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A number of brand-new forklifts will make their début at IMHX, including the 7-series of reach trucks from Doosan(stand 19H120) and the forklift range from Manitou(20B43), now available in the UK.Yale Europe Materials Handling will be showing its ‘V’ series of electric counterbalance forklifts for the first time in the UK. Following its distribution agreement with Briggs Equipment in 2010, Yale will be exhibiting alongside Briggs on stand 20C110 and will focus on developments in ergonomics and technology, with visitors able to access information using tablet- and web-based applications.

Crown Lift Trucks(19J90) will be unveiling a number of new machines at IMHX under its ‘Ideas That Advance’ slogan. Models in the company’s new ESR 5200 series of reach trucks feature OCS (Optimised Cornering Speed) and a regenerative lowering option that helps reduce battery changes. Also on the stand and new to the UK market will be the WP3000 series of powered pallet trucks, the 80v TSP 7000 VNA turret truck and the SC 5300 series of 3-wheel electric counterbalance trucks.

Toyota Material Handling(20F70) will present its unique forklift simulator for the first time at IMHX. Thought to be the world’s first forklift simulator, the unit features three display screens to give forward, side and rear views. Operators are timed as they accomplish various tasks such as vehicle loading. The Toyota Training Academy team will guide visitors through the simulator and also provide specialist advice about the financial and safety benefits of the company’s Training+ programme. Also displayed on the Toyota stand will be a classic 1970s FG7 forklift, which the company has completely restored to its former glory. Jungheinrich UK Ltd(19L134) will be promoting its range of counterbalanced and warehouse trucks and handling solutions under the banner ‘BestInvest’. Exhibits will include a new reach truck – the ETV 318, which will be seen for the first time at IMHX – and the recently launched Auto Pallet Mover (APM), a driverless truck designed to perform routine handling tasks.

Visitors expecting to enjoy the traditional combination of dancing trucks and Guinness offered by Combilift will not be disappointed at IMHX. The company will be shining a spotlight on its new electric models, along with a brand-new product that will be under wraps until IMHX opens. The company’s stand (19J150) will also feature models from the Aisle-Master VNA articulated range, which now offer a lift height of up to 15m.  Another articulated truck supplier, Flexi Narrow Aisle(19J75) will launch its new Warehouse Systems Division, which offers comprehensive warehouse planning and design consultancy services, at the show. Of course, Flexi will also promote its range of award-winning articulated forklift and VNA trucks. Able to operate in aisles as narrow as 1.6m, these trucks can save warehouse operators at least 30 per cent of their storage costs.

Making their UK début at IMHX will be the Kinglifter truck-mounted forklifts from first-time exhibitor, Terberg DTS (UK) Ltd, which will be showing visitors details of the new trucks on stand 20C142. The Kinglifter range, which fits all popular makes of trailer and rigid bodywork available in the UK and Ireland, comprises the Kinglifter S, Kinglifter M and Kinglifter MC.Danish manufacturer, Logitrans A/S, will be showing several models from its range of handling equipment, including its new Twin Stacker, which can transport and stack two pallets at a time. Also on display on stand 20B160 will be the company’s Panther Mini powered pallet truck with AC technology, the Logiflex stacker and the Rotator truck, designed to enable the user to reach the contents of a load fully, without back strain, by turning it through up to 180º.

Motor sport fans will enjoy visiting the stands of GNB Industrial Power(19L120) and Pirtek(20C30). As well as Tensor, its new high-power, lead-acid battery for demanding applications, GBN will be displaying a Porsche GT3 Cup Car, sponsored by GNB’s parent group, Exide Technologies, and there will be a daily competition to win two hospitality tickets to a Porsche Carrera race meeting. Meanwhile Pirtek – leading supplier of hydraulic hoses, pipe fittings and couplings – will be hosting British Touring Car Independent Drivers’ Champion, Andrew Jordan, and his Honda Civic race car.

A number of exhibitors will be running competitions with great prizes. APEX Linvar(18N154) will be giving visitors a chance to win an iPad in a special competition, as well as displaying its racking solutions including pallet live and carton live storage, drive-in systems, shuttle storage, hanging garment solutions and mezzanine floors. Meanwhile visitors to the AEB stand (18P65) will have the chance to win an iPod shuffle in a business card raffle while browsing the company’s new-look ASSIST4 supply chain management and global trade software suite. ASSIST4 has evolved into a one-stop-shop for companies from SMEs to MNCs that are looking to streamline their supply chain workflows, improve regulatory compliance, maximise efficiency and cut costs.

Hoppecke Industrial Batteries(19K95) will be inviting IMHX visitors to take part in the Extra Mile challenge, a competition to underline how a battery must be looked after – much like a human heart – if it is to deliver optimum performance and length of service. The timed challenge will use a state-of-the-art Wattbike training bike, as endorsed by British Cycling and used by many Olympic athletes. The bike will measure 42 parameters 100 times a second – including the rider’s heart rate and maximum power output in Watts – with each participant receiving a free personal chart showing their performance and having their name added to a ‘Top Gear’-style leader board. Visitors will also be able to find out about Hoppecke’s bespoke and sustainable energy solutions, including the renowned Trak Air batteries and chargers.

EXDS(17Q112), the official UK distributor of the Cubiscan and Apache range of volumetric measuring and weighing equipment,willunveil two new solutions to the UK market at IMHX. The Cubiscan 125 is designed to measure and weigh irregular-shaped components, as well as boxed items, using either infrared or ultrasonic technology. The Apache Portal system, on the other hand, is designed for pallet loads and its construction allows it to be moved easily from one area to another. Using two Infrared scanners driven on linear guides, the Apache Portal has a measurement range of 2.5m x 2.5m x 2.5m. 

 SOMERSTOTALKARE, the UK’s number one supplier of heavy-duty vehicle lifting solutions, will be showing visitors the safest way to access the underside of forklift trucks for service and repair using its Forklifter System on stand 20B55. The solution, which has a four-tonne capacity, is suitable for both three- and four-wheeled trucks and is easily manoeuvrable.

Towering over the stand of Cooper Specialised Handling Ltd(20F25) will be the world’s first hybrid reach stacker. With a 45-tonne capacity, the new SMV 4531 TB5 HLT features a hybrid diesel/electric driveline, an electrified hydraulic lifting system and super capacitor-based energy storage to cut fuel consumption and emissions. Cooper SH, the UK’s sole national distributor of Konecranes Lift trucks and the Mantsinen range, will be inviting visitors to take part in a competitive driving challenge using a fully equipped simulator. The company will also showcase its new corporate identity following its acquisition of Samuk Lift Trucks, which are being marketed through a national dealer network.

Another product being launched at the show is the SICK LAC (Logistics Access Control) solution from leading supplier of industrial sensors, SICK (UK) Ltd (17P5). This clever device puts a ‘virtual lock’ on access to designated secure areas and is ideal for helping to implement anti-terrorism measures in the export of goods, particularly for air freight to the US. The SICK LAC combines non-contact laser measurement sensing with long-range RFID technology and integrated software to provide a customs-compliant access control system.

Exhibitor rm2 will be launching its new range of composite-material pallets on stand 17R127. The range includes the BLOCKPal heavy-duty pallet – which features high impact resistance, high strength-to-weight ratio and minimal creep – and the LEANPal polypropylene nestable pallet, which has low product weight and 50% nesting capability when not in use.

On the 380m²stand of automation specialist, SSI Schaefer, visitors will find two products that are brand-new to the UK market – theLogiMat and the Schaefer Auto Cruiser (SAC). The 6m-tall LogiMat is a space-saving, goods-to-man storage and picking system that is ideal for small parts storage and the system will feature in a live demo on the stand. Designed to bridge the gap between forklift transport and traditional conveyor technology, the SAC is ideal for low to average throughput. SSI Schaefer will also be showcasing its brand-new QX plastic container series, which provides excellent compatibility with automated and robotic handling systems; its Orbiter high-density storage and retrieval system; and its bolt- and clip-free R3000 adjustable shelving. Also showing its automation expertise at IMHX will be Vanderlande(19L180). The company will be demonstrating key solutions from its QUICKSTORE range of automated storage and retrieval systems – including the Microshuttle, the HDS shuttle system and various miniloads – as well as the ergonomic PICK@EASE workstation range.

One of the new solutions on the stand of storage specialist, BITO(18M102), will be sprinkler-friendly shelves. Constructed with holes just 11mm square, the shelves meet insurers’ requirement for 50 per cent of the shelf to be open to allow water from sprinklers to flow through, yet the small holes and smooth finish prevent order pickers’ fingers catching and causing injuries. BITO claims that the punched shelving is also ideal for refrigerated and ambient food storage, which requires a good air flow.

Sharing a stand for the first time at IMHX with KNAPP, its parent company, will be Dürkopp Fördertechnik(20D30), market leader in garment conveying and sortation equipment. The firm will be promoting its new pocket sorter system that enables both hanging garments and flat goods to be carried together for the first time on the same system. Already in use on mainland Europe and having won an award in France, the pocket sorter is ideal for e-commerce applications and can process 10,000 items an hour. Batch-picked goods are placed into the hanging pockets – each of which has an RFID tag – which are then conveyed to a matrix sorter so that they arrive at the packing stations in the correct sequence to collate each customer’s order.

Three new additions to the range available from European Conveyor Systems(17Q150) will be shown for the first time in the UK at IMHX 2013.  Designed by the company’s German partner, Gebhardt Fördertechnik, the new equipment includes Cheetah, a high-speed mini-load storage and retrieval machine. Designed using carbon fibre and aluminium, Cheetah offers exceptional speed, energy efficiency and positioning accuracy. Also on display will be the StoreBiter shuttle system, designed for handling a wide variety of bins and cartons in automated miniload warehouses, and Gebhardt System 600, a modular conveyor system that can be put into operation by end-users.

IMHX visitors looking to increase the efficiency of pick-and-pack and dispatch zones will find the latest advances in mail order fulfilment and protective packaging from Automated Packaging Systems(20C10). The company’s OneStep systems print postal and traceability data on the next bag and then open it for packing and sealing in a single step. For example, the AB 255 Horizontal OneStep, which will be exhibited at the show, makes it possible for a single packer to increase output ten-fold, with one operator achieving print and packing speeds of 300-360 packs per hour.

Another automated equipment supplier, Conveyor Systems Ltd(20E120),will exhibit its energy-efficient Zero Line Pressure accumulation conveyor, as well as – for the first time in the UK – its space-saving spiral elevator/lowerator with the latest design of ‘Super Grip’ slat.This new product is ideal for moving product vertically between different floor levels, whilst also providing a smooth flow and high throughput. Meanwhile, Savoye(19J80) will unveil its new, all-electric Intelis conveyor solution at IMHX, designed to be eco-friendly, flexible and silent. The Intelis range is equipped with electronic cards to decentralise conveyor control, offers an ‘eco-mode’ to reduce energy consumption and features adaptive performance to ensure the conveyors adapt to carton flow.

Interroll(20F102) will promote its range of dynamic storage solutions for pallet live and carton live buffer and order picking. The company will also be displaying its new wearless speed controller, which can control up to 100 pallets per hour, and its new PF 1000 Time Delay Safety Separator, which makes FIFO pallet flow easier by enabling pallets of different sizes and weights to be stored in the same flow channel.

Visitors to stand 18M140 will be able to experience a dynamic and lively demonstration of the science of an explosion from Pyroban, which converts forklift trucks and other mobile equipment so that they can be used safely and legally within hazardous areas. The company will also be promoting its new gas detection system for mobile industrial vehicles – Gascheka duo – which provides vehicle shut-off on detection of a flammable gas or vapour and can be added to any diesel, LPG or electric vehicle.

X2 Computing, provider of mobile computing solutions, will be showing IMHX visitors its new Carbon X220M tablet computer for retail and order fulfilment applications on stand 20B18. The company will also display its Tlantic Mobile Retail Suite, designed to automate and streamline the supply chain, and Mobile Picking, its new order fulfilment software solution which determines the order in which products are picked.

Exhibiting on stand 19L148 in the AMHSA Pavilion, VITRONIC will present its VICAM camera-based identification systems. These advanced systems allow packages to be identified quickly and accurately, carton deformities to be detected automatically and captured data to be integrated seamlessly into ERP systems. VICAM systems enable in-line capture and measurement of the surfaces and contours of packages placed in any rotational position on a conveyor at speeds of up to 3m/s. Also exhibiting as part of the AMHSA pavilion will be Joloda International(19L135), which will be promoting its automatic loading systems that can reduce loading time from 45 minutes to just 90 seconds. Two systems for palletised loads will be demonstrated on the Joloda stand – the Slipchain system, designed for short shuttle distances, and the Trailerskate system, engineered for longer distances.

Meanwhile Transdek, the award-winning lifting equipment specialist, will be demonstrating some of its range of lifting and loading solutions on stand 20D21. The company will show visitors working examples of its 20-tonne double deck lift, its 6.5-tonne V2G (vehicle to ground) system and its mezzanine floor lifts, which offer rapid fitting for safe and efficient access to mezzanine floors.

Caljan Rite Hite(19L140) will be highlighting the benefits of its Global Wheel-Lok vehicle restraint, which prevents vehicles from moving during the loading/unloading process and thereby reduces the risk of injury to employees in the loading dock area. The device works with virtually any trailer to avoid trailer creep accidents, also reducing insurance costs. The company will also be promoting its Dok-Guardian safety barrier to prevent personnel – particularly forklift drivers – from falling over the edge of vacant loading bays. The Dok-Guardian effectively stops a 4500kg forklift truck moving at speeds of up to 4mph.

Logistics integrator and software developer, Logistex(18N164), will invite IMHX visitors to experience its new warehouse systems demonstration suite, designed to give a hands-on experience of the complete supply chain process. Equipped with a web shop linked to Logistex’s comprehensive LWS Reflex warehouse management system and working RF equipment, the suite will allow visitors to place an order and follow it through the warehouse operation from receipt to replenishment, picking, packing and dispatch.

Advanced Handling, recently acquired by the Swedish Sunnex Group, will be showcasing its portfolio of standard and bespoke materials handling and lifting equipment for a range of industries including manufacturing, logistics and retail on stand 20F86. Following the acquisition, the company now also has a range of light duty trolleys, scissor tables and overhead rail systems, which it will also be promoting at the show. Wanzl UK Group (20B53), the largest single supplier of retail equipment in the UK, will return to IMHX to launch its latest materials handling and order picking solutions, including picking trolleys, roll cages and its ‘Reviva’ remanufactured equipment.

Dalmec Ltd will be unveiling its new Partner Equo manipulator on stand 18M141. This product offers practically perfect stability through a set of vertical guides combined with horizontal guides. With great manoeuvrability and no vertical drift, the Partner Equo enables precise positioning of components.

For the first time, the Schoeller Allibert stand (17Q100) at IMHX will showcase the broadest range of plastic reusable transit packaging (RTP) available from a single source, following the rebranding of LINPAC Allibert and Schoeller Arca Systems as one company. Schoeller Allibert will demonstrate how its RTP range can be used to reduce emissions, cut logistics and packaging costs and improve supply chain performance. New products on display will include Interfold, a new folding tray designed to inter-stack with the Maxinest range of nesting trays, and Minipac, a quarter-footprint wheeled and folding retail merchandising unit.

Other products available at IMHX will includethe new VERISCA high-speed reciprocating hoist and pallet lifter from Nerak UK(20B80); track-and-trace solutions from sensor specialist and RFID provider, Balluff(17Q145);the award-winning Signature armoured joint to protect construction joints in warehouse floors from Permaban(17P30); the Acuity battery-monitoring system from Curtis Instruments(20G80); the space-saving TowerMat vertical lift store and Modula Lift storage and picking system from Couzens Storage Solutions(20F92); and the brand-new Mad Grip and Mad Grip+ gloves from Polyco(17R93). Services being promoted at the exhibition will includewarehousing facilities from family-owned Onward Holdings(stand UK8 in the UKWA Pavilion); asset-backed finance solutions from Close Brothers Asset Finance(20B95); and custom-designed handling solutions from CI Logistics(19L146).