All the fun of the fair
As ever, exhibitors provided a wealth of competitions, hospitality and entertainment to make IMHX a fantastic experience for visitors. Battery specialist, GNB Industrial Power, held daily competitions to win a pair of tickets to a Porsche Carrera race meeting, with a Porsche GT3 Cup Car - sponsored by GNB's parent group, Exide Technologies - displayed on the stand and Jonas Gelzinis, its 24-year-old driver, on hand to chat. Visitors to the stand of racking and storage specialist, APEX Linvar, had the chance to win an iPad; logistics software supplier, AEB, had an iPod shuffle up for grabs; and logistics systems supplier, SSI Schaefer, held a prize draw to win four tickets to the DTM German Touring Cars racing at Brands Hatch.

LPG supplier, Calor Gas, offered visitors the chance to drive some remote-controlled forklifts and win on-the-spot prizes by guiding them through a series of obstacles. Meanwhile energy specialist, Hoppecke Industrial Batteries, invited visitors to take part in the Extra Mile challenge using a state-of-the-art Wattbike training bike, with contestants' names added to a 'Top Gear'-style leader board. Forklift suppliers provided plenty of entertainment too. While Linde Material Handling UK treated the crowds to an aerial acrobatic display at the launch of its new reach truck, Toyota Material Handling UK gave visitors the opportunity to try out its new and unique forklift simulator for the first time and Briggs Equipment UK challenged visitors to a Scalextric contest.
The launch pad for dozens of new forklifts
A large number of forklift models made their début at IMHX 2013. Toyota Material Handling UK previewed its latest products - due for release later in the year - including the new Traigo80 electric-powered forklift and the Lithium Ion warehouse range. Linde Material Handling UK officially unveiled its new reach truck range on the opening morning of the show. The range features models with load capacities from 1.4 to 2.0 tonnes and lift heights up to 13m and can be fitted with an ultra-high visibility, toughened glass roof. Crown Lift Trucks displayed not only the nine new products it has introduced in the UK during the past year but also QuickPick Remote, its new semi-automated low-level order picker. The truck can be used in manual mode or operated remotely via a wireless transceiver glove worn by the picker.

Combilift chose IMHX for the world première of its new Combi-WR Walkie Reach, the company's first ever pedestrian truck and the only pedestrian reach stacker that can work in an aisle width of 2m, pallet to pallet. The company also showcased its new C4000E multi-directional model, an electric forklift that offers the versatility of both indoor and outdoor operation. Yale Europe Materials Handling showed its 'V' series of electric counterbalance forklifts for the first time in the UK, while Doosan unveiled the brand-new 1.4t and 1.6t capacity models in its recently launched 7-series of reach trucks. Translift Bendi used IMHX to launch the world's first articulated order picking truck, the Bendi Order Picker, which combines man-up order picking with conventional stacking within an aisle just 1.6m wide. Jungheinrich staged the world première of its brand-new reach truck, the ETV 318, at IMHX 2013. With capacities up to 1.8t and lift heights up to 11.5m, the new reach truck features a panoramic roof made of tinted safety glass.

Danish truck manufacturer, Logitrans A/S, showed several models from its range, including its new Twin Stacker, which can transport and stack two pallets at a time. Also making their débuts at IMHX were the French brand, Manitou, the forklift range of which is now available in the UK; CESAB Material Handling, which exhibited for the first time at IMHX with its European-manufactured range of counterbalance, reach, powered pallet and hand pallet trucks; and HC Forklifts UK, recently established to import and distribute - through a nationwide dealer network - the HC range of forklifts from the Chinese manufacturer, Hangcha.

A wealth of innovative solutions for intralogistics
Besides the forklifts, there was plenty more innovation at IMHX. New products ranged from the gigantic, world-first hybrid reach stacker towering over the stand of Cooper Specialised Handling to the Tinytag data loggers - which monitor parameters such as temperature, humidity and vibration for goods in storage or transit - from Gemini Data Loggers. The diversity of products on display at IMHX was overwhelming. Racking and storage systems supplier, Link 51, exhibited its AutoSat automated shuttle racking solution for the first time at the show, offering an alternative to drive-in and other live storage systems. EnerSys Motive Power showed visitors a new model in its Hawker XFC battery range that features advanced Lithium-Ion technology, while GNB Industrial Power revealed its high-power, lead-acid battery - TENSOR - for the first time at the show. Automated solutions included automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) from Egemin Automation and Design 4 Safety competition category winner, OCME. As well as promoting its new Series 50 industrial sectional door, Hörmann showcased its innovative Light Grille pedestrian safety solution, which uses an array of light beams to monitor the door opening - a product that also picked up a Design 4 Safety category award. Other innovative products at IMHX included sprinkler-friendly shelves from storage specialist, BITO; the new HyRack pallet from Goplasticpallets.com; anti-slip and anti-fatigue floor coverings from Plastic Extruders; and Conveyer Belt Forks from B&B Attachments.

A truly international show
The international dimension to the show was also prominent. Highlights from international exhibitors included Cheetah, a high-speed mini-load storage and retrieval machine, launched at IMHX by European Conveyor Systems with its German partner, Gebhardt Fördertechnik. Finnish robotics specialist, Cimcorp, had a working demo of its new 3D Shuttle solution for the fully automatic storage and retrieval of totes required for order fulfilment. Dutch sortation specialist, DistriSort, featured a working split tray sorter on its stand, while German exhibitor, Dürkopp Fördertechnik, shared a stand for the first time at IMHX with its Austrian parent, KNAPP, to promote its new pocket sorter system that enables both hanging garments and flat goods to be carried together on the same system for the first time. Also representing Austria was battery charging specialist, Fronius, which unveiled its new Selectiva range of chargers featuring the innovative Ri charging process, which adjusts the charging phases to make each charging cycle unique and thereby boost energy efficiency and battery service life.