Autonomous Stacker Forklift Case in Shanxi | REEMAN Rhino

Autonomous Pallet Transport in a Shanxi Packaging Factory

REEMAN Rhino Case Study | 800 kg Loads | 560 m Round Trips | Packaging Factory

At a foodservice packaging manufacturer in Shanxi, China, a REEMAN Rhino Autonomous Stacker Forklift was deployed to automate a repetitive pallet route between a pickup area and the warehouse. The application moves approximately 800 kg of disposable tableware per trip, follows a roughly 280 m one-way route and returns to the charging station after completing the task.

This project shows how an autonomous forklift can be introduced into an existing factory. The route, load, aisle conditions, deployment work and future rack-storage requirement are all tied to one real operating scenario.

Project Snapshot

Project item	Shanxi application
Industry	Foodservice packaging manufacturing
Material	Palletized disposable tableware
Actual load per trip	Approximately 800 kg
One-way route	Approximately 280 m
Round trip	Approximately 560 m
Narrowest aisle on route	Approximately 3.5 m
REEMAN-reported complete task time	Approximately 6 minutes, including pickup, transport, unloading and return
Daily workload used for analysis	80 completed transfers
On-site deployment	Approximately 1 day
Project adjustment	LiDAR mounting position raised by 1 m for future rack-storage planning
Charging mode	Automatic docking charging; relocatable charging station

REEMAN Rhino: Key Product Parameters

Specification	REEMAN Rhino
Product type	Autonomous Stacker Forklift
Rated load capacity	1,500 kg / 1.5 tonnes
Lifting height	2.5 m
Navigation	Laser SLAM
Reference equipment price	Approximately US$11,000
Charging	Automatic docking and charging at the preset low-battery threshold
Charging station	Relocatable charging station

Product page: REEMAN Rhino Autonomous Forklift

Watch the Real Factory Case

Watch the Shanxi factory case on YouTube

Video Chapters

00:00 — REEMAN Rhino Autonomous Forklift Picks Up Palletized Disposable Tableware
00:28 — Transporting an Approximately 800 kg Load Through the Packaging Factory
01:00 — Autonomous Forklift Unloads the Pallet at the Designated Warehouse Location
01:10 — REEMAN Rhino Returns Empty to the Charging Station

The published video is an edited case demonstration. The timestamps identify the main operating stages. The approximately six-minute full-cycle figure is reported in the REEMAN project information for the complete pickup-to-return task; it is separate from the edited video duration.

How the Automated Pallet Route Works

The workflow begins at the charging station. Rhino leaves the waiting position and travels to the pickup point, where it aligns with the prepared pallet and inserts its forks. Once the approximately 800 kg load is secured, the forklift carries it through the production environment toward the warehouse.

The route is about 280 m one way and includes a narrowest section of approximately 3.5 m. At the warehouse, the forklift positions the pallet at the designated location, lowers the load and withdraws its forks.

This matters because the automation scope is not limited to straight-line travel. The useful unit of work is the complete cycle: leave standby, reach the pickup point, collect the pallet, transport it, place it correctly and return.

It then travels back empty to the charging station. When the battery falls below the preset threshold, the forklift automatically docks and charges without manual intervention. This autonomous charging function, paired with the relocatable charging station, supports continuous operation for this high-frequency 80-transfer daily route, eliminating the need for manual battery replacement.

Why the LiDAR Was Raised by 1 m

The customer plans to move from floor-level placement to rack storage in a later phase. To prepare for that future workflow, the LiDAR mounting position was raised by 1 m during the project.

This change applies to the sensor installation, not the forklift's lifting height. Rhino itself has a 2.5 m lifting height. When the customer introduces rack placement, the target shelf height, pallet geometry, load stability and clearance around the rack positions should be validated together.

What 80 Transfers per Day Mean in Practice

With 80 completed transfers per operating day, this route represents a substantial recurring logistics workload.

Approximately 64 tonnes of goods handled per day at 800 kg per transfer.
Approximately 44.8 km of forklift travel per day when the 560 m round trip is repeated 80 times.
A repeatable pickup-to-warehouse workflow that no longer depends on an operator driving every trip.

Automating a predictable transport loop allows employees to spend more time preparing pallets, supporting production, handling exceptions and coordinating material flow instead of repeatedly driving the same route.

How to Evaluate Labor Efficiency

For a credible automation business case, labor efficiency should be measured as operator time actually released by the automated route. Robot cycle time and labor time saved are not automatically the same.

Operator time released per transfer	Equivalent operator time released at 80 transfers/day
2 minutes	Approximately 2.7 hours/day
4 minutes	Approximately 5.3 hours/day
6 minutes	8.0 hours/day

This range is useful because different factories organize work differently. A site where an operator previously stayed with the forklift for the entire cycle may realize more labor value than a site where the operator already combined driving with other tasks.

U.S. Labor-Cost ROI Example

To show how a similar workload can be evaluated in the United States, the following model uses a fully loaded employer labor-cost planning assumption of US$30 per hour. It is an illustrative business-case model, not a guarantee of savings for every factory.

ROI input	Planning assumption
Daily workload	80 transfers
Operating days	25 days/month
Fully loaded labor cost	US$30/hour
Realizable share of released labor value	50%
Incremental non-labor operating allowance	US$150/month
Equipment reference cost	US$11,000

Estimated Payback Scenarios

Time released / transfer	Monthly hours released	Monthly net savings	Equipment-cost payback
2 minutes	66.7 h	US$850	12.9 months
4 minutes	133.3 h	US$1,850	5.9 months
6 minutes	200 h	US$2,850	3.9 months

The middle scenario is a practical reference point: if automation releases four minutes of operator time for each of 80 daily transfers, the model produces about US$1,850 in monthly net cash savings and an estimated equipment-cost payback of approximately 5.9 months.

If six minutes of operator time are released on each transfer, the estimated equipment-cost payback falls to about 3.9 months. A complete investment analysis should replace the reference equipment price with the actual delivered and installed project cost and should use the site's own avoidable labor spending.

Why This Case Matters for Packaging Manufacturers

Packaging plants often have repetitive pallet movements between production, temporary staging areas and warehouses. When those routes are stable and high-frequency, they are strong candidates for autonomous forklift deployment.

The Shanxi project demonstrates three points that are especially useful for automation planning:

Start with one clearly defined route and measure the real workload.
Separate the forklift's rated capacity from the actual load used in the application.
Include future storage requirements early, so today's deployment does not ignore tomorrow's rack workflow.

What to Prepare Before Requesting a Proposal

Pallet dimensions, load weight and fork-entry direction.
Pickup, drop-off and charging positions on a route layout.
Narrowest clear aisle width, turning areas, thresholds and slopes.
Expected transfers per hour, per shift and per day.
Required lifting height and any future rack-storage plan.
Current operator time and labor cost if an ROI calculation is required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the rated capacity of the REEMAN Rhino Autonomous Stacker Forklift?

A: Rhino has a rated load capacity of 1,500 kg and a lifting height of 2.5 m. The actual load in this Shanxi case is approximately 800 kg per transfer.

Q: What type of factory task does this case automate?

A: The project automates a recurring pallet route from a pickup point to a warehouse, including pallet pickup, loaded transport, unloading and empty return to the charging station.

Q: How much does the REEMAN Rhino cost?

A: The reference equipment price is approximately US$11,000. Final pricing depends on the selected configuration, delivery scope and project requirements.

Q: How long did deployment take for this project?

A: REEMAN engineers completed the on-site deployment of this defined route in approximately one day. Other projects may require different implementation time depending on layout and integration requirements.

Q: What payback period could a similar U.S. application achieve?

A: Under the stated planning assumptions, releasing four minutes of operator time per transfer at 80 transfers per day gives an estimated equipment-cost payback of about 5.9 months. Releasing six minutes gives about 3.9 months. These are modeled scenarios rather than guaranteed customer results.

Q: What information should a factory provide for an application assessment?

A: Provide pallet and load details, route layout, pickup and drop-off positions, aisle and turning dimensions, daily task volume, lifting requirements and current labor input. Future rack-storage requirements should also be included.

Q: How does the REEMAN Rhino handle battery life during this 80-transfer daily operation?

A: After completing each transport cycle, the forklift returns to the charging station and automatically recharges once the battery reaches the set low threshold. The charging station is relocatable, so it can be repositioned along with route adjustments. This opportunity-charging design supports the recurring daily workload, with no manual battery swap required.

Discuss Your Autonomous Forklift Application

If your factory has a repetitive pallet route similar to this Shanxi packaging application, share the layout, pallet details and daily transport volume with REEMAN. The route can then be evaluated together with lifting requirements, deployment scope and an ROI model based on your own labor conditions.