Jungheinrich is presenting its newest automated guided vehicle (AGV) at its virtual trade press conference INNOVATIONS & HIGHLIGHTS 2021 in May. The new EKS 215a can independently store loads weighing 700 kilograms at a height of up to six metres and is therefore the ideal solution for the automation of high lift deployment.The truck is based on a completely new and especially compact AGV chassis. This is how the new EKS 215a achieves such small physical dimensions. Jungheinrich has also succeeded in reducing the virtual footprint of the EKS 215a significantly thanks to its new protective field concept. This enables the dynamic integration of the truck into existing warehouse layouts. Manual processes can be automated with the new EKS 215a that are currently mainly still carried out with counterbalance and reach trucks. A completely new human-machine interface ensures the particularly intuitive operation of the truck.

Response to customer requests

“The new EKS 215a is Jungheinrich’s response to numerous customer requests relating to space requirements and possible uses. The truck is more compact, powerful and user-friendly than all before it,” explains Manuela Schmidbauer, product manager responsible for the new EKS 215a at Jungheinrich. “With a residual load capacity that is 40 per cent higher than the previous truck, it is the ideal AGV for automating in-house transport and the storage of pallets in wide aisles.”

Compact and versatile

A special innovation in the new EKS 215a is its new AGV chassis with extra compact dimensions. Security scanners are installed below the truck floor to prevent them from being damaged and to save space. At 131 millimetres in length and 85 millimetres in width, Jungheinrich has managed to reduce the physical floor space in the EKS 215a. This design means that the AGV has an envelope curve that is reduced in size by ten per cent. This reduces the spare requirement of the truck in use and makes it easier to integrate the truck into existing warehouse layouts. Nine mast types enable individual solutions for each application and the self-supporting forks increase the versatility when it comes to handling.

New human-machine interface

The new EKS 215a uses 24-volt technology rather than 48-volt technology. This results in a cost saving of up to 30 per cent in the energy system. Charging processes are automated. A new human-machine interface with touch display offers additional options for interaction between the operator and AGV. The status of the new EKS 215a can be seen immediately at a single glance. In the event of faults, the truck offers a problem description in plain text and additional specific recommendations for action which also enables errors that could previously only be solved by a service technician to be eliminated easily. The human-machine interface may also be used to define or start manual driving orders, which was previously only possible centrally via the control station. 

Customised solution for automated intralogistics

The new model fits in perfectly with Jungheinrich’s AGV family: Each of the EREa, ERCa, EZSa and EKSa models and all automated VNA trucks stand out with their individual strengths and benefits. “Jungheinrich offers its customers an extensive and customised solution with its long-standing expertise in automated intralogistics,” explains Schmidbauer. Despite all the new features and although the AGV was developed specifically on the basis of customer requirements, the new EKS 215a is made up of over 90 per cent proven Jungheinrich standard components.