DC Velocity - May 2013

Driverless walkie stacker: Seegrid Corp. has released a new driverless industrial truck, the GWS35 Walkie Stacker.

The GWS35 is a 3,500-pound walkie stacker built on an off-the-shelf Class III walkie-stacker chassis and equipped with Seegrid’s vision-guided autonomous navigation system.

Unlike Seegrid’s GP8 single- and double-pal-
let truck, the GWS35 is a forked robot
that takes palletized or racked loads
from elevated positions for stacking
and racking. The walkie stacker can
be used in manufacturing and
warehouse environments without
the need for wire, laser, tape, or
magnets. Applications for the
walkie stacker include kitting,
staging, and replenishment.
The GWS35 is equipped
with power steering, making
it easy for operators to
maneuver. With Seegrid’s

WalkThruThenWork technology, the GWS35 is set up in hours, and routes can be quickly and easily modified to accommodate product flow changes. (Seegrid Corp., www.seegrid.com)

Two-way radios: According to manufacturer Ritron Inc., the PT Series portable radios are suitable for warehousing, distribution, shipping and receiving, and other logistics/mater-ial handling environments. That’s because the two-way radios have a loud one-watt audio, which makes them easy to hear even in noisy warehousing and shipping and receiving locations, the company says.

The radios feature narrow-frequency channel steps for clearer communication with less interference. These FCC narrow-band compliant radios feature 255 channels with channel scan, priority scan, and scan resume functions. The radios have built-in selective signaling that can automatically alert users to priority messages.

The radios are small and lightweight but also robust. While they weigh only 10 ounces, they also meet Mil-STD 810F standards for temperature, humidity, shock, and vibration, and are IP65-rated for resistance to dust and water.

Each PT Series radio includes an emergency call button, status icons, and an easy-to-read alphanumeric LED display. The radios have nine programmable function buttons that can be customized to particular applications.

The radios have a 13-hour lithium-ion battery pack, which can provide enough power for “shift-plus” operations. The pack also issues a low-battery alert when it is time to recharge. (Ritron Inc., www.ritron.com)

Label printer-applicator: Weber Packaging Solutions’ new Model 4300e Pro-Apply all-electric label printer-applicator saves energy by eliminating the use of compressed air.

The unit prints labels in a next-out mode, automatically removes them from their liners, and retains them by vacuum onto the applicator pad. Unlike most conventional label printer-applicators, however, the new system creates that vacuum with electrically operated fans instead of external compressed air.

As a carton approaches the Model 4300e system, the pad gently applies a label to the top or side of a case or package. The system handles labels up to 6 inches wide and 6 inches long. (Weber Packaging Solutions, www.weberpackaging.com)