Autonomous Warehouse Vehicles: Elster Launches Pilot Project in Production

Elster Automates Material Transport with Autonomous Warehouse Vehicle

Elster GmbH, a company of the Honeywell group that develops and produces products and system solutions for the safety, measurement, and control of gases, is automating part of its internal material transports for the first time at its location in Lotte near Osnabrück. Since the beginning of July, an autonomous warehouse vehicle of the type "EAE 212a" from Jungheinrich has been supplying the production with pallets. The pilot project is intended to provide Elster with insights into the use of automated intralogistics in ongoing operations.

Twelve stations over 210 meters

So far, according to Jungheinrich, the corresponding material transports have been carried out manually. The autonomous vehicle now takes over the pallets at a transfer station and delivers them to various drop-off points in production.

Along a route approximately 210 meters long, the vehicle serves a total of twelve stations. Loads on "EPAL 1" type Euro pallets are transported. The low-lift vehicle is designed for ground transport of pallets and has a load capacity of up to 1,200 kilograms. A lithium-ion battery powers the vehicle. Through automatic intermediate charging, it is intended to be continuously available for transport tasks.

Navigation without Artificial Landmarks

According to Jungheinrich, no structural modifications are required for the deployment of the autonomous vehicle. The EAE 212a navigates without artificial landmarks and can handle different floorings along its route.

The vehicle independently recognizes obstacles and autonomously navigates around them, according to the provider. This makes the solution designed for mixed operation, where people and the autonomous vehicle move in the same operational areas.