Crown, Jungheinrich and Still have secured three nominations each in the prestigious International Forklift of the Year (IFOY) awards, proving they are the ones to beat in the materials handling industry.
Toyota, BYD Europe and SSI Schäfer have also secured spots in the final round of the competition which acknowledges the best warehousing solutions and equipment across the globe.
There are five categories this year which includes Counter Balanced Trucks (up to 3.5 tonnes), Special Vehicles, Warehouse Trucks (high lifters), Warehouse Trucks (low lifters) and Intralogistics Solutions.
In the Counter Balanced Trucks category, BYD Europe’s ECB 18C 3-wheel counterbalance forklift, Crown’s C-5 Vierrad-LPG forklift and Toyota Materials Handling’s Traigo 48 lithium ion forklift will be battling it out for the top spot.
A new category this year is the Special Vehicles category which rewards innovative equipment that is not your average order picker or fork truck.
Jungheinrich’s EJQ pedestrian-controlled truck specifically designed to change the wheelsets on Germany’s Intercity (IC) and Intercity-Express (ICE) trains has picked up a nomination in the category.
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Jungeheinrich’s innovative EJQ pedestrian-controlled truck has been designed to change the wheelsets on Germany’s IC / ICE trains.
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Thanks to four-way technology, the EJQ is able to manoeuvre in confined spaces travelling in longitudinal or transverse direction for sideways approach to the track.
The other nominee for the Special Vehicles category is Still’s Ergopick CX-S 16 horizontal order picker that features a vacuum lifter mounted on a boom.
A pump generates the suction force electrically so load weights of up to 40kg can be lifted securely and easily.
The Warehouse Trucks category has been split into two this year, which are the low lifters and high lifters categories.
The nominees for each category are:
Warehouse Trucks (low lifters):
- Crown RT 4020 pallet truck
- Jungheinrich EZS 5100 + GTE 312 tow tractor
Warehouse Trucks (high lifters):
- Jungheinrich EKX 516 high rack stacker
- Still’s EXV-SF 16i high lift pallet truck
- Toyota Material Handling Europe’s BT Staxio SPE 140L Lithium Ion platform stacker
Last but not least, the Intralogistics Solutions category recognises excellent examples of custom warehouse solutions logistic companies have designed for their clients. In this category, judges will decide the winner based on innovative quality, customer benefit, sustainability and marketability of the solution.
Crown, SSI Schäfer and Still have all secured a nomination in this category.
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SSI Schaffer has designed and implemented a fleet solution with Weasel driverless transport systems at the NextLevel Logistik GmbH company in Eltmann near Schweinfurt, Germany.
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According to the IFOY committee, a jury made up of 25 internationally reputed trade journalists from 16 countries around the globe will decide the winner of each category based on the equipment’s innovative quality, technology, design, ergonomics, handling, safety, cost effectiveness and sustainability.
Over a one week period in February this year, the jury put the finalists through their paces at the Hannover trade fair grounds in Germany to decide the winners.
The award ceremony will take place on the opening day of the world’s largest intralogistics trade fair, CeMAT on May 31 in Hannover.