FKI LOGISTEX VERTICAL CAROUSEL DESIGN TARGETS SMALL ITEM STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL

(Kenilworth, NJ: December 29, 2004) FKI Logistex® (www.fkilogistex.com), a global leader in integrated material handling solutions, announces that it has added new features to its 2100 and 2200 series vertical carousels to cater to the surface mount technology (SMT), pharmaceutical, and automotive dealership industries.

FKI Logistex 2100 Series Vertical CarouselDesigned to promote ergonomics, security and safety, the high-throughput capacities and small footprints of the 2100 and 2200 carousels make them ideal choices as efficient, automated and cost-effective, high-density small item storage and retrieval solutions. With a strong record of success selling carousels for clean room applications in the semiconductor industry, FKI Logistex now sees potential for sales of the 2100 and 2200 in other markets, driven by the addition of various new features.

“The FKI Logistex 2100 and 2200 vertical carousels offer a range of capabilities and options we don’t see currently being offered in the market,” says Ken Thouvenot, vice president of project management and marketing, FKI Logistex Manufacturing Systems North America. “Their rugged design, high reliability, and superior space utilization make these units an excellent choice for customers facing high-density storage requirements. With the variety of models, features and capabilities offered in these carousels, the FKI Logistex 2100 and 2200 will set the standard for a wide range of storage applications and industries.”

FKI Logistex 2200 Series Vertical CarouselFor the SMT market, FKI Logistex has added a 19-inch pitch to the 2200 series. The new pitch allows both 7-inch and 14-inch standard reels to be stored in the same unit. FKI Logistex has also added a removable intermediate shelf, enabling the units to be customized to meet changing demands and accommodate new products, and is offering various electrostatic discharge (ESD) totes and storage media to maximize unit capacity.

For the pharmaceutical and healthcare markets, FKI Logistex will offer a version of the 2200 specifically designed for the storage and distribution of medication and controlled substances. These units will feature enhanced security, pick-to-light and other options.

For automotive dealerships, FKI Logistex 2100 and 2200 carousels now offer a flexible pan configuration that allows a wide array of parts to be stored. FKI Logistex vertical carousels provide automotive dealerships with footprint savings of up to 70 percent.

In the semiconductor industry, FKI Logistex will offer an automated variation of the 2100 series, which are designed to accommodate clean room standards up to Class 1. FKI Logistex vertical storage and retrieval solutions optimize the extremely expensive floor space found in clean rooms.

FKI Logistex will also be marketing the 2100 and 2200 to the electronics, aerospace, jewelry, and office filing markets. It has added an optional Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) design with wheelchair accessibility to a lowered counter and a new integrated controller. Other new features of the 2100 and 2200 include an upgraded standard keypad controller that allows the operator to key in the pan number for product retrieval and the ability to upgrade the units after purchase to enable software control.

For sales and marketing information, please contact Jill Raab, marketing communications coordinator, FKI Logistex Manufacturing Systems, by phone at (314) 993-4700 or by e-mail at [email protected]. For media information, please contact Melissa Farmer, account executive, Koroberi, Inc. (www.koroberi.com), by phone at (919) 960-9794 ext. 16 or by e-mail at [email protected].

About FKI Logistex North America FKI Logistex® North America (www.fkilogistex.com) is a leading provider of automated material handling solutions, supplying its customers with an integrated set of leading-edge technologies in high-speed sortation, conveyor systems, carousels, palletizing, paperless pick products, AS/RS, controls, order processing software, RFID implementation, warehouse control systems, and total materials handling automation.

FKI Logistex Airport, Post and Parcel integrates high-speed sortation and conveying systems to meet the high-throughput needs of postal and parcel customers, and provides advanced baggage handling, security, and RFID track-and-tracing for airports of all sizes. FKI Logistex Manufacturing Systems builds automated material handling systems using state-of-the-art technology for storing, picking, ID solutions, palletizing, kitting, packing and shipping that enable manufacturers to process more orders per day at a lower cost. FKI Logistex Warehouse and Distribution designs high-accuracy, high-speed, high-reliability material handling, sortation, and order fulfillment solutions for warehouses and distribution centers that shrink the supply chain and maximize material handling ROI.

With projects that include many of the world’s most advanced material handling operations, FKI Logistex is home to the industry’s most successful and recognized brands, including Alvey palletizers, Buschman conveyors, Cleco cranes and AS/RS solutions, Crisplant sorters and baggage handling applications, IoSystems supervisory and automated control systems, Mathews conveyors, Real Time Solutions order fulfillment and picking solutions, and White carousels and automated storage solutions. For more information on FKI Logistex, click here to visit the FKI Logistex media center. For sales information, contact FKI Logistex by phone at (877) 935-4564 or by e-mail at [email protected].