Not every load carrier is designed to work with standard autonomous forklift forks.
At a high-end electronic materials manufacturing facility in Anhui, China, REEMAN adapted the Titan Mini Autonomous Forklift so it could directly handle the customer's existing wheeled mobile material tank trolley.
The trolley together with its material weighs approximately 275 kg. Instead of introducing an additional standard pallet, REEMAN developed custom fork arms matched to the trolley's existing steel base, allowing direct pickup and transport.
After lifting the trolley, the forklift travels an approximately 260 m one-way point-to-point route using LiDAR-based Laser SLAM navigation. With the current factory configuration, a full operating cycle takes around 4.5 minutes. Travel speed can be adjusted, the vehicle can automatically stop when people or obstacles enter its configured safety zone, and the Titan Mini returns to its charging point after the task is completed.
Project Overview
| Item | Application Data |
|---|---|
| Location | Anhui, China |
| Industry | High-end electronic materials manufacturing |
| Robot | REEMAN Titan Mini Autonomous Forklift |
| Load Carrier | Wheeled mobile material tank trolley |
| Actual Load | Approx. 275 kg |
| Rated Payload | Up to 2,000 kg |
| One-Way Route | Approx. 260 m |
| Complete Operating Cycle | Approx. 4.5 minutes |
| Travel Speed | Adjustable |
| Navigation | Laser SLAM / LiDAR Navigation |
| Customization | Custom fork arms |
| Standard Pallet Required | No |
| Safety Response | Automatic stop when a person or obstacle enters the safety zone |
| Task Completion | Automatic return to charging |
The Challenge: Adapting to an Existing Non-Standard Trolley
The customer was already using wheeled mobile material tank trolleys as part of its daily production workflow.
Unlike conventional pallets, these carriers use their own steel bottom frame and wheels, making their pickup structure different from standard wooden or plastic pallets.
Replacing the existing trolleys simply to introduce automation would have required additional changes to an already established material-handling process.
So the key issue was not simply:
A more practical question was:
For this project, REEMAN adapted the forklift to the existing carrier rather than requiring the customer to redesign its workflow.
Custom Fork Arms Matched to the Trolley's Steel Base
The fork geometry was customized to match the existing steel base of the trolley, supporting accurate pickup and stable transportation.
The mobile material tank trolley has a steel bottom frame that differs significantly from the structure of a conventional pallet.
Because of this, standard forklift forks were not the most suitable option for direct handling.
Rather than requiring a new trolley design or placing an additional pallet underneath the carrier, REEMAN developed custom fork arms specifically for the Titan Mini.
The fork configuration was matched to the available pickup space beneath the existing steel frame, enabling the vehicle to enter the correct position, lift the complete trolley and support it securely while travelling.
Direct Trolley Pickup Without an Extra Pallet
Once a transport task is assigned, the REEMAN Titan Mini automatically travels toward the designated pickup position.
Near the trolley, the forklift fine-tunes its position and aligns the customized fork arms with the steel base underneath the carrier.
After alignment is completed, the forks move into the available pickup area and lift the entire trolley.
No separate wooden or plastic pallet needs to be added.
For this specific application, the combined weight of the trolley and material is approximately 275 kg.
With a rated payload of up to 2,000 kg, the REEMAN Titan Mini has substantial rated capacity available for this transport task.
260 m Point-to-Point Transport Inside a Real Factory
REEMAN Titan Mini transporting the customer's existing mobile material tank trolley during actual factory operation.
After completing the pickup, the Titan Mini travels approximately 260 meters one way between designated working areas inside the customer's production facility.
This is a practical production transport route rather than a short showroom demonstration.
The autonomous forklift performs an actual internal material-transfer task as part of the factory's daily logistics process.
As a result, the application evaluates more than basic autonomous driving. The vehicle must move with its load while operating alongside normal factory activities.
Laser SLAM Navigation, Configurable Speed and Safety Response
While travelling, the Titan Mini relies on LiDAR-based Laser SLAM navigation to detect and understand its surrounding environment.
The travel speed can be configured according to the route, traffic conditions and the customer's safety requirements.
This flexibility is important because factory environments continuously change throughout the working day.
Employees, equipment, mobile carts and temporary obstacles can all appear around the autonomous transport route.
If a person or obstacle enters the configured safety area, the Titan Mini can automatically stop its movement.
The purpose is therefore not simply to maximize vehicle speed.
The goal is to create a transport process that can operate consistently within the customer's real production conditions.
Accurate Placement at the Delivery Point
After arriving at the target location, the Titan Mini performs another positioning adjustment before unloading.
The trolley is then lowered smoothly into the designated delivery position.
Once placement is complete, the customized forks withdraw from beneath the steel frame and the forklift exits the working area.
With the current factory settings, a complete operating cycle takes approximately 4.5 minutes.
The published case video is displayed at around 4× playback speed, making it possible to view the complete workflow in roughly one minute.
Actual cycle time can vary depending on configured travel speed, production traffic, temporary obstacles and site-specific safety settings.
Autonomous Return to the Charging Point
The automated workflow continues even after the trolley reaches its destination.
When the delivery task has been completed, the REEMAN Titan Mini automatically travels back to its assigned charging point.
This helps turn an individual transport operation into a more complete automated workflow.
Without automatic return, an operator would still need to manually move the vehicle back for charging, leaving an unnecessary manual step in the process.
In this application, pickup, transportation, placement and return to charging are connected as one complete operating cycle.
How the Complete Workflow Operates
The key value of this project goes beyond simply allowing a forklift to drive autonomously.
The customer was able to introduce automated transport without rebuilding the existing material-handling process around a new carrier system.
The original trolley remains part of the workflow.
The existing steel base does not need to be redesigned.
The approximately 275 kg working load stays the same.
The approximately 260 m transportation requirement also remains unchanged.
What Other Factories Can Learn from This Application
Many manufacturing facilities already rely on non-standard material carriers such as:
- Mobile material trolleys
- Tank trolleys
- Custom carts
- Metal racks
- Wire mesh cages
- Production-line carriers
Moving toward autonomous material handling does not necessarily require replacing every existing carrier.
When the structure of the carrier and the operating conditions allow it, adapting the autonomous forklift to the current workflow can be a more practical approach.
In this application, the solution was to customize the Titan Mini fork arms around the customer's existing trolley structure.
FAQ
Can standard autonomous forklift forks work with every type of load carrier?
No. Trolleys, racks, pallets and custom carriers can use very different bottom structures and pickup points. For this application, REEMAN customized the Titan Mini fork arms specifically around the customer's existing steel-base trolley.
Can an autonomous forklift handle a non-standard mobile tank trolley?
Yes. In this project, the REEMAN Titan Mini uses customized fork arms to directly lift and transport the customer's existing wheeled mobile material tank trolley.
Was the customer required to replace the original trolley?
No. The existing trolley continues to be used. Instead, the forklift fork configuration was adapted to match the carrier.
Does this solution require an additional pallet?
No. The customized fork arms engage directly with the existing steel base underneath the trolley, so no extra wooden or plastic pallet is necessary.
What is the actual transported load in this application?
The trolley and the material together weigh approximately 275 kg. The REEMAN Titan Mini provides a rated payload of up to 2,000 kg.
What distance does the autonomous forklift travel?
The one-way transport route between the pickup and delivery positions is approximately 260 m.
How long is one full transport cycle?
With the current site configuration, one complete operating cycle takes approximately 4.5 minutes.
Is the travel speed of the Titan Mini configurable?
Yes. The travel speed can be adjusted according to factory traffic, route conditions and site-specific safety requirements.
How does the forklift respond when a person or obstacle enters its safety area?
The Titan Mini can automatically stop when a person or obstacle enters the configured safety zone.
Does the Titan Mini return to charging automatically?
Yes. Once the transport task is finished, the Titan Mini can autonomously return to its designated charging point.
If your factory uses non-standard trolleys, racks, cages, carts or other customized load carriers, share the carrier dimensions, structure and real transport workflow with REEMAN so the application can be evaluated for automation.