BITO presents new Leo Carrier with shelving unit

The new LEO carrier from BITO-Lagertechnik is another addition to the family of driverless transport systems from BITO-Lagertechnik Bittmann GmbH. In this variant, the LEO transporter has been expanded with a fixed shelving unit consisting of four shelving levels, to relieve the user of many work processes in areas such as goods receipt, order picking, production supply, returns management, or as a mobile buffer storage.

(PresseBox: Meisenheim) The LEO transporters from BITO-Lagertechnik Bittmann GmbH connect workplaces and can serve as feeders in the warehouse and picking area or as a substitute for conveyor belts or buffer storage in production, supporting various internal processes. The driverless, flexible, and individually deployable transport system from BITO-Lagertechnik takes many routes off the user’s hands, saving time and costly alternative solutions. All LEO transporters share a common feature: only an optical track is adhered to the floor of the warehouse or production hall, which the transporter follows. Stops, loading, or route commands are indicated by markers also fixed to the floor. This means the basic installation is already complete. The system can now also bridge heavily frequented transition paths, where the track tape could be damaged over time due to extreme loads, without a track.

Further addition to the family of driverless transport systems

The new LEO carrier is another addition to the family of driverless transport systems from BITO-Lagertechnik. Here, the LEO transporter has been expanded with a fixed shelving unit consisting of four shelving levels. The levels can be used as goods storage, each level measuring 625 x 425 mm. The individual shelving levels are adjustable in height, allowing the distances to be customized to the goods being transported. The LEO carrier is designed for a total load capacity of 50 kg.

Like all LEO transporters, the LEO carrier follows a track fixed to the floor. The target control is managed via a tablet attached to the shelving unit, where the user selects the various target points that the driverless transport system should approach. The device can be easily pulled off the track at any time by the handles attached to the unit and taken by the operator as a picking cart.

The LEO carrier also requires no further integration into the existing infrastructure and is an especially flexible all-in-one complete solution that is ready for immediate use. Installation and operation of the system are also kept simple and particularly user-friendly, typical of LEO transporters. These features and the low acquisition costs make the LEO carrier a highly efficient driverless transport system.

The various application possibilities

• Order picking: The LEO carrier can be used as a picking cart to transport the completed orders to the packing stations. Alternatively, the system can pick up express deliveries and bring them directly to the packing stations.
• Distribution of incoming goods: With the LEO carrier, goods can be transported directly from the goods receipt to the storage locations on the shelves. Using a WMS interface, the space assignment can also be done automatically.
• Production supply: The LEO carrier is loaded at the material supermarket and sent to the corresponding destination by the employee via tablet control. There, it is unloaded by another employee, who then places it back on the track and sends it back to the material supermarket via tablet control.  
• Returns management: Employees can load the LEO carrier with returned goods and then send it to the reprocessing stations via tablet control. Subsequently, the goods are brought back to the warehouse by the FTS.
• Mobile buffer storage: The four shelving levels of the LEO carrier provide ample space for various loose goods, tablets, or containers. When the system is used as a transporter between two production lines, the LEO carrier thus becomes a mobile buffer storage.

Facilitating entry into automation

Dennis Ramers, Head of FTS at BITO-Lagertechnik: “With the driverless transport system variants from BITO-Lagertechnik, users are facilitated in entering the automation of material processes, as there are no high investment costs or expenses for implementing lengthy software projects. This allows for more and more applications to be developed with this simple and very economical way of automating internal transport processes. The potential that our driverless transport system offers is great, and with our continuous optimizations and developments, we adapt to the dynamic market conditions in logistics, the still rapidly growing e-commerce sector, and in production. Moreover, the system becomes a valuable alternative solution, especially in times of skilled labor shortages.”

Photo: © BITO