Control room

Indeed, under the umbrella of KION, intralogistics provider Still has secured a kind of "jewel" by participating in the new competence center at Antwerp, Belgium, the world's largest trading center for diamonds, which was recently inspected by over 80 European trade journalists.

The 11,800-square-meter building complex, formerly the headquarters of Egemin (acquired in 2015), had already gone into operation in October of last year. Now, the center has been transformed into a permanent showcase of intralogistics possibilities and automation opportunities. This was duly celebrated with a grand show in the city center and at the former hub of Central European trading, the Old (built in 1531) and New Stock Exchanges, which reopened in 2019.

Allegory of Modernity

A musical in operatic format, a truly colossal spectacle blending past and present. A dazzling light and laser show unfolds in a magnificent, historic building steeped in colonial style, exploring the tension between the emerging challenges and opportunities of a digital age, artificial intelligence, and robotic applications. An allegory for bygone eras, urban brownfield,sitesand modern adaptability, reflecting the shadows cast by current technological and societal developments, the full consequences of which are not yet foreseeable.

«Narrow-aisle circus»

This makes the careful approach to automation and robotization all the more valuable, as these are not simply intended to serve as "firemen" for a potential future unemployed, but rather to optimize production processes and supply functions for which fewer and fewer workers can be found.

Translated to the industrial level: From a purely plant engineering perspective, there are different entry scenarios for existing ("brownfield") plants as well as for new projects to be set up on a greenfield site ("greenfield"), which require explanation not only in the purely virtual space, for example with digital twins, with regard to newly intended functionalities.

Photos: klk.

Fully automated processes versus those still partially operated manually must be weighed during the planning phase. "You can also pursue a dual approach for a time," says Florian Heydenreich (43), who, since 2024, has been responsible for the strategic and operational management of the brand in EMEA within the four-person management team of the forklift manufacturer. Thus, in the category of future autonomous vehicles in the iGo series, there are smaller systems for simpler tasks ("iGo easy") and more complex devices for higher demands ("iGo systems"), which can be viewed "live" at the competence center.

High-performance solutions

In the "easy" segment, according to "Operations" managers Lukas Lange and Christian Riebesehl, no ERP/WMS is required, and thanks to security features, mixed operation is also possible. The "systems" variant, on the other hand, offers a more powerful solution for complex requirements, but requires a larger team and longer project durations. 

Trade press is rolling in

In one case study, 20,000 pallet storage locations were automated for a contract logistics provider, eight AGVs were integrated into the ERP system, and equipped with intelligent order assignment and storage location selection as well as flexible, individually adapted control systems.

The biggest challenge, says product trainer Benjamin Grope, is usually combining the various software standards used in the warehouse and seamlessly integrating manual processes wherever possible. Visitors can see for themselves – as they will at the upcoming LogiMAT trade fair – the interaction between a manual counterbalance forklift and the FM-X17 iGo telehandler, which handles automated storage and retrieval, horizontal transport in wide aisles for supplying block storage, drive-in and shuttle systems, or linear transport. The automated version is also nominated for the IFOY award this year and meets all the requirements of ISO standard 3691-4, the international safety standard for automated guided vehicles.

AXV 12 iGo in teamwork

The vehicle is equipped with a multi-level safety system that includes laser scanners, audible and visual warning signals, and emergency stop switches. The "digital twin" of each vehicle allows for rapid software updates and repairs by local service technicians. The standardized "iGo flow" software controls the process, manages transport, and tracks material flow.

The "multi-tool" among high-lift pallet trucks is still the first industrially manufactured driverless EXV iGo. A new AXV iGo was specifically built for simple applications and lowers the barrier to entry into automation – also thanks to its extremely short delivery time of – as promised – eight weeks, according to the manufacturer. If remote maintenance fails, a red button facilitates a program update.

Former Egemin site

A few meters away, an AXH "flatman" (naturally called "iGo"), an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that drives underneath the shelving unit to pick it up, makes its rounds using cloud connectivity and SLAM navigation (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping). Its camera system adjusts its position even if a shelf is tilted. And so that the user doesn't have to bend down, the device can also be switched on with a foot. The AXH can reportedly be integrated into warehouse management systems within just a few hours.

Within larger shelving systems, the iGo cube is also used as an individually adaptable, fully automated compact storage system.

The AXH-iGo "flask"

The final stop on a tour of the innovation center's warehouse landscape in Antwerp is a high-bay racking system featuring the MX-X iGo narrow-aisle stacker. It offers efficiency in confined spaces, high-quality manufacturing, full ISO 3691-4 compliance, and seamless brownfield deployment with regard to nominal and residual capacities, racking, and safety distances. Further development for fully automated operation is ongoing. Even now, the system can be operated almost as flexibly as manually. The next step in adaptability could then be achieved with the integration of AI.

www.still.de