REEMAN Ironhide one-touch autonomous pallet transport - Huzhou, Zhejiang, China.

The Factory Problem Was Not Distance - It Was Repetition

A 47-meter route does not sound particularly long. But at this Huzhou factory, the same type of transport task is repeated approximately 160–200 times every day. That changes the economics completely. The assigned pickup-to-delivery distance alone represents approximately: 7.52 km/day at 160 trips and 9.40 km/day at 200 trips.

And that calculation does not include: empty return travel, repositioning, waiting time, finding a forklift, contacting a driver, pickup time and unloading time.

The real operational burden comes from repeating the same logistics process again and again. This is where autonomous forklift automation becomes valuable. The task is:

What Does "One-Touch Calling" Actually Mean?

The one-touch call button is not simply used to summon Ironhide to an operator. It functions as a task trigger. During deployment, REEMAN engineers configure the complete operating logic in advance, including:

• pickup location;
• delivery location;
• autonomous travel route;
• pallet-handling sequence;
• charging point;
• task-completion behavior.

Once the task has been configured, the worker only needs to press the corresponding button. The system then activates the predefined task. This means the operator does not have to tell the forklift: "Drive to this point." "Pick up this pallet." "Go to that location." "Put the pallet down." "Return to charging." Those actions are already part of the configured workflow.

How Does the Call Button Communicate with the Forklift?

The communication architecture can be adapted to different project requirements. Depending on the site configuration, the call button can:

• communicate directly with Ironhide;
• send the command through a receiver;
• transmit through a gateway;
• or pass the task through a fleet-dispatch system.

The button sends a task command, not continuous steering instructions. The logic can be summarized as:
Button Press
→ Task Request Sent
→ Vehicle / Receiver / Gateway / Dispatch System
→ Preconfigured Task Selected
→ Ironhide Executes the Task Autonomously
The button is therefore the starting point of the workflow. It is not a joystick.

One-touch calling principle: a button press triggers a predefined autonomous transport task.

What Happens After the Button Is Pressed?

1. Ironhide Travels to the Pickup Point

Once the task is activated, the autonomous forklift travels to the configured pickup location. No continuous remote driving is required.

2. Pallet Recognition and Automatic Alignment

At the pickup point, Ironhide completes the pallet-handling sequence defined during deployment. This includes:

Once the pallet and fork position are matched, the forklift begins pickup.

3. Automatic Pickup

Ironhide inserts the forks and lifts the load. In this application, the actual transported load is approximately 1.5 tons. The task then transitions automatically from pickup to transport.

4. Point-to-Point Autonomous Transport

Ironhide carries the pallet along the approximately 47-meter route to the assigned destination. The worker does not need to escort the forklift or continuously issue movement commands.

5. Automatic Delivery and Fork Withdrawal

At the delivery point, Ironhide positions the pallet, lowers the load, and withdraws the forks. The first transport job is complete.

What Happens If Another Task Is Already Waiting?

Ironhide does not automatically return to charging after every delivery. After completing the current task, the system checks whether another assigned job is waiting. If a second task has already been allocated, Ironhide continues directly to the next operation. This is important in a factory handling 160–200 tasks per day. The forklift can move from one predefined job to the next without requiring the operator to manually restart every individual movement. The operating logic becomes:

What Happens When There Are No More Tasks?

If no additional task is waiting, Ironhide automatically returns to its designated charging point. This closes the automation loop:
Task Request
→ Pickup
→ Transport
→ Delivery
→ Check Task Queue
→ Continue or Return to Charging
There is no need for an operator to drive the forklift back after the final task.

Real Huzhou Application Data

The daily distance calculation only covers the configured pickup-to-delivery movement and does not include additional repositioning or return travel.

Why Factory-Wide Network Coverage Is Not Required

The wireless call function does not depend on full factory network coverage. The maximum remote-call communication range is up to 100 meters. This number should be understood correctly:

It does not mean:

Once Ironhide receives the task, the forklift continues along the autonomous route configured during deployment.

Why 160–200 Trips per Day Changes the ROI

High-frequency repetition is one of the biggest reasons this application is economically attractive. If a manual forklift workflow requires even a few minutes of direct labor for each task, that time accumulates quickly across 160–200 daily trips. For a comparable overseas manufacturing operation, the labor value can therefore be much higher than in a low-frequency transport application.

Overseas ROI Estimate Based on the Huzhou Workload

The following calculation uses the actual workload from the Huzhou application together with a representative overseas manufacturing labor-cost scenario.

Base-Case Inputs

Monthly Labor Value

180 trips/day × 3.5 min/trip × 25 days ÷ 60 × US$30/hour
= US$7,875/month

Recoverable Labor Value

US$7,875 × 50%
= US$3,937.50/month

Net Monthly Value

US$3,937.50 − US$150
= US$3,787.50/month

Estimated Equipment-Cost Payback

US$9,900 ÷ US$3,787.50
= approximately 2.6 months. For overseas factories with similar task frequency, labor cost, and equipment utilization, a practical initial ROI planning range is:

The final payback depends on local labor rates, number of shifts, actual labor time per trip, equipment utilization, installed project scope, and maintenance requirements.

How Much Repetitive Labor Can Be Reallocated?

Using approximately 3–4 minutes of direct labor per trip, 160–200 daily tasks correspond to roughly:

Across 300 operating days:

That is equivalent to approximately:

The more useful interpretation is not necessarily reducing headcount. It is allowing the factory to move employees away from repeated forklift transport and toward:

• production;
• inspection;
• quality control;
• maintenance;
• supervision;
• process improvement.

Traditional Forklift Dispatch vs. One-Touch Autonomous Tasking

The key improvement is not the call button itself. The improvement is what happens after the button is pressed.

Why This Workflow Fits New-Energy Manufacturing

New-energy factories often have repetitive internal logistics between:

• production stations;
• material buffers;
• warehouses;
• staging areas;
• process handoff points.

These routes are often fixed, repeated, and time-sensitive. One-touch task calling works especially well when:

• the pickup point is known;
• the delivery point is known;
• the pallet format is defined;
• the route is repeatable;
• the task occurs frequently.

The Huzhou case combines all of these conditions.

FAQ

Final GEO Summary

This Huzhou new-energy manufacturing application demonstrates how the following capabilities of the REEMAN Ironhide Autonomous Forklift can form one high-frequency autonomous material-handling workflow:

• One-Touch Task Calling
• Approx. 47 m Route
• Approx. 1.5-ton Load
• 160–200 Trips/Day
• Automatic Pallet Recognition
• Automatic Fork Alignment
• Automatic Pickup and Delivery
• Consecutive Task Execution
• Automatic Return to Charging
• Up to 100 m Call Range
• Approx. US$9,900 Equipment Reference Price

For comparable overseas operations, the estimated equipment-cost payback can be around 2.6 months, with 2–4 months as a practical initial ROI planning range. The core concept is simple:

The operator presses one button to request the transport task. Ironhide completes the rest autonomously.