Today’s Forklift News looks at 3D vision for autonomous forklifts, an unusual two-runner approach to pallet transport, a stretch-wrapping AMR helping close the automation loop at a beverage distributor, and a fresh warehouse management opportunity in Virginia.
SAFETY | Forklift Strikes Ammonia Line at New York Cold Storage Facility
A forklift reportedly struck an ammonia line at a cold storage facility in Williamson, New York, prompting an emergency response that lasted more than three hours.
Fire crews were called to Williamson Cold Storage at about 1:15 p.m. after the incident. Responders reported seeing a light ammonia fog coming from the building and used water streams from outside to help reduce airborne ammonia while the leak was brought under control.
Two nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution and a neighboring business temporarily closed as winds carried the ammonia toward nearby properties. New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation also responded to assess air and water quality.
The incident is a reminder of a less obvious material-handling risk in refrigerated warehouses: lift trucks can operate close to refrigeration piping and other infrastructure where a collision can quickly become a hazardous-material emergency.
AUTONOMOUS FORKLIFTS | 3D Vision Helps Autonomous Forklift Find the Pallet
AI Korea has demonstrated an autonomous forklift prototype that uses cameras and 3D vision to navigate warehouse operations and position itself for pallet handling.
The system applies AI Korea’s software and vision technology to an electric forklift. Rather than relying on fixed floor guidance, the truck maps its operating area, establishes a travel path and avoids obstacles. A stereo depth camera mounted low on the vehicle recognizes the fork-entry openings in a pallet and helps the forklift adjust its position for handling.
The concept also retains manual operation. AI Korea says repetitive movements can be assigned to autonomous driving while an operator can take over when human judgment is required.
ROBOTICS | Filics Rethinks the Pallet AMR
Instead of putting forks on a conventional autonomous mobile robot, Filics has taken a different approach to autonomous pallet movement. Its system uses two ultra-flat robotic runners that work together beneath the load.
The double-runner design can move load carriers in different directions without the turning maneuvers required by conventional lift trucks and many pallet-moving AMRs. Its extremely low profile also allows the robots to move beneath pallets, opening up applications in tight warehouse spaces and dense pallet storage.
The concept is worth watching because it approaches automation from the pallet outward rather than simply attempting to make a conventional forklift autonomous.
AUTOMATION | Lantech AMR Closes the Last Manual Gap at Texas Beverage Distributor
Lantech and Block One Automation have automated what had been the remaining manual stretch-wrapping step in Del Papa Distributing’s automated pallet-building operation in Texas City, Texas.
The installation incorporates Lantech’s SL400AMR stretch wrapper into Block One’s Pallet Factory. According to Lantech, the resulting process can take a supplier pallet through automated order building and send the completed customer pallet toward the dock wrapped and ready for shipment without manual intervention.
“Stretch wrapping was the last manual step standing between us and lights-out automation,” Block One founder Jonathan O’Neil said.
The application illustrates how autonomous pallet movement is beginning to connect with other warehouse processes rather than operating as a standalone transportation function.
JOB OF THE DAY | Logistics & Warehouse Manager | Evonik | Hopewell, Virginia
Evonik is recruiting a Logistics & Warehouse Manager to lead day-to-day warehouse and logistics operations at its Hopewell manufacturing site in Virginia.
The position includes responsibility for the safe and efficient movement of materials and finished products while supporting production requirements and customer commitments. Evonik lists the position within Supply Chain and Procurement and gives a salary range of $83,900 to $139,800.
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Forklift News Daily is a curated weekday briefing from ForkliftRevolution.net covering lift trucks, automation, batteries, safety, fleet management and the changing material handling industry.
