IFOY award recognizes evolving role of forklift in intralogistics

The IFOY organisation has integrated intralogistics as part of the name, changing the “International Forklift Truck of the Year” to the “International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year” Awards.

It has already been the case for three years that not just forklift manufacturers but also all intralogistics providers have been able to enter their innovations for the IFOY Award.

“IFOY was launched as a forklift award and has become the benchmark for innovation in intralogistics,” said Anita Würmser, executive jury chairperson for the IFOY Award. “From the beginning, we received entries from system and software providers, and the forklift manufacturers have long been building not just materials handling equipment but also competing with the providers of integrated intralogistics systems. The renaming of the award is a logical step and levels the playing field for all entrants.”

Despite the fact that the categories have been expanded, the jury will in future continue to nominate only the best entrants for the final round. Also unchanged is the testing and selection method, which will be supplemented by the test procedure and the innovation checks for the new categories. The results of the tests and expert opinions form the basis for the decisions of the international jury made up of trade journalists from 17 countries.

In order to more clearly document the high level of innovation and the technical quality of the finalists, a “Best in Intralogistics” seal of approval is being introduced for the products and solutions that pass the IFOY test procedure.

The entry categories have also been redefined. The newly named “Intralogistics Software of the Year” and “Intralogistics Robot of the Year” categories will in future be for apps, software solutions or robot-supported solutions for intralogistics applications.

In the slightly modified category “Integrated Warehouse Solution”, the focus is not on the vehicles but on planning and implementation expertise. The award recognises successfully implemented holistic warehouse solutions at a customer location.

Awards are presented for the best “cranes and lifting devices” every two years at the CeMAT.

The “Special Vehicle” category is being expanded to include “Heavy Load Forklifts”. Entries are accepted for special vehicle design as well as container stackers, on-board forklifts, truck-mounted forklifts or heavy duty forklifts with a load capacity of more than eight tons.

The traditional forklift truck categories – “Counter Balanced Truck” up to 3.5 and over 3.5 tons – as well as the “Warehouse Truck” categories “highlifter” and “lowlifter” for trucks with lifting heights above and below six metres remain unchanged. In the “Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)” category, driverless transport vehicles and shuttles will be vying for the award.

The category “Special of the Year” recognises outstanding technical details or components, such as ergonomic innovations, safety solutions, automation components, but also drive technologies.

The entrant portal of the most important international intralogistics award opens again on September 1, 2017 at www.ifoy.org.

At a glance: IFOY AWARD categories 2018

• Counter Balanced Truck: up to 3.5 tons
• Counter Balanced Truck: from 3.51 tons
• Heavy Load Forklift and Special Vehicle: Forklifts and vehicles for special tasks: container stackers, transportable forklifts, heavy-load forklifts from 8 tons, special vehicle manufacturing
• Warehouse Truck “highlifter”: Materials handling equipment from the 2nd shelving level like high-bay trucks, VNA trucks or reach trucks, pedestrian-controlled highlift trucks, order-picking trucks, etc
• Warehouse Truck “lowlifter”: Materials handling equipment up to the 1st shelving level like pedestrian-controlled lowlift trucks, lift trucks, tow tractors, tugger trains, order-picking trucks, etc.
• Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV), Shuttle: Shuttle (systems), driverless transport systems, automated/partially automated materials handling equipment in the context of the application options
• Intralogistics Robot: Robots or robot-based solutions for intralogistic applications like picking robots, palletizing and depalletizing robots, cobots, robots for automatic unloading and loading of trucks, etc.
• Intralogistics Software: Apps and intralogistics system or software solutions in the context of the application options like warehouse management systems, truck guidance systems, advanced driver
assistance systems, fleet management systems, etc.
• Integrated Warehouse Solution: A warehouse concept that has been successfully realised at the customer’s location
• Special of the Year: Components or technical details that significantly improve economics or environment, or the physical or psychological conditions of the user, like ergonomic innovations, safety assistant solutions, automation solutions, drive technology, forklift attachments, etc.
• 2018 only: Crane and Lifting Appliance: Cranes for various applications, like bridge and gantry cranes, wall travelling cranes, jib cranes, overhead monorail cranes, light cranes, etc.