“Operational Efficiency” Award from the UKMHA

The UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA) has honoured HUBTEX with an Archie Award this year. The HUBTEX PhoeniX electric multidirectional sideloader won in the “Operational Efficiency” category. At a manufacturer of plastics and polymer solutions, the truck delivered higher efficiency, ergonomic improvements and a more sustainable specification. For more than 30 years, the award has recognised companies, teams and individuals who advance materials handling through innovative solutions.

HUBTEX impressed the UKMHA jury in Birmingham with a concrete use case in the “Operational Efficiency” category: at an international plastics and polymer producer, the PhoeniX electric multi-directional sideloader transports profile racks up to six metres long with ease in aisles just 2.02 metres wide, significantly improving the overall flow of goods. Equipped with a sensor-based Aisle Entry Assist and the HUBTEX Load Manager, the truck achieved a marked efficiency gain and substantial cost savings for the customer. Without increasing headcount, more than 1,600 working hours per year were recovered while reducing strain on the workforce.

In day-to-day operation, the sensor-based Aisle Entry Assist enables semi-automated, precise and rapid entry into narrow racking aisles. By eliminating time-consuming manoeuvring, up to ten seconds can be saved per movement, which consistently boosts throughput and overall material flow — with fewer staff. The integrated Load Manager further improves accuracy when handling long and heavy loads. Thanks to pre-programmed heights and storage locations, the truck automatically travels to the required rack level at the push of a button, saving valuable seconds otherwise spent on fine adjustment during storage and retrieval. It also virtually eliminates damage to the vehicle, load and racking. This level of semi-automation, combined with the truck’s intuitive operation, delivers another benefit: onboarding time for new employees drops from three months to just two weeks — an 85% reduction. For the customer, that means a faster ROI on new team members, seamless shift handovers and continuous operational readiness.