Picking doors in narrow aisles is rarely a simple handling task. The products are long, heavy and sensitive to damage, while daily order volumes often require fast, accurate and ergonomic picking. For door manufacturers, joinery suppliers, furniture producers and timber merchants, the right handling concept can therefore have a direct impact on productivity and workplace safety.
In a recent door-storage project, HUBTEX developed a customised EZK 20 two-sided electric order-picking platform for a high-density racking application. The system is used for both the storage and retrieval of complete pallets weighing up to 1,250kg and the picking of individual doors and door frames. The central objective was to reduce manual effort and enable one-person door picking wherever the process and safety requirements allow.
The EZK 20 operates in narrow storage aisles with an inductive guidance system. Instead of mechanical guide rails, an induction wire is embedded invisibly in the warehouse floor. The vehicle detects the wire via high-frequency antennas and automatically aligns itself for aisle entry and longitudinal travel. This keeps the lower storage level accessible for other vehicles, such as pallet trucks and sideloaders, and supports a more flexible warehouse layout.
The platform serves upper rack levels, with storage and retrieval heights of up to 8,250mm. A centrally positioned load table with telescopic forks extending 2,590mm on both sides allows pallets to be placed into the racking system either to the left or right. A reinforced scissor lift provides 900mm of effective vertical lift, helping to reduce lost height and improve operator ergonomics.
Several details were designed to support precise, low-effort handling. Cross-line lasers help the operator position the forks accurately at the correct rack height, while additional line lasers assist during order picking on either side of the platform. Lowerable safety barriers with integrated rollers make it easier to move heavy door packs onto the load table, reducing resistance when handling packages weighing up to 90kg.
Operator comfort is also built into the concept. Folding seats at both operator stations and a continuous operatorpresence foot mat help reduce fatigue during longer shifts. Safety is supported by laser scanners on both sides of the platform. If a person or obstacle is detected in the aisle, the system automatically initiates braking.
For demanding door logistics, the application demonstrates how a purposebuilt handling solution can combine storage density, picking efficiency, ergonomic working and safe operation in one system. For businesses handling long, heavy or damage-sensitive products, the result is a more controlled and reliable process from storage through to order picking.
