Last month saw the latest successful incarnation of IMHX, the three-yearly showcase for Europe’s warehousing and logistics industry, with buyers and decision makers making the pilgrimage to the Midlands to see the huge array of equipment and solutions on display.
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IMHX 2016 occupied five halls of Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC), filled with highquality product and service exhibits plus a busy programme of features. This year’s show included the Design 4 Safety Awards, Demonstration Zone, Future Skills Theatre and Zone, RTITB International Operator of the Year competition and a packed seminar programme. IMHX 2016’s headline sponsor was Investec Asset Finance, with its specialist Materials Handling division.

James Clark, Secretary-General of the British Industrial Truck Association, said: “As co-owners of IMHX, we can’t help but be delighted at the continued success of IMHX. Against a backdrop of such turbulent economic and political conditions, it reflects the fundamental role of the intralogistics industry in supporting the whole of British business.”

Numerous keynote product launches at the show highlighted the relentless innovation driving continual improvement in intralogistics product capability and efficiency. These included innovative powerplants from Kubota, making its IMHX début, Linde’s E35 roadster, Toyota’s BT Reflex lift truck, Hyundai’s new warehouse equipment range and Translift Bendi’s SpaceMate.

Other significant developments included Jungheinrich’s introduction of Lithium-Ion batteries in its 48V electric truck range, the first UK appearance of SSI Schaefer’s IFOY-winning Weasel automated guided vehicle, and a wealth of new offerings from Knapp, Doosan, Gebhart-ECS, Dematic, UniCarriers and Crown.

Recognising that innovation also plays a key role in safety, one of the most important considerations for materials handling, IMHX once again hosted the Design 4 Safety (‘D4S’) Awards to recognise the importance of designing features into products that can help assure consistently-safe working environments.

For event visitors seeking intralogistics enlightenment, the expanded IMHX seminar programme combined both big topics – Brexit, intelligent carrier management and business transformation to name but three – and big-name presenters including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Eddie Stobart.

However, as well as reinforcing existing skills and knowledge, the industry also needs to keep attracting fresh talent. Initiated at IMHX 2016 in response to this trend, the Future Skills Zone featured quizzes, awards and presentations to highlight the huge range of career options available to young people via training routes such apprenticeships.

IMHX is back at the NEC from September 24th to 27th in three years’ time.

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