The Test Intralogistics Camp and International Forklift Awards (IFOY) Test Days 2023 recorded significant success compared to last year with more than 1,200 participants, up from 950, visiting to Messe Dortmund to discover and experience material handling and warehouse equipment and solutions over a number of days last week.
With twice as many innovations and world premieres than the 2022 event, the B2B attendees tested out around 10,000 square metres of exhibition and demonstration space, some of the debutants included Exoskeletons, Robotic Order Picker Safari and a number of Automated Guided Vehicles.
The IFOY AWARD programme also recorded a significant increase in entries and finalists with 23 products and solutions from 21 manufacturers (up from 12 in 2022) going through a three-stage audit. These included new developments from AGILOX, Combilift, Continental, Crown, DS AUTOMOTION, HIKROBOT, IdentPro, Jungheinrich, Kemaro, Libiao Robotics, Mobile Easykey, NIMMSTA, Raymond, STILL, Volume Lagersysteme, Youibot Robotics, as well as from the start-ups Loady, ff Fördersysteme, HUNIC, Predimo and Sentics.
This was the third successive occasion for the business visitors, mainly senior representatives in logistics, industry and trade, all interested to try out
innovations for themselves and conduct intensive technical and networking discussions. A wide range of innovations was available to them in the test arena: from forklifts and automated warehouse equipment to Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and state-of-the-art software, specials and robotics solutions.
The expert discussions covered topics such as digitalisation, process cost reduction, artificial intelligence and sustainability. Visitors got food for thought in nine themed highlight tours and six panel discussions. They featured experts from Europe, the USA and China. The sessions focused on automation, warehouse trucks, exoskeletons, technology trends, VDA 5050 testing and start-ups. Suppliers of intralogistics solutions, their users and renowned technicians engaged in lively discussions, making the experiential event another highlight of the event.
After going through the IFOY audit, representatives of 21 manufacturers accepted the “Best in Intralogistics” certificates on behalf of their nominees from Steffen Bersch, Chairman of the Board of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association. NRW Economics Minister Mona Neubaur travelled to Dortmund to officially open the Test Intralogistics Camp event.
The IFOY audit for the nominees consisted of a number of parts. First, they went through the IFOY scientific and technical test. This involves comparing the finalists in each category not with each other, but with the relevant equipment in the competition. The industrial trucks underwent standardized driving and functional tests, including the IFOY test protocol comprising more than 80 criteria.
In the second part of the audit, researchers conducted the IFOY Innovation Check. The audit was concluded by the assessment of the 25 jurors – trade journalists from all continents – including Fleet Transport/Handling Network’s Jarlath Sweeney representing Ireland, were presented with all the results of the IFOY Test and the IFOY Innovation Check in time for voting.
As part of the Test Intralogistics Camp, a new edition of the globally unique AGV Mesh-Up, gave B2B visitors the opportunity to observe the functions of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and to exchange ideas with developers and scientists. Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (Nokia DAC) and Mission Critical Industrial Edge (MXIE) installed a 5G campus network specially for the exercise.
The new special test area Exoskeleton & Co turned out to be most interesting. Seven manufacturers, two users and technicians demonstrated how lifting and carrying aids support employees in logistics.
Neither visitors to Test Intralogistics Camp nor the nominees will find out who has won an IFOY Award 2023 during IFOY Test Intralogistics Camp. The jury’s decision will only be announced during the IFOY Award Gala Night. It will take place on June 22, 2023 in Dortmund.
