When developing STILL’s new OPX series of order-pickers, the focus was on greater efficiency and fatigue-free working through cleverly devised ergonomic improvements. The total of nine new order pickers and a new tugger truck not only replace the existing series but also supplement it with additional models: examples of new arrivals include the OPX 25 and OPX 25 Plus with a 2,500 kg load capacity, and the OPX-L 16 with a mast lift and short wheel arms for ergonomic order-picking even in the narrowest workspaces. With this unique range of variants on the market, and many new features, STILL will in future offer its customers a truck to match almost every application.
available for the OPX, allowing a reach height of up to 2,183.
High picking density and long travel distances: fatigue-free working thanks to improved ergonomics pays dividends, especially in areas where a large volume of stock is handled, e.g. retailers’ central warehouses, the automobile industry, in distribution centres, the food industry and in the area of third party logistics (3PL).Thomas A. Fischer, STILL GmbH’s Sales, Marketing and Service Director (CSO), says “With the OPX series and its wide range of truck variants available as series production models, we want to supply our customers with optimum solutions for their customised needs. In this way we meet our customers’ wish for further efficiency increases in the orderpicking area. To achieve this, our engineers have devised numerous ergonomic improvements to guarantee fatigue-free work. This can decisively increase order-picking performance and raise driver motivation.”
The OPX series shows its talents especially in areas with a need to handle large volumes of goods, e.g. in central warehouses used by retailers and the automobile industry, in distribution centres, the food industry and in the area of third party logistics (3PL) – everywhere where goods are order-picked at a high picking density, long travel distances must be covered and maximum efficiency is required.
Ergonomics set the pace to raise picking performance when developing the OPX series. The improvements that were made started at the driver’s workstand. A low entry height and more space are just two examples of its user-friendly global concept. This is a decisive factor for order-pickers who need to step on and off their truck many times during their shift. The driver’s entire workplace can also be adjusted to meet individual drivers’ needs, so they can work as comfortably and efficiently as possible.
STILL EASY Drive is a special highlight of the OPX series. Behind it is a newly developed ergonomic steering wheel with optional height adjustment and an integral display and control unit. The driver has all the truck’s parameters in view at all times, e.g. battery status and operating hours. Due to its unique contour, the operator can grasp the steering wheel perfectly in all driving situations. Thus the safety of the OPX is increased by simple means – even when reversing.
On trucks with mast and initial lift or a rising driver stand, STILL EASY Move makes operators’ hearts beat faster: via switch paddles integrated into the steering wheel, the driver can operate the mast lift and raise the driver’s stand without needing to take his/her hands off the steering wheel. The pneumatically buffered driver’s stand is unique in the market. It can be adjusted to the driver’s weight to significantly reduce vibrations on the human body. Another option is an adjustable-height folding seat built into the backrest, for use when driving long distances. If the folding seat is ordered together with the pneumatically buffered driver’s stand, they are coupled together so the seat also benefits from the pneumatic buffering. This also reduces vibrations on the human body in a sitting position, thus protecting the user.
large volume of stock is handled, e.g. retailers’ central warehouses, the automobile industry, in distribution centres, the food industry and in the
area of third party logistics (3PL).
The new OPX 20 Plus and OPX 25 Plus high-speed order pickers use a 5- wheel chassis. STILL uses this innovative chassis design to ensure the drive wheel always has enough traction – especially when cornering. In conjunction with the new STILL EASY Drive steering wheel, the operator benefits from very sensitive, stable driving behaviour even at higher speeds. Safe driving is also ensured by the proven Curve Speed Control, which is fitted to all STILL trucks in this class. This system automatically reduces speed when cornering, depending on the steering angle.
As well as ergonomic improvements, the development of the OPX series also focussed on robust construction. For example, the whole of the truck hood at the front of the truck and the battery cover are made of sturdy metal. The truck has additional damage protection through the use of extensive collision protection variants – from a simple rubber protector to a full steel apron. A powerful, low-maintenance 3 kW three-phase drive motor together with a 3-phase steering motor using 24-V technology breathe appropriate power into the new trucks. This guarantees high performance with low energy consumption and long maintenance intervals: the operator benefits from high goods handling performance at low operating costs. The proven Blue- Q efficiency mode can make up to a 7% energy saving without significant performance loss. These agile order pickers with battery capacities of up to 620 Ah are also ideal for multi-shift use. If a battery change is needed, a sideways battery exchange via a roller track ensures a quick change. Trucks with lithium ion batteries or a built-in charger are also available if intensive deployments are planned, and high availability without any battery change is needed.
Numerous individually customisable applications features allow the order-picking trucks to be adapted to specific requirements: for example, a hydraulically elevating driver’s stand that can be raised to a height of 1.20 m is available for clients who often pick orders at the first level. This achieves a reach height of 2.80 m, thus ensuring efficient, convenient order-picking. The STILL EASY Drive steering wheel moves up together with the driver’s stand, allowing the user to drive the truck not just at the first level. Fischer explains that “The efficient ‘diagonal movement’, i.e. simultaneous driving and raising or lowering, saves the customer time when picking orders, and goods handling and/or picking performance is increased considerably.” If the use profile foresees order picking at the first level only occasionally, an optional fold-out order-picking step is available to the client as a more costeffective alternative.
The client can choose a narrower backrest option for more freedom of movement. Especially when z-picking orders (transverse picking), i.e. when goods need to be picked on both sides of the shelf aisle, this option offers the operator enough space to walk through the driver’s stand to the shelf on the relevant side.
The truck can also be fitted with an optional intelligent LED Daytime Running Light Plus. On the one hand this is designed to ensure greater awareness of the truck’s presence, and on the other the LED light informs the operator as to whether the truck is in operating mode, as well as about faults or a low battery status. Numerous storage facilities provide the operator with space for personal items. Further electricity-using devices, e.g. mobile phones or tablets, can be charged via a 12 V socket option. Last but not least, all the OPX series models are of course available in a refrigerator version for temperatures down to -32°C.
ensures high driving dynamics and perfect traction. When combined with the new STILL EASY
Drive steering wheel, the operator benefits from verty sensitive, stable driving behaviour, even
at higher speeds.
OPX 20/OPX 20 Plus and OPX 25/OPX 25 Plus
The OPX 20 is a classical orderpicking truck with a 2,000 kg load capacity that can accept up to two Euro pallets in a lengthways direction for order-picking or for horizontal transport of goods. With a driving speed of up to 12 km/h, the truck is suitable for medium- and longdistance transport. If there is a need to carry heavier loads, the new OPX 25 with a 2,500 kg load capacity is the truck of choice. This truck, which has a driving speed of up to 12 km/h, can also accept up to two Euro pallets, either for order-picking or for horizontal transport of goods. If the order picking often requires driving over long distances, STILL offers the OPX 20 Plus and OPX 25 Plus models that can travel even faster, with a driving speed of up to 14 km/h. The new 5-wheel chassis on these models ensures high driving dynamics and perfect traction. All the other orderpicking models are equipped with the tried and tested 4-wheel chassis.
OPX-D 20
The OPX-D 20, with a 2,000 kg load capacity, is a double-deck truck for particularly pressure-sensitive loads, e.g. fruit and vegetables or yoghurt pots. This robust truck can carry two standard industrial pallets one above the other at the same time – one pallet on the load wheel arms and one pallet on the mast lift.
OPX-L 20 S and OPX-L 16
The OPX-L 20 S, load capacity 2,000 kg, has a scissor lift with a 2,390 mm fork length. This gives the truck exceptionally good stability. The scissor lift can accept two pallets lengthways or long bulky goods, because the two pallets or the load across the entire length can be lifted to a height of up to 785 mm. The truck is ideal for companies in which ergonomics plays an important part, since the OPX L 20 S no longer requires the user to bend to put goods onto the pallet. He/she can now conveniently raise the pallet to a working height that is ergonomic for him/her. It not only makes his/her back thank him/her, but also saves valuable effort and time. Because a strong trend towards improved ergonomics in order-picking is observable in the market, STILL has added the OPX-L 16 to expand the truck segment in this area of application. Here the OPX-L 16 combines the advantages of the OPX-L 20 S with great manoeuvrability and a 1,600 kg load capacity. The OPX-L 16 can handle a 1,600 kg load with a 1,200 mm load centre of gravity, and can accept two pallets in a lengthways direction. The design of the load wheel arms is very short to make the OPX-L 16 even more manoeuvrable than the OPX-L 20 S. Another advantage of this is that the operator can pick up the rear pallet without moving it by hand. According to Thomas Fischer: “Our new OPX-L 20 S and OPX-L 16 order pickers are ideal warehouse assistants when companies focus on working ergonomically as well as on optimising time and cost.”
pallet at a convenient working height that is ergonomically correct for him/her, instead of
needing to bend down.
OPX-L 12
The OPX-L 12 is the best choice when heavy goods weighing up to 1,200 kg need to be order-picked in a very narrow space. This compact, manoeuvrable truck can pick up a pallet lengthways and raise it to an ergonomic height for order-picking.
OPX-L 20
The OPX-L 20, with a 2,000 kg load capacity, can accommodate two pallets in a lengthways direction. The OPX-L 20 always lifts the front pallet, resting on the back of the fork, to an ergonomic height. The advantage of this is that the order picker need only cover short distances when picking orders.
LTX 50
The LTX 50, designed as a towing truck, is also new and mounted on the same platform as the OPX models. This tugger truck shows its talents when used in a tugger train, and has a 5-ton towing power.
Fischer is pleased, and says “The OPX series puts us ahead of the competition, because no other manufacturer in the order-picking area offers its customers such a wide range of variants from a single supplier. We score points with several unique selling propositions at the same time: a pneumatically buffered driver seat & driver stand for long distances, the STILL EASY Move switch paddles for efficient order picking, or the intelligent LED daytime running light.”
STILL offers customized intralogistics solutions, and implements the intelligent teamwork of forklift trucks and warehouse technology, software and services.
The achievement created by the Company’s founder Hans Still in 1920 through a large amount of creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and quality quickly developed into a strong brand well-known throughout the world. Today around 8,000 qualified staff in research and development, production, marketing and service are involved for the sole purpose of fulfilling customers’ needs throughout the whole world. The keys to the company’s success are highly efficient products ranging from sector-specific complete offers for large and small enterprises to computer-assisted logistics programs for efficient warehouse and materials flow management.
STILL
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