The 2019 German Design Award for SSI Flexi
SSI Schaefer has been named winner of the 2019 German Design Award in the industry category for its innovative SSI Flexi by the German Design Council.
The intralogistics experts were honored for the acknowledgment of the SSI Flexi, which first unveiled at the LogiMAT intralogistics trade show in 2018. The scalable, single-level shuttle for highly dynamic and automated miniload systems has been named the winner in the industry category for excellent product design. The award will be presented on February 8, 2019, within the scope of a special ceremony in Frankfurt. The Design Council is widely regarded as the leading body for the assessment of brands and design in Germany. The German Design Award recognizes innovative products and projects, as well as manufacturers and creators, who have raised the bar in the national and international design scene. As the independent judging panel of international experts states, “Whoever manages to outperform high-caliber competitors has successfully proven that they are among the very best.”
With its SSI Flexi, SSI Schaefer has demonstrated its outstanding expertise. The shuttle not only boasts a variety of intelligent features that enable the storage of diverse container types and dimensions, up to 50 kg, but were required to prove excellent performance within deep-freeze environments – it also combines highly advanced technologies with an attractive look-and-feel.
It is modular in structure, comprising of a shuttle, lifts, and a racking system, which allows made-to-measure solutions to enable excellent use of space, high throughput, and remarkable flexibility. And uniquely, it offers dynamically adaptable storage location sizes. This unique design feature omits permanently allocated x-storage positions, and the rack conception facilitates space-optimized shelf occupancy with maximum storage density. The corresponding functions, such as universal width-adjustable load-handling device, have been skillfully integrated into the overall system design. The various sensors, communications, and control components are concealed beneath enclosures with flowing contours – very much in line with the famous “form follows function” philosophy – establishing a solution with a highly dynamic appearance.
Overall, SSI Schaefer has created a highly futuristic design for an automated storage and retrieval machine that made a lasting impression on a panel of 45 judges at the German Design Council. “We are delighted to have been named the winner in an award segment that focuses on and recognizes aspects of design beyond the technological components,” states Peter Berlik, Chief Technology Officer at SSI Schaefer. “At the same time, this accolade for the innovative design of the SSI Flexi is a solid indication of the outstanding solution abilities and dynamism in terms of fully automated processes. The cutting-edge, pioneering form highlights the value added in terms of function that is the result of our ground-breaking system development work,” Berlik continued.