Elettric 80 challenges the notion that only production companies benefit from automation. Also the activities of distribution centres can be automated to advantage by Laser Guided Vehicles, increasing both warehouse efficiency and safety while reducing costs. A considerable advantage of the Elettric 80 LGV systems is that they are usually implemented in existing warehouse environments, with little or no site modification required. Consequently, the investment is budget-friendly and quickly returned.

Depending on the storage method, the type of goods and the volumes that are shipped, the warehouse owner can opt for different types of LGVs; counterbalanced or straddle vehicles, capable of transporting one, two or more pallets at a time. The system can adapt to most methods depending on the type of goods, for instance block stacking, drive-in racks, gravity racks, push back racks and narrow aisle racking, giving the warehouse unparalleled flexibility.
Elettric 80’s latest innovation, Giraffe is a single pallet reach truck, which targets the needs of warehouses with very high racks. It can handle goods at eleven metres high.

All the Elettric 80 LGVs need, in order to perform their work with extreme precision, is small passive reflectors located within the area to be automated.

Everyday procedures such as goods receiving, storing and shipping can relatively easily be automated this way. Daytime shipping can be facilitated by nighttime pre-staging, allowing prepared goods to be loaded into any waiting trailers or containers as soon as the working day begins. Under certain conditions, the LGVs can even handle the loading.

At any desired interval, and usually during night, the LGVs can perform so called housekeeping. For instance, they can concentrate pallets with the same kind of goods into full bins, leaving others empty, for rational and time-saving handling during daytime, and fill up the racks closest to the shipping area with the most frequently shipped products.

In addition to the optimisation of the warehouse, personal safety is increased, not only because of the centimetre-precision handling characteristic of the Elettric 80 LGVs, but also thanks to their advanced safety technology which continuously scans the immediate surrounding area. If an obstacle is detected, the LGV slows down and eventually stops, until the obstacle is removed, avoiding collision.

The tasks performed during nighttime further reduce the required goods movement during the day, which makes the whole environment calmer and easier to manage. This efficient use of the system also reduces the total number of LGVs needed.

The flexible and adaptable Elettric 80 Warehouse Management System (WMS) integrates seamlessly with most existing computer systems and does not require the existing system to be exchanged. All pallets can easily be traced through it at any point.
Clients’ orders, entered the same way as always, will also generate orders for the LGVs. /ins

The Elettric 80 systems can be found in warehouses worldwide, mainly in three industry sectors; Tissue, Beverage and Food. Among the clients are Carlsberg in Sweden, Heinz in Canada, Ferrero in Italy and Garcia Carrion in Spain.

Details, explanatory films and animations can be found at www.elettric80.com.
A complete operational end-of-line chain will be shown at Drinktec in Munich, Sep 14-19, 2009, Hall A6 Stand 321.


For further information, please contact:

Linda Brånell
+46 31 708 60 36
Branell.l@elettric80.it

Press release images