WAGNER Switzerland AG
WWW.LOGISTICSINNOVATION.ORG
The online magazine for Switzerland, the EU and the rest of the world
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.
Idealworks pushes into the US market
Idealworks, part of the Munich-based Agile Robots Group, with more than 1,700 AMRs and AGVs worldwide and one of the pioneers in industrial automation through AI in robot-controlled logistics processes, has founded a US company headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina.
New chain belt sorting
At LogiMAT, conveyor technology provider Interroll attracted attention with a new chain-belt sorting system developed after the acquisition of Sortteq. Together with MCP Play, this creates a material flow ecosystem that combines single-item transport with intelligent sorting.
Intelligence powerhouses «to go»
Intelligence powerhouses «to go»
At the Fraunhofer IML booth at LogiMAT 2023, the institute will be showcasing an AI-controlled robot fleet “in action”, an open-source system for data acquisition using AI and camera, and a “Remote AI” (RAI) box that contains all the intelligence a robot needs to perform its tasks.
“We can already better manage some logistics challenges today thanks to artificial intelligence, and we will only be able to solve some problems with its help. Whether it's organizing a swarm of mobile robots, sifting through large databases, or calculating the next batch, much in intralogistics can only be inadequately described with formulas or controlled with common sense. AI can help here and learn things we don't understand,” says Professor Michael ten Hompel, Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML), at the forum “Artificial Intelligence in Intralogistics.” He demonstrates, among other things, how work for humans and machines will change with ChatGPT and similar technologies.
Using a fleet of four autonomous robots, Fraunhofer IML will demonstrate live at its booth how AI can make the navigation of mobile robots more efficient. For multi-robot navigation, a neural network (AI) is trained in a simulation using deep reinforcement learning (DRL) and then transferred to the robot. The AI then navigates the robot to its destination without preprocessing the sensor data. The advantage of navigation using DRL is that no data is required beforehand; instead, the data basis for navigation is generated through extensive trial-and-error processes within a specially designed simulation scenario.
During the training runs, all necessary data is generated and tagged. This is particularly interesting for companies that already use mobile robots and want to increase the throughput of their fleet using AI.
Photos: IML
To illustrate the work of the AI in the background, the vehicle parameters – such as laser scanner and position using the open-source software framework ROS2 – are displayed in real time on one of the trade fair monitors.
