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“Best of Intralogistics” in the test camp
As part of the Test Camp Intralogistics and the International Forklift of the Year (IFOY) competition, the preliminary certificates for 2026 were presented today in Dortmund by Jan Drömer, Chairman of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Section, to the 17 nominees who will now go into the final round.
SVTL meets in a historic setting
The general assembly of the Swiss Association for Temperature-Controlled Logistics at Lenzburg Castle on May 8th will address, in addition to the usual agenda items, personnel management, modern advertising for skilled workers on social media and the question of whether humanoid robots will one day be helpful .
MAGA in the approach path
German technology remains highly regarded when it comes to rapid material handling, the elimination of weaknesses, and service quality. Following successful projects in Oklahoma and Texas, the steel trader " Steel and Pipe Supply " (SPS) in Kansas City once again relied on Kasto saws and storage systems.
Rent warehouse equipment instead of buying it
Bito is launching an offensive with an economical alternative for companies that want to re-equip, expand, or temporarily supplement their warehouse and production areas, but don't want to tie up their capital long-term: renting instead of buying is the motto. The advantages – especially in " dynamic times " – are obvious.
«Kanpai» with sake on the pharmaceutical chain
Logistics provider Yusen is presenting an expanded global platform for the healthcare sector at LogiPharma in Vienna, where companies such as Novartis, Bayer, Takeda, and hospital supplier UCB are currently participating. The platform focuses on the professional delivery of specialized healthcare solutions.
Streamlined logistics
Coop's own rail connection for urban logistics in Zurich, streamlined logistics vehicles and the outsourcing of all operating room logistics in a cooperation between the Seeschau Clinic and the Swiss Post are the projects that are entering the final sprint for this year's Swiss Logistics Award from GS1.
Vacuum technology makes mobility possible
Compressed air has traditionally been used primarily for fixed installations. Schmalz's vacuum grippers also mainly operate with lines that often have to run across halls and facilities. However, mobile robotics increasingly requires flexible solutions – a need that Schmalz now intends to address more effectively.
A foray into drive technology
Safelog, the specialists for software for controlling intralogistics processes, have entered into a cooperation with the drive experts from SEW Eurodrive at LogiMAT in order to jointly develop a high-performance software for controlling mobile and stationary processes in intralogistics.
Networking with perspectives
“Never walk alone” could be the motto of a networking event hosted by the consulting experts from “Adnovum”, where the Digital Product Passport (DPP), cybersecurity and IT opportunities with Petra Merino (GS1 Switzerland) and security expert Andreas Achterholt are on the agenda on May 7th in Zurich.
Maintenance in Austria
With a new workshop in Obersiebenbrunn near Vienna, rail manufacturer Stadler is expanding its capacity for the commissioning, approval, and servicing of modern rail vehicles in Austria. The workshop has been used to maintain Westbahn's high-speed trains since March 2026.
"Goal scorer" with planetary gear
"Goal scorer" with planetary gear
Bolide at the «Green»
The number of mobile robotic helpers capable of handling even complex tasks is increasing. For example, a robotic mower called "RoviMo" maintains areas up to the size of three football fields on a single battery charge, delivering a perfect cut. It operates autonomously, produces zero CO2 emissions, and is quiet. Further variations are not out of the question.
Ronovatec from Küssnacht am Immensee, as the system integrator, and the drive specialist Relex from Wilen are guaranteeing rapid progress. A planetary geared servomotor as a complete system opens up the prospect of rapid market implementation for the start-up.
Ronovatec AG was founded in 2017 based on the simple yet complex idea of enabling clean and autonomous mowing of soccer fields with maximum efficiency. Until now, this has been done using conventional ride-on lawnmowers, which requires a significant amount of manpower – as there are typically between 50 and 90 mowing sessions per soccer field annually. At the end of 2018, a first single-spindle prototype was realized as an Innosuisse project, and this prototype allowed all fundamental technical questions to be resolved in 2019. The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) provided invaluable support during the development process.
A. Graf, Z. Gligorov.
As a pioneer, Ronovatec was also focused on the best possible operational safety, as well as high precision to mow the patterns into the lawn exactly according to FIFA/UEFA regulations. The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC concerning safety was a crucial point for which an optimal solution had to be found. Since it is an autonomous robot designed to interact with people, everything must be as safe as possible when dealing with a wide variety of obstacles such as people, trees, or walls, and the emergency stop must function within milliseconds. This put Zvonko Gligorov, CTO/Technical Director of Ronovatec AG, and his development team under considerable pressure. The requirement was to obtain TÜV Süd safety certification according to Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC by Q1/2023 at the latest.
Long Wish List:
When Gligorov joined the company at the end of 2019, the evaluation of a new drive system was underway. Together with his superior, CEO Marcus Riva, they chose the specialists from Wilen to design a fully integrated and high-performance drive system for the 48 VDC battery electrical system. It was to be controlled internally via CAN bus wirelessly and activated with just a few buttons. The wish list, or rather the specifications, for the required wheel hub motor drive was correspondingly long, and the available space for installation was very limited.
Powerful traction: The 375 Nm drive
Andreas Graf, responsible for sales at Relex AG, presented the proposed solution on-site after initial exploratory meetings. This solution, quickly developed by the Relex sales and engineering team, comprises two complete drive units per robotic reel mower, each featuring a compact 5.4 kW servo planetary geared motor with an integrated controller, delivering a peak torque of 375 Nm. This is achieved in a very small installation space by distributing the torque across two axles (2 x 375 Nm) and using multiple planetary gears. The compact and linear design (without axle offset, as the drive and output shafts are aligned) helps the system save weight and extend battery life. The responsible developers at Ronovatec AG on Lake Zug were enthusiastic.
Competent partners
The project was launched in early 2020. Relex's project team, together with its partner network, was able to implement and refine many requirements right from the initial proposal stages. Andreas Graf explains: "Thanks to our long-standing partnerships worldwide, high availability of parts and spare parts, and our own engineering and CNC department, we were able to realize this battery-powered 48 VDC system with the integrated servo motor from our partner supplier Sonceboz – and all this with a relatively small production run in the initial phase." In addition, Relex has its own assembly facilities, test bench, logistics center, and paint shop in Jona. The compact drive system with integrated power electronics for currents of up to 150 amps per drive train is already being used successfully in the automotive industry. Among other features, it offers comprehensive quality characteristics such as a dynamic emergency stop brake, the highest protection class IP 69k against high-pressure or steam jet cleaning, and a low-maintenance gearbox unit for high durability under extreme conditions. Andreas Graf explains regarding the compact drive unit: "We were able to integrate the freewheel into the output stage with a 25:1 reduction." The entire drive shaft could be produced in one piece, so to speak.
Low -maintenance performance package.
Following the prototype and initial risk analyses, Ronovatec AG began pre-production in 2021, conducting test runs and live demonstrations for members of the press on football pitches throughout Europe, as well as finalizing the parameters. Zvonko Gligorov reports: "As early as July 13, 2022 – the day before this interview – the first production vehicle was packaged and shipped to France." Ronovatec AG's next focus is on golf courses, where the "RoviMo" will mow with up to three reels.
Relex offers high availability even during periods of supply shortages. This ensures delivery reliability and minimizes downtime for its end customers, even in the event of unforeseen breakdowns, thus guaranteeing a return on investment (ROI). Zvonko Gligorov is pleased: "We are now the first company that can autonomously mow a pitch according to FIFA/UEFA guidelines – at the touch of a button, using just three buttons." And all this with maximum energy efficiency, quality, and all necessary certifications. Without the expertise of Relex AG and the first-class components for this modular system, which we can even adapt to customer requirements with double the torque, we wouldn't have achieved this so easily – that's invaluable.
Markus Frutig, INOVERIS
