Jungheinrich has introduced the EAC 212a, an autonomous mobile robot designed for high-lift transport tasks in logistics and production environments. The vehicle handles pallets and stillages at floor storage locations, conveyor systems and buffer lanes, with integration into automated storage and retrieval systems also possible.
The EAC 212a offers a load capacity of up to 1,200kg and a travel speed of up to 6km/h. Manual interfaces at transfer points are reduced, which the manufacturer says increases process stability and system availability.
“By adding the EAC 212a to our portfolio, we are specifically expanding our range with an autonomous solution for high-lift applications. Our customers can fully automate their storage and retrieval processes while significantly reducing manual intervention and potential sources of error,” says Jonas Radtke-Payne, product manager at Jungheinrich.
The robot is equipped with AI-based 3D pallet detection that identifies and handles load carriers even when they are not precisely positioned. The system automatically compensates for offsets of up to ±100mm and torsion of ±10°, maintaining stable processes when pallets have been placed manually.
“Our intelligent pallet detection ensures that the EAC 212a operates reliably under real-life conditions. This is a decisive factor for stable workflows, particularly in mixed operations involving manual processes,” says Jonas Radtke-Payne.
The EAC 212a uses contour-based navigation via lidar sensors, creating a map of the existing environment and navigating independently without the need for artificial landmarks or structural modifications to warehouse layouts. The vehicle is VDA 5050 compatible, enabling integration into higher-level control and host systems with flexible adaptation of traffic areas and process logic.
Designed for mixed operation alongside people and manual industrial trucks, the robot features a 360-degree safety sensor system that continuously monitors its surroundings and detects obstacles from a height of just 70mm. An integrated display with an intuitive user interface supports fault resolution directly at the vehicle.
The EAC 212a is equipped with a fully integrated 130Ah li-ion battery and uses automatic opportunity charging. The higher-level control system can instruct the robot to travel independently to a charging station during breaks between jobs and resume tasks after a short charging period.
The platform is designed to be scalable, with projects able to start with a small number of vehicles and expand as required. Over-the-air updates enable ongoing development of functions and additional use cases.
“Automation must be able to grow alongside our customers’ requirements. That is why the EAC 212a has been designed from the outset as a scalable and future-proof solution,” says Jonas Radtke-Payne.
Image: Jungheinrich
