier for automatic checking of order-picking jobs.

In Hall 27, Stand G24, Viastore Systems will present sustainable systems that help companies to make their warehouse and distribution centre operations more efficient, energy-saving and ergonomic. “We are putting together a complete automated small parts warehouse – with a new high-performance storage and retrieval machine, a new load-handling device and upstream fully automated pick station”, explains managing director Christoph Hahn-Woernle. “The design engineers of our new high-performance SRM ‘Viaspeed’ focused their attention on producing a machine with a wide dynamic range and high energy efficiency. It was developed on lightweight construction principles and can be equipped with energy equalization or energy recovery options.”

The advanced version of the fully automated picking system “Viapick” for products moving at a moderate or slow speed can also be seen live in action at CeMAT. In addition, Viastore will be presenting a new high-performance pick station, a new release of their Warehouse Management System “Viadat” and innovations from its SAP Logistics Solutions division.

Vanderlande Industries will be presenting a state-of-the-art fully Automated Case Picking (ACP) solution at the show (Hall 27, Stand J34). “With this system a reduction of 40% in order-picking costs per case can be achieved”, says managing director Matthias Kramm. “It is particularly suitable for the retail distribution sector, where a high throughput rate is needed in order to handle a broad range of products with a large number of cases.”

Vanderlande will also be demonstrating its goods-to-man item picking concept CPS with the “Pick Ease” workstation. With this high-performance ergonomic workstation operators can achieve a sustainable handling rate of 900 order lines per hour. The capabilities of the “Vision” Warehouse Management System, which provides all the required functionalities to manage the various warehouse processes, will also be on display. “The strong recovery, which is currently being reflected in much fuller order books for intralogistics suppliers, means that visitors will be flocking to CeMAT this year, despite the competition from other trade shows”, notes Kramm. “So I’m expecting to meet many visitors from virtually every European country, who will be coming to Hannover with shopping lists for current projects.”

This year’s presentation in Hannover by the Austrian intralogistics specialist Knapp (Hall 27, Stand D24) is called “All-in-Shuttle” and will feature systems solutions with the focus on OSR shuttle technology. Shuttle systems are fast becoming the technology of choice for all warehousing processes – including the storage, picking and sorting of small parts. And warehousing concepts are becoming increasingly simplified as a result.

“We are premiering our new ‘Pick-it-Easy’ goods-to-man workstation at CeMAT, which is supplied by an OSR shuttle”, says Joachim Erhard, managing director of Knapp Deutschland GmbH. “Also totally new are our open shuttles, which can move around freely within the warehouse. They can be used for all kinds of different tasks, opening the door to highly flexible warehousing solutions in the future.”

The Knapp stand features two complete handling systems that can be seen in action at the show. One demonstrates logistics solutions for the fashion industry – developed in association with Dürkopp Fördertechnik GmbH, recently acquired by the Knapp Group – while the other is a solution for goods-to-man picking in the food/retail sector.