MARENGO, Ill. (September 26, 2019) – UniCarriers Americas (UCA) today announced its collaboration with Vecna Robotics, a leader in autonomous material handling solutions. Through this joint effort, UCA’s industry-leading reliability will now be matched with leading-edge technology to advance a line of self-driving vehicles for warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing applications.
Vecna Robotics will use UCA models, including the center rider pallet SPXe and electric tow tractor TGXe, and equip them with Vecna Robotics’ advanced autonomous navigation technology, learning algorithms and workflow orchestration software to turn them into Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR). AMRs are capable of moving bulk material through dynamic warehouse environments. The new line of vehicles are capable of both vertical and horizontal movements and can carry capacities up to 10,000 pounds.
“As customers look to automate their material handling processes, UCA is committed to leveraging our best-in-class manufacturing capabilities and industry-leading reliability for automation companies,” said Brian Markison, senior director of national accounts and AGV sales at UCA. “The AMR market is emerging, and these technology providers are looking for material handling solutions to scale production and provide aftermarket support. These are the types of assets that UCA can bring to the table.”
The two models will also be integrated with Vecna Robotics’ pivot.alÔ orchestration system, which is an AI-based fleet manager that analyzes operations to coordinate and distribute real-time tasks amongst employees, robots and associated systems based on capabilities, location and availability. This allows environments to adapt their workflows and run efficiently through varied levels of demand and operational changes.
“Vecna Robotics’ collaboration with UCA has come at the perfect time,” said Michael Baier, Director of Hardware Engineering for Vecna Robotics. “Our customer base is rapidly expanding. Companies are no longer asking themselves if they should automate, but rather when. UCA is part of the 4th largest forklift provider in the world, giving us the ability to meet increasing demand and scale with impact.”
“This opportunity is just one of many automation solutions we will help deliver to the market, and as a corporation, we are enthusiastic about elevating our offerings and taking our business to the next level,” Markison concludes.
ABOUT UNICARRIERS AMERICAS CORPORATION
As part of a global organization that is the third largest forklift company, UniCarriers is an American manufacturer redefining reliability in the material handling industry. Our reliable forklifts are engineered to deliver maximum uptime every day. Offering high performance and a low cost of ownership, the UniCarriers lineup includes internal combustion and electric powered forklifts, pallet trucks, tow tractors, walkie-stackers, and reach trucks. We offer unmatched warranty coverage – including the industry’s best standard, limited warranty. We also offer ready access to the parts and services customers need to maximize productivity and profits through a network of factory-trained, authorized dealers throughout the western hemisphere.
