An automated forklift, also called an AGV forklift, an automated guided vehicle, a driverless or self-driving forklift, is a truck that drives, lifts and places loads without an operator on board. It follows routes set up for your site, picks up and drops off at defined points, and hands work back to people where they are better at it.
The automated trucks we supply come from STILL’s iGo range. They are series-built STILL trucks, the same machines we sell, hire and service as manual trucks, fitted at the factory with an automation kit: a navigation laser scanner, an automation control unit, indicator lights, 360 degree safety scanners, a touchscreen and emergency stops.
That means proven trucks, standard parts, and a machine that can still be driven by hand when the job needs it. Automated trucks are available to buy or hire, and larger automation projects are delivered together with STILL’s automation specialists.
The automated range
EXV iGo automated pallet stacker
Automated high-lift pallet truck for horizontal transport, production supply and stacking in wide aisle and block storage, with load cycles up to around 3.8 m depending on the application.
EXV-CB iGo automated counterbalanced stacker
The counterbalanced version, with no straddle legs, so it picks up closed-bottom pallets, mesh boxes and special load carriers that a straddle truck cannot.
AXV iGo compact automated pallet truck
A compact automated pallet truck for goods in and out and production supply, small enough to work where previously only manual trucks fitted, with lift to around 1.8 m.
FM-X iGo automated reach truck
An automated reach truck for putting away and retrieving in wide aisle racking at up to around 10 m, and for feeding pallet shuttle systems.
MX-X iGo automated very narrow aisle truck
An automated turret truck for high bay narrow aisle stores, guided by wire or rail in the aisle, working at up to around 16 m.
AXL iGo autonomous lorry loading
An autonomous low-lift truck that loads and unloads trailers by itself, navigating inside the trailer with camera and laser sensing, without fixed equipment at the dock.
LTX 50 iGo automated tow tractor
An automated tractor for tugger trains, pulling up to around 5 t on a timed loop to the production line.
OPX iGo neo automated order pickers
Not driverless in the same sense: the truck follows the picker down the aisle and stops at the next pick position, so the operator stops climbing on and off all shift. Available as the OPX iGo neo and the OPX-L 12, OPX-L 20 and OPX-L 20 S iGo neo, and the iGo neo CX 20.
How they find their way
- Laser navigation using reflectors or the natural contours of the building, for routes in open areas.
- Wire or rail guidance in very narrow aisles, where the truck is guided mechanically or inductively.
- Camera and laser sensing for tasks such as lorry loading, where the environment is different every time.
The truck is told where to go by the control system, which can run on its own or take orders from your warehouse management system.
Tell us the loads, the route, the lift height and how many moves a shift. We will tell you which automated truck fits and whether it pays.
Safety
Every automated truck carries 360 degree personal protection: safety laser scanners that slow the truck when something enters its path and stop it before contact, with indicator lights and warning signals so people can see what it is about to do. Driverless industrial trucks are designed and assessed to EN ISO 3691-4. On site, the traffic plan has to cover people, manual trucks and automated trucks together.
What the site needs
- Defined pick-up and drop-off points, and routes kept clear of stored goods.
- Good pallets. Broken or overhanging pallets are the most common cause of stoppages.
- A reasonable floor, and for very narrow aisles, guidance installed in the aisle.
- Wi-Fi coverage along the routes.
- A traffic plan for people and manual trucks, set out in a traffic management plan.
Automated or manual?
| Automated truck | Manual truck | |
|---|---|---|
| Best at | The same move, many times a shift, on several shifts | Varied work, poor loads, one-off jobs |
| Labour | No driver, runs across breaks and shifts | A trained operator per truck, per shift |
| Damage | Consistent speed and placement | Depends on the operator |
| Set-up | Survey, commissioning, site rules | Delivery and training |
| Flexibility | Changing routes needs re-commissioning | Goes anywhere, straight away |
Most sites run both. See warehouse automation for how to decide which flows to automate first, and autonomous mobile robots for smaller loads.
Talk to us
Call 01708 861 414 or contact the team. Tell us the loads, the route, the lift height and how many moves a shift, and we will tell you which automated truck fits and whether it pays.
Tell us the loads, the route, the lift height and how many moves a shift. We will tell you which automated truck fits and whether it pays.
Automated forklifts and AGVs: common questions
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