Subscribe

Day: 16 March 2022

SSI Schaefer’s IKEA picking solution nominated for IFOY Award

Posted on by David Priestman

Flat Pack Picking is a unique, automated turnkey system solution, from a single source. The concept, developed by SSI Schaefer in partnership with Inter IKEA Intralogistics, IKEA Purchasing Services GmbH, has been successfully trailed in Germany and is now nominated for this year´s IFOY (International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year) Award.

The unique automated turnkey system solution has been developed to ensure safe, efficient, and volume-optimized palletizing of heavy and bulky items, typical for the furniture sector. The picking module with gantry robots can facilitate efficient handling of an extremely diverse range of items, freeing employees from non-ergonomic tasks and features a high degree of scalability.

“The development of the Flat Pack Picking solution, designed specifically for the furniture industry, is an example of how we at SSI Schaefer continuously innovate to support companies within various markets. We strive to address industry issues and to increase efficiency while improving the working conditions of warehouse personnel”, explains Notker Steigerwald, Head of Business Unit Logistics Solutions at SSI Schaefer.

“Innovating for increased efficiency, accuracy and sustainability is at the core of our mission at IKEA Intralogistics. The development and successful implementation of the Flat Pack Picking solution in Dortmund is a great example of how technology can support these ambitions, for instance by enabling a shift from manual to more value-added tasks for our co-workers”, says Julien Weiß, Automation & Design Leader, Inter IKEA Intralogistics at IKEA Purchasing Services GmbH.

The concept has been nominated for the IFOY Award 2022 and will undergo the three-stage IFOY audit during the IFOY Test Days on March 18–23, 2022.

The Flat Pack Picking solution

The solution is at the forefront of technology and IKEA is the first furniture retailer to automate the picking of large products in the field of customer distribution. By installing the Flat Pack Picking solution it will be possible to create a more ergonomic work environment for co-workers and increase the overall productivity of customer distribution units.

Four automatically replenished picking robots will pick for the customer distribution operations. The solution will serve as a pre-pick function to bring heavy products to co-workers. One of the biggest benefits is the modularity of the system. This enables an easy implementation. It is a combination of proven industrial solutions in the market that are customized to IKEAs needs.

 

SSI Schaefer’s IKEA picking solution nominated for IFOY Award

Posted on by David Priestman

Flat Pack Picking is a unique, automated turnkey system solution, from a single source. The concept, developed by SSI Schaefer in partnership with Inter IKEA Intralogistics, IKEA Purchasing Services GmbH, has been successfully trailed in Germany and is now nominated for this year´s IFOY (International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year) Award.

The unique automated turnkey system solution has been developed to ensure safe, efficient, and volume-optimized palletizing of heavy and bulky items, typical for the furniture sector. The picking module with gantry robots can facilitate efficient handling of an extremely diverse range of items, freeing employees from non-ergonomic tasks and features a high degree of scalability.

“The development of the Flat Pack Picking solution, designed specifically for the furniture industry, is an example of how we at SSI Schaefer continuously innovate to support companies within various markets. We strive to address industry issues and to increase efficiency while improving the working conditions of warehouse personnel”, explains Notker Steigerwald, Head of Business Unit Logistics Solutions at SSI Schaefer.

“Innovating for increased efficiency, accuracy and sustainability is at the core of our mission at IKEA Intralogistics. The development and successful implementation of the Flat Pack Picking solution in Dortmund is a great example of how technology can support these ambitions, for instance by enabling a shift from manual to more value-added tasks for our co-workers”, says Julien Weiß, Automation & Design Leader, Inter IKEA Intralogistics at IKEA Purchasing Services GmbH.

The concept has been nominated for the IFOY Award 2022 and will undergo the three-stage IFOY audit during the IFOY Test Days on March 18–23, 2022.

The Flat Pack Picking solution

The solution is at the forefront of technology and IKEA is the first furniture retailer to automate the picking of large products in the field of customer distribution. By installing the Flat Pack Picking solution it will be possible to create a more ergonomic work environment for co-workers and increase the overall productivity of customer distribution units.

Four automatically replenished picking robots will pick for the customer distribution operations. The solution will serve as a pre-pick function to bring heavy products to co-workers. One of the biggest benefits is the modularity of the system. This enables an easy implementation. It is a combination of proven industrial solutions in the market that are customized to IKEAs needs.

 

SYNAOS adds ZF as new customer

Posted on by David Priestman

SYNAOS, a software provider for AI-optimized intralogistics, has gained ZF – one of the world’s largest technology groups and automotive suppliers – as a new customer for its cloud-based intralogistics management platform SYNA.OS LOGISTICS.

SYNAOS optimises the control of automated guided vehicles (AGV) in intralogistics for ZF. In the future, heterogeneous AGV fleets are to be used in all conceivable scenarios with maximum efficiency.

The decision in favour of the SYNAOS solution was preceded by an intensive selection process lasting several months. The decisive factors in favour of SYNA.OS LOGISTICS were the far-reaching possibilities for increasing efficiency and the unparalleled flexibility of the solution in the use of heterogeneous AGV fleets. The consistently positive experiences of well-known OEMs in the industrial use of the SYNAOS software also played an important role.

Already this year, SYNA.OS LOGISTICS will be used in numerous projects at different ZF locations. The goal is to continuously optimize intralogistics processes at ZF with the help of state-of-the-art AI algorithms and by utilising all available data.

Harald Gärtner, coordinator for the implementation of a wide variety of AGV fleets in the ZF Group, said: “The increasing number of projects and complexity in the area of automated guided vehicles makes standardisation across all our global locations necessary. SYNAOS has already impressively demonstrated its capabilities with its AI-based software for intralogistics with other customers. In addition to the performance of SYNA.OS LOGISTICS, the know-how and passion of the SYNAOS team convinced us.”

Dr. Wolfgang Hackenberg, co-founder and CEO of SYNAOS, said: “Digitalisation and automation are penetrating more and more business areas. With our product, we are closing a significant gap in intralogistics, which will result in a substantial increase in efficiency for our customers. In addition, our solution is characterised by fast scalability, manufacturer-independent control and coordination, as well as simple and flexible connection to existing systems.”

Early on, SYNAOS relied on VDA 5050, a communication standard jointly developed by the VDA and VDMA, to control different transport robots. Today, SYNAOS is one of the leading providers and offers an extremely robust and finely balanced traffic management of heterogeneous AGV fleets. This means that even completely different vehicles, such as tugger trains and underride AGVs, can be deployed flexibly and without interference in the same driving areas.

The assignment of individual vehicles to static routes is no longer necessary. Well-known AGV manufacturers, such as SEW Eurodrive, MLR System, Kuka, Tünkers, Safelog and Götting, already rely on SYNAOS software.

Pictured (from left): Lennart Bochmann Co-Founder and CPO SYNAOS, Nicolas Galanulis Account Manager SYNAOS, Harald Gärtner Coordinator for the implementation of a wide variety of AGV fleets in the ZF Group.

GateHouse releases new data platform for ocean logistics

Posted on by David Priestman

GateHouse Maritime, a leading provider of ocean supply chain visibility and predictability services, has introduced its new data platform, OceanIO. The new feed is scalable to support the rapidly increasing number of data points anticipated from the growing use of IOT technologies fitted to shipped and shipping assets.

Martin Dommerby Kristiansen, CEO at GateHouse Maritime, said: “The digital transformation of the logistics sector is creating a tsunami of data. At GateHouse Maritime we wanted to proactively deliver a data platform that can scale to meet the demands of this growing resource. At the same time, we wanted to reinforce our reputation as the go-to provider for a robust data foundation upon which our clients can develop and deliver reliable and accurate services to their end customers.”

OceanIO receives up to 150 million new data points daily, drawn from diverse sources including nearly 300,000 oceangoing vessels reporting information regarding their position, heading, speed and depth, together with information from 160 satellites and 2,500 terrestrial stations, 110 container freight carriers, 4,000 container ports and terminals, and meteorological reports amongst many others.

“Most importantly,” continued Kristiansen, “as sector specialists serving the seaborne logistics for over a decade, we have been able to integrate historical and trend data into OceanIO for a more powerful end service. Using machine learning means that predictive services can be a great deal more accurate to meet end customers’ expectations of a better explanation of where their freight has been, where it is currently located and when it’s expected to arrive at port. Predictability has become an increasingly vital service attribute as the supply chain has degraded with more and more disruption over the past years.”

OceanIO is augmented with nearly 3,000 different types of data on a second-by-second basis. Coming from vastly different sources by data type, volume, velocity and interval, it must all be accommodated, rationalized, harmonized and then unified for use by GateHouse clients. At the same time, clients also need to have their own customised requirements satisfied in order to deliver a differentiated customer experience.

“Our clients create services based upon the foundation data comprised within OceanIO,” concludes Kristiansen. “To ensure the success of their current and future offers – especially as these become more predictive in nature – GateHouse provides a fully configurable ‘rules engine’ enabling different fusions of data to be served on demand. We can even look to co-develop solutions using client data to provide more granular services and greater value-add.”

OceanIO is available now from GateHouse Maritime to enable predictive services which answer questions including “where is my container or freight?”, “what condition is it in?”, “has it been opened or moved from one vessel to another?”, “where is it in the customs clearance cycle?” and “how soon am I likely to receive it?”.

GateHouse releases new data platform for ocean logistics

Posted on by David Priestman

GateHouse Maritime, a leading provider of ocean supply chain visibility and predictability services, has introduced its new data platform, OceanIO. The new feed is scalable to support the rapidly increasing number of data points anticipated from the growing use of IOT technologies fitted to shipped and shipping assets.

Martin Dommerby Kristiansen, CEO at GateHouse Maritime, said: “The digital transformation of the logistics sector is creating a tsunami of data. At GateHouse Maritime we wanted to proactively deliver a data platform that can scale to meet the demands of this growing resource. At the same time, we wanted to reinforce our reputation as the go-to provider for a robust data foundation upon which our clients can develop and deliver reliable and accurate services to their end customers.”

OceanIO receives up to 150 million new data points daily, drawn from diverse sources including nearly 300,000 oceangoing vessels reporting information regarding their position, heading, speed and depth, together with information from 160 satellites and 2,500 terrestrial stations, 110 container freight carriers, 4,000 container ports and terminals, and meteorological reports amongst many others.

“Most importantly,” continued Kristiansen, “as sector specialists serving the seaborne logistics for over a decade, we have been able to integrate historical and trend data into OceanIO for a more powerful end service. Using machine learning means that predictive services can be a great deal more accurate to meet end customers’ expectations of a better explanation of where their freight has been, where it is currently located and when it’s expected to arrive at port. Predictability has become an increasingly vital service attribute as the supply chain has degraded with more and more disruption over the past years.”

OceanIO is augmented with nearly 3,000 different types of data on a second-by-second basis. Coming from vastly different sources by data type, volume, velocity and interval, it must all be accommodated, rationalized, harmonized and then unified for use by GateHouse clients. At the same time, clients also need to have their own customised requirements satisfied in order to deliver a differentiated customer experience.

“Our clients create services based upon the foundation data comprised within OceanIO,” concludes Kristiansen. “To ensure the success of their current and future offers – especially as these become more predictive in nature – GateHouse provides a fully configurable ‘rules engine’ enabling different fusions of data to be served on demand. We can even look to co-develop solutions using client data to provide more granular services and greater value-add.”

OceanIO is available now from GateHouse Maritime to enable predictive services which answer questions including “where is my container or freight?”, “what condition is it in?”, “has it been opened or moved from one vessel to another?”, “where is it in the customs clearance cycle?” and “how soon am I likely to receive it?”.

Caja and Ranpak partner to provide sustainable packaging

Posted on by David Priestman

Caja Robotics, a leader in robotic and flexible goods-to-person solutions for order fulfilment, has partnered with Ranpak, a global leader of environmentally sustainable, paper-based packaging solutions for e-commerce and industrial supply chains, to extend the companies’ joint product offerings to customers in the logistics industry.

Together, the companies will provide a broader solution that will optimise fulfilment processes starting when e-commerce orders are placed and received, to packing and shipping when the order is ready, combining depalletisation, picking and packing capabilities.

“We are excited about our partnership with Ranpak to address mutual opportunities,” said Michael Cahn, VP Business Development at Caja Robotics. “We saw the potential in providing complementary technologies for customers in order fulfilment, and in a sustainable way, so we jumped at the opportunity. Customers interested in goods-to-person robotics and automated packing will now have a complete, eco-friendly solution.”

Ranpak is a global producer of 100% sustainable, paper-based packaging solutions. As part of their mission to provide innovative, environmentally friendly solutions, Ranpak also offers cutting-edge automated equipment designed to speed up the end-of-line packing process while protecting the items being shipped in a cost-effective, economical way.

“At Ranpak, we are always looking for innovative ways to expand the global footprint of our sustainable, automated end of line packaging solutions. We are thrilled to collaborate with Caja Robotics and its cutting-edge robotic fulfilment solution. We already have new and existing customers from different segments of the industry interested in our automated broad solution for warehouse operations,” said Saar Davidi, Automation Innovation Director at Ranpak.

Caja Robotics responds to the daily challenges of warehouses worldwide with a smart warehouse technology that easily adapts to existing infrastructure and is flexible enough to handle peaks in sales. Caja’s fulfilment system consists of the company’s own software, specialised robots, and user-friendly workstations. With Caja’s advanced AI-powered software, the robots move bins between workstations and inventory, constantly optimising goods management while saving over 60% of traditional warehouse labour costs.

The Caja Robotics and Ranpak joint offering is available now in the US and internationally. To learn more, visit Caja Robotics at booth #C3789 at MODEX2022 from March 28-31, 2022.

Caja and Ranpak partner to provide sustainable packaging

Posted on by David Priestman

Caja Robotics, a leader in robotic and flexible goods-to-person solutions for order fulfilment, has partnered with Ranpak, a global leader of environmentally sustainable, paper-based packaging solutions for e-commerce and industrial supply chains, to extend the companies’ joint product offerings to customers in the logistics industry.

Together, the companies will provide a broader solution that will optimise fulfilment processes starting when e-commerce orders are placed and received, to packing and shipping when the order is ready, combining depalletisation, picking and packing capabilities.

“We are excited about our partnership with Ranpak to address mutual opportunities,” said Michael Cahn, VP Business Development at Caja Robotics. “We saw the potential in providing complementary technologies for customers in order fulfilment, and in a sustainable way, so we jumped at the opportunity. Customers interested in goods-to-person robotics and automated packing will now have a complete, eco-friendly solution.”

Ranpak is a global producer of 100% sustainable, paper-based packaging solutions. As part of their mission to provide innovative, environmentally friendly solutions, Ranpak also offers cutting-edge automated equipment designed to speed up the end-of-line packing process while protecting the items being shipped in a cost-effective, economical way.

“At Ranpak, we are always looking for innovative ways to expand the global footprint of our sustainable, automated end of line packaging solutions. We are thrilled to collaborate with Caja Robotics and its cutting-edge robotic fulfilment solution. We already have new and existing customers from different segments of the industry interested in our automated broad solution for warehouse operations,” said Saar Davidi, Automation Innovation Director at Ranpak.

Caja Robotics responds to the daily challenges of warehouses worldwide with a smart warehouse technology that easily adapts to existing infrastructure and is flexible enough to handle peaks in sales. Caja’s fulfilment system consists of the company’s own software, specialised robots, and user-friendly workstations. With Caja’s advanced AI-powered software, the robots move bins between workstations and inventory, constantly optimising goods management while saving over 60% of traditional warehouse labour costs.

The Caja Robotics and Ranpak joint offering is available now in the US and internationally. To learn more, visit Caja Robotics at booth #C3789 at MODEX2022 from March 28-31, 2022.

Reach truck training goes online

Posted on by David Priestman

RTITB’s innovative eTruck UK online eLearning program can now be used to train reach truck operators, as well as counterbalance lift truck operators, in less time.

The eLearning solution is designed for novice theory training. It enables businesses to save up to two days per operator, per course, freeing-up Instructors to deliver more practical training. This helps to get more trained operators quickly and safely into warehouses and address current skills shortages.

“When we launched eTruck UK for novice forklift operator training at IMHX in 2019, there was no way of knowing that the demand for eLearning would quickly grow due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Laura Nelson, Managing Director for RTITB, the leading accrediting body for workplace transport training. “However, our goal remained the same. We want to digitalise parts of operator training to save businesses time and money without compromising safety or standards.

“Many organisations have added eLearning into their ongoing operator training already. Now, they can train reach truck operators with eTruck, as well as those using counterbalance lift trucks.”

eTruck is an award-winning digital storytelling platform, developed by MA-System in Sweden. It is only available in the UK and Ireland from RTITB. It enables novice reach truck and lift truck operator theory training to be delivered completely online.

eTruck also introduces several key concepts relating to practical skills and knowledge. For example, pre-use inspections, load types, racking, and more. By focusing on readiness for practical training as well as delivering theoretical knowledge, this eLearning can reduce a novice course for three people by two days.

Novice reach truck or lift truck operator training candidates can use the unique solution to learn at their own pace online, at any time. This enables training to be completed outside of working hours or in designated learning time at work. Instructors’ time is also freed up, making them available to deliver more practical training and get skilled operators into the workplace more quickly.

“Finding time for operator training has always been hard, but it is especially difficult now where supply chain staff are scarce, and budgets are tight. eTruck helps solve this,” explains Nelson. “On top of significant benefits to the business, from standardising training through to lowering costs, eTruck is a real gamechanger for training candidates too.”

With eTruck, candidates learn by following a story that tackles genuine issues relating to safety in a more interesting and engaging way. The system allows candidates to learn at their own pace. More complex themes, such as the effects of an operator’s actions and decisions, can be communicated effectively via the story and virtual tutors. Research has shown that facts delivered via a story are 20 times more likely to be remembered and that this approach to training caters to a wider range of learning styles.

eTruck is available with lifetime licenses both for those delivering in-house training and for training providers. Reach truck and lift truck operator theory courses using eTruck can be booked via RTITB Accredited Training Providers.

CLICK HERE to learn more

Reach truck training goes online

Posted on by David Priestman

RTITB’s innovative eTruck UK online eLearning program can now be used to train reach truck operators, as well as counterbalance lift truck operators, in less time.

The eLearning solution is designed for novice theory training. It enables businesses to save up to two days per operator, per course, freeing-up Instructors to deliver more practical training. This helps to get more trained operators quickly and safely into warehouses and address current skills shortages.

“When we launched eTruck UK for novice forklift operator training at IMHX in 2019, there was no way of knowing that the demand for eLearning would quickly grow due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Laura Nelson, Managing Director for RTITB, the leading accrediting body for workplace transport training. “However, our goal remained the same. We want to digitalise parts of operator training to save businesses time and money without compromising safety or standards.

“Many organisations have added eLearning into their ongoing operator training already. Now, they can train reach truck operators with eTruck, as well as those using counterbalance lift trucks.”

eTruck is an award-winning digital storytelling platform, developed by MA-System in Sweden. It is only available in the UK and Ireland from RTITB. It enables novice reach truck and lift truck operator theory training to be delivered completely online.

eTruck also introduces several key concepts relating to practical skills and knowledge. For example, pre-use inspections, load types, racking, and more. By focusing on readiness for practical training as well as delivering theoretical knowledge, this eLearning can reduce a novice course for three people by two days.

Novice reach truck or lift truck operator training candidates can use the unique solution to learn at their own pace online, at any time. This enables training to be completed outside of working hours or in designated learning time at work. Instructors’ time is also freed up, making them available to deliver more practical training and get skilled operators into the workplace more quickly.

“Finding time for operator training has always been hard, but it is especially difficult now where supply chain staff are scarce, and budgets are tight. eTruck helps solve this,” explains Nelson. “On top of significant benefits to the business, from standardising training through to lowering costs, eTruck is a real gamechanger for training candidates too.”

With eTruck, candidates learn by following a story that tackles genuine issues relating to safety in a more interesting and engaging way. The system allows candidates to learn at their own pace. More complex themes, such as the effects of an operator’s actions and decisions, can be communicated effectively via the story and virtual tutors. Research has shown that facts delivered via a story are 20 times more likely to be remembered and that this approach to training caters to a wider range of learning styles.

eTruck is available with lifetime licenses both for those delivering in-house training and for training providers. Reach truck and lift truck operator theory courses using eTruck can be booked via RTITB Accredited Training Providers.

CLICK HERE to learn more

Subscribe

Get notified about New Episodes of our Podcast, New Magazine Issues and stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter.