The industry’s first sensory aisle entry assistant from HUBTEX

Precise entry into narrow-aisle warehouses without damaging racks or goods

Increasing storage capacity in confined spaces: By using multidirectional side loaders in narrow-aisle warehouses, companies benefit from maximizing their storage capacity. Consequently, operators face challenges with this warehouse layout: One is entering the narrow aisle with pinpoint accuracy. HUBTEX has developed the industry's first sensory aisle entry assistant, enabling equipment handling long goods to enter aisles without collision. All PhoeniX models can be equipped with the new assistance system.

The principal working environment of multidirectional sideloaders is narrow aisles. Guide rollers with corresponding rails mounted to the rack are the dominant method to keep the forklifts on track.

Just four inches is the distance between the sideloader and the rack. Facilitating the approach into the aisle is usually a funnel whose size is determined by the length of the transported goods. Long loads lead to long funnels resulting in wider transfer aisles.

Entering a narrow aisle without assistance always poses a challenge for operators. If there is only a small deviation from the right path, the sideloader, its load, the rack or the rails could be damaged. Overhanging loads and reverse entry don’t help the situation either. HUBTEX has long recognized this challenge and now offers a solution through innovative sensor technology.

Assistance when it is needed

The system processes the raw data of a 2D lidar sensor. The laser scanner determines the relative distance to the entry funnel and orients the vehicle to the center of the aisle. “Based on this information, the assistance system aligns the truck centrally in front of the aisle and parallel to its course. The truck can therefore enter the aisle without colliding. This allows the driver to concentrate on monitoring the vehicle's surroundings and set a speed appropriate to the situation,” explains Michael Röbig, head of product management at HUBTEX.

There are two versions available: a stand-alone system and an integration into the pedestrian safety system. The big advantage is that if a bystander safety system has already been installed, the same sensors can be used to enter the aisle. Dual use of the existing hardware results in cost advantages for the aisle entry system.

The patented automated aisle entry system helps save money by minimizing damage to loads, racking, and the sideloader. Additional costs can be saved when planning new rack systems as the entry funnels can be designed less robust.