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Month: August 2022

SEC Group delivers IMHX sustainability zone

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Brand new for 2022, the IMHX Sustainability Zone will combine physical displays, augmented reality, and virtual reality demonstrations to give visitors a ‘deep dive’ into the many steps that companies operating in the supply chain space can take to make sure they perform as sustainably as possible.

Prominently located within the main IMHX exhibition hall, the Sustainability Zone, which is being delivered in partnership with SEC Group, will be set across 300 sq m and will allow visitors to take away everything they need to develop an effective sustainability policy or benchmark their existing strategy against examples from some of the most successful companies in the industry.

IMHX 2022 group director, Rob Fisher, comments: “In business, sustainability refers to operating without negatively impacting the environment, community or society as a whole. Sustainable firms consider a wide array of factors, such as a company’s carbon footprint, water usage, community development efforts and board diversity when making business decisions.

“Sustainability has emerged as a strategic imperative. Consumers increasingly show a preference for brands and products with authentic sustainability credentials and, as a result, more companies will only deal with businesses that share their sustainability values and don’t treat the issue as another marketing veneer.”

Managing director of the SEC Group’s Storage division, Harry Watts, says: “Sustainability is the new frontier on which companies must compete and it is going to have a significant impact on every business’s long-term viability. Increasingly we will see that a positive approach to social and environmental issues brings financial reward, so ‘doing good’ will have a direct impact on a company’s ability to ‘do well.’

“It is no longer enough to ‘green wash’ your company’s environmental performance or treat issues such as diversity and inclusion in the workplace as another ‘box ticking exercise’. Companies that neglect the important role that sustainability is starting to play across the commercial world will struggle in the same way that many retailers were left behind or went out of business altogether because they failed to recognise how the emergence of internet shopping was going to affect their business model until it was too late.”

The IMHX Sustainability Zone will comprise a number of dedicated areas where visitors can learn about the developments in technology as well as the social issues and operational trends that are shaping today’s sustainable supply chains.

By taking a holistic approach, the zone will provide visitors with an insight into an array of adoptable sustainable initiatives. Interactive augmented reality features will complement physical displays, while virtual reality will be used to allow visitors to ‘travel through a portal’ and bring different sustainable solutions to life.

Watts continues: “At SEC, we’re extremely excited about delivering an experience for visitors that will showcase Industry 4.0 technological, operational and market trends, through cutting-edge, immersive technologies. Visitors will be able to step into a world that will highlight not only how fascinating the logistics industry is right now, but will also show how much potential there is in their own operations.”

Fisher adds: “Our Sustainability Zone is certainly going to have the ‘wow factor.’ It is one of many new features planned for IMHX 2022 which will ensure that every aspect of the event is relevant for the challenges and opportunities presenting themselves to companies in the logistics and supply chain sectors today.”

 

 

Automated packaging eases picking constraints

Posted on by David Priestman

ECS Tuning, a leading US automotive parts business, has reduced manual packing constraints by adopting right-size packaging automation, helping the business meet increasing order volumes and supporting current customer demands and future growth.

ECS Tuning has a long and celebrated history supporting the European car community in the USA. From their beginnings as a family-operated service shop in 1962, ECS has become the leading distributor of genuine, after-market, and performance parts for Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, MINI, Porsche, and Volkswagen.

In 2006, ECS decided to no longer accept or schedule service appointments, but concentrate its energies on increasing part and accessories sales, with ongoing improvements to customer service. A fast-growing inventory forced ECS to relocate to a new facility in 2009 with 3X more space to accommodate its rapidly expanding business. Since, its staff has grown fivefold and the extra floor space is long gone, filled with parts, products, and equipment.

Today, with over 1.3 million part numbers in its catalogue and all operations handled in-house, ECS recognised that it did not have enough capacity in its manual packing process to consistently meet customer needs or expectations.

Fast fit-to-size packaging

ECS turned to Sparck Technologies’ CVP Impack Automated Packaging Solution to support its current demands and future growth. With this inline auto-boxing technology, each unique single- and multi-item order is 3D scanned on demand to determine the minimum box size required. Then, corrugated cardboard is custom cut to eliminate unnecessary volume and reduce or eliminate the need for void fill materials. Finally, the order is auto-boxed in a fit-to-size parcel, taped, weighed, and labelled for shipping.

By creating a right-sized box every seven seconds, ECS can count on higher throughput and better use of labour resources. The CVP Impack can perform the work of roughly 20 human packers in an eight-hour period. This allows ECS to remove the manual packing choke points while improving the efficiency of its existing staff for higher-value tasks.

Better customer experience

From the customer-facing side, the CVP Impack will auto-box up to 70% of its catalogue with little to no void filler or packing material. This allows ECS to improve its customer experience with sustainable packaging that is easy to recycle or reuse.

“With more associates picking orders, and a machine that can handle the volume, we anticipate a substantial increase in the number of orders moved out the door daily. That efficiency improvement translates to promises kept on shipping times with in-stock orders that are ready to ship on the same day,” says Max Everhard, GM of Special Operations at ECS Tuning.

IAA Transportation has themed logistics day

Posted on by Keith McKinley

From September 20th to 25th, the IAA Transportation in Hanover will present the trends and innovations in the field of commercial vehicles, logistics and transport. An important part of the new event concept are the four theme days as part of the IAA Conference. The second theme day “Trade and Logistics” will take place in cooperation with the German Retail Association (Handelsverband Deutschland e.V.) on September 21st.

In various formats such as keynotes, panel talks, or fireside chats, international speakers from politics and business discuss, analyse and present the challenges of global logistics, autonomous logistics, sustainability in the supply chain or the challenges of the last mile.

The speakers include Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group, Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, Kurk Wilks, President & CEO of MANN + HUMMEL and many other representatives of well-known companies such as Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Mercedes Benz Vans, Arrival, Gorillas, Udelv, Einride, Michelin, UPS, Apex.AI, Goodyear, Plus.

Stefan Genth, General Manager of German Retail Association (HDE), commented on the joint theme day at the IAA Transportation in Hanover: “The trade faces considerable challenges in maintaining a functioning supply chain. Production bottlenecks, disruptions in ports all over the world and capacity bottlenecks in Europe show that the supply situation is tense. In addition, there are requirements for climate-friendly logistics, which will require considerable investments in the coming years. There’s good reason to find out about current trends in the transport sector so that you can react to upcoming developments in time.”

VDA Managing Director Jürgen Mindel said about the joint theme day at the IAA Transportation: “We are very pleased that HDE has agreed to sponsor the ‘Trade and Logistics’ theme day. With the theme days at the IAA Transportation, we want to jointly discuss opportunities and challenges that concern us all across the industry. The topics will be discussed and presented in a correspondingly broad manner on this day: the future of global trade, the current challenges of the supply chains or future topics such as autonomous logistics. The individual theme days will thus become an important think tank for future dialogue in the transport and logistics industry.”

 

 

IAA Transportation has themed logistics day

Posted on by David Priestman

From September 20th to 25th, the IAA Transportation in Hanover will present the trends and innovations in the field of commercial vehicles, logistics and transport. An important part of the new event concept are the four theme days as part of the IAA Conference. The second theme day “Trade and Logistics” will take place in cooperation with the German Retail Association (Handelsverband Deutschland e.V.) on September 21st.

In various formats such as keynotes, panel talks, or fireside chats, international speakers from politics and business discuss, analyse and present the challenges of global logistics, autonomous logistics, sustainability in the supply chain or the challenges of the last mile.

The speakers include Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group, Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, Kurk Wilks, President & CEO of MANN + HUMMEL and many other representatives of well-known companies such as Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Mercedes Benz Vans, Arrival, Gorillas, Udelv, Einride, Michelin, UPS, Apex.AI, Goodyear, Plus.

Stefan Genth, General Manager of German Retail Association (HDE), commented on the joint theme day at the IAA Transportation in Hanover: “The trade faces considerable challenges in maintaining a functioning supply chain. Production bottlenecks, disruptions in ports all over the world and capacity bottlenecks in Europe show that the supply situation is tense. In addition, there are requirements for climate-friendly logistics, which will require considerable investments in the coming years. There’s good reason to find out about current trends in the transport sector so that you can react to upcoming developments in time.”

VDA Managing Director Jürgen Mindel said about the joint theme day at the IAA Transportation: “We are very pleased that HDE has agreed to sponsor the ‘Trade and Logistics’ theme day. With the theme days at the IAA Transportation, we want to jointly discuss opportunities and challenges that concern us all across the industry. The topics will be discussed and presented in a correspondingly broad manner on this day: the future of global trade, the current challenges of the supply chains or future topics such as autonomous logistics. The individual theme days will thus become an important think tank for future dialogue in the transport and logistics industry.”

 

 

AI technology: the solution to the driver shortage

Posted on by David Priestman

There are signs that the pressure caused by the lack of HGV drivers may be starting to ease after the recent publication of data by the Department of Transport, writes Philip van der Wilt (pictured), VP EMEA, at Samsara. Figures just released show there has been a significant jump in the number of HGV driving tests carried out between January and March 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels.

News of the 74% rise, as reported by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), will undoubtedly go some way to unblock the damaging bottleneck that was acting as a brake on driver recruitment.

That said, the issue of driver shortages are not new – and attracting new people to the professionhttps://www.logisticsbusiness.com/transport-distribution/haulage-freight-forwarding/

and retaining that talent won’t be fixed simply by enabling more drivers to become qualified.

In response, industry leaders are looking at a range of solutions to tackle the ongoing problem, and that includes the adoption of smart technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).

By artificial intelligence, I do not mean automated HGVs or a lack of human involvement in day-to-day roles. Instead, it’s about the introduction of everyday devices – powered by AI technology – that can assist drivers in their daily tasks, creating a more rewarding working experience.

Automating monotonous tasks

Many industries have already taken strides to automate their workplaces by switching paperwork for digital processes, making monotonous tasks sleeker and less time-consuming. And the same level of digitisation is now starting to be rolled out across fleet-related industries, eliminating time spent on tasks such as filling out paperwork, recording fuel receipts, and performing paper-based vehicle checks.

Vehicle walkarounds can be carried out using an easy-to-use mobile app and automatic alerts sent if any issues are identified, so they are logged immediately and can be fixed more quickly and efficiently. And instead of reporting to an office or phoning in, drivers can check their day-to-day tasks on a simple app to ensure that they’re fully up to date on schedule changes or re-routes.

This type of automation – increasingly common across all business sectors – helps to streamline communication between drivers and fleet managers. In fact, one of the findings from our recent report found that that AI and automation was a key driver in increasing employee retention.

Keeping drivers safe

With the ongoing advancements in dashcam technology, fleet managers are becoming increasingly well placed to protect drivers with real-time, high-definition videos while they’re out on the road.

Dashcams have become an essential tool, allowing fleet managers to access a driver’s-eye view of any incidents or accidents that occur, providing much needed back-up and support. Dashcam technology – which is increasingly being fitted with smart AI technology – can also be used as a driving aid helping to improve driver safety.

In fact, our Connected Operations report [LP1] showed that 56% of operation leaders found the improvement of workplace safety was the most influential factor for recruiting and retaining employees.

Technology helps the recruitment process

Starting a new job is never easy. Which is why anything that can be done to make the onboarding process as efficient and easy as possible is critical. Learning the ropes is far simpler when workplace systems have the look and feel of everyday apps. Easy to use and requiring less training, drivers can get on with the job at hand without having to learn and use out-dated paper-based processes.

With less training required, drivers can sign on quickly and get started on the job sooner. In fact, 43% of operations leaders have seen a greater upskilling for employees as a result of introducing tech to the workplace.

Role of smart technology in driver retention

When it comes to attracting more drivers to the industry, no one solution will undo decades of under investment. While improved pay and conditions, plus investment in roadside facilities, will help, more can be done to change perceptions of the industry, create more appealing working experiences and secure a new pipeline of drivers.

Technology can remove some of the time-consuming and more tedious tasks associated with fleet jobs, g and, above all, making the job safer. By removing the hassle of every-day tasks, drivers can get on with the job they signed up for and want to do – drive.

 

Don’t neglect the essential hand pallet truck

Posted on by David Priestman

Regular hand pallet truck maintenance not only helps to extend the performance and life of your trucks, but also protects the wellbeing of your team and, ultimately, the HSE regulations of your company, says Tony Sharpe, Head of Service Development and Hand Pallet Truck After Sales at Toyota Material Handling.

Designed to make moving palletised loads easier, safer and faster, manual hand pallet trucks – sometimes referred to as HPTs, pump trucks, pallet jacks or pallet lifters – play a key role in countless warehouses, retail outlets and manufacturing sites all over the world.

But it can be all too easy to take these humble, apparently simple pieces of equipment for granted. As a result, some companies do not realise the extent to which their operation relies on their hand pallet truck until they find themselves without it due to a breakdown.

We all know the frustration and stress arising from delays to the production process or hold-ups in the supply chain caused by the failure of materials handling equipment, but when essential tools that are in near-constant use, such as hand pallet trucks, malfunction it is not only a company’s ability to meet deadlines that suffers. A business’s reputation can be negatively impacted too – and that usually leads to reduced profitability.

Toyota has developed a dedicated national team of Hand Pallet Truck Specialists specifically to keep these vital workhorses safe and performing to the highest standards at all times.

Its dedicated team of Hand Pallet Truck Specialists operate nationally to enable preventative maintenance, safety inspections or repairs that are required to be carried out quickly and efficiently.

Whether you use a single hand pallet truck or several across multiple locations or at one site, Toyota says its dedicated team will ensure that your productivity remains high by arranging and undertaking a regular servicing and maintenance plan that fits your precise needs and work patterns.

Hand pallet trucks must be routinely inspected and maintained to comply with health and safety regulations. Specialists ensure that customers are operating in accordance with all the relevant regulations, including Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98)

Regular maintenance is also essential for the safety of your workforce and a robust service programme will identify any potential issues that may compromise the safety of the hand pallet truck and its operators. It will also reassure your team that the equipment they are using is in the best possible condition.

A structured service schedule from Toyota provides cost transparency and, because fees are agreed up-front, budget forecasting becomes far simpler. Toyota says its ‘Pallet Truck Plus’ is a hassle-free hand pallet truck rental option with low monthly costs on a two-year agreement.

While a strict servicing and maintenance regime is the best way of preventing significant downtime – with all the cost and disruption to a business that can mean –  truck build quality is also a major factor in maintaining operational efficiency.

Manufactured at a dedicated production facility in Sweden, the BT Lifter range of hand pallet trucks from Toyota Material Handling comes with a 99-year functional guarantee on the fork frame and a 5-year guarantee on the pump unit.

With their built-in sustainability, models in the BT Lifter range set the highest standards in hand pallet truck durability, strength and performance, says Toyota. Capable of lifting and moving loads weighing up to 2.3 tonnes, in work-cycle tests BT Lifter HPTs have been shown to deliver optimum performance for up to five times as long as other trucks on the market.

But, importantly, Toyota’s HPT Specialists are trained to work on any make of hand pallet truck – not just Toyota models – which is essential for those customers that operate mixed fleets. Furthermore, to keep downtime as well as costs to a minimum Toyota’s Specialists carry out maintenance work at your facility.

Taking truck maintenance seriously means that any potential problems can be identified before they become more serious and, over time, this not only helps to extend the performance and life of your trucks, but also protects the wellbeing of your team.

 

Don’t neglect the essential hand pallet truck

Posted on by David Priestman

Regular hand pallet truck maintenance not only helps to extend the performance and life of your trucks, but also protects the wellbeing of your team and, ultimately, the HSE regulations of your company, says Tony Sharpe, Head of Service Development and Hand Pallet Truck After Sales at Toyota Material Handling.

Designed to make moving palletised loads easier, safer and faster, manual hand pallet trucks – sometimes referred to as HPTs, pump trucks, pallet jacks or pallet lifters – play a key role in countless warehouses, retail outlets and manufacturing sites all over the world.

But it can be all too easy to take these humble, apparently simple pieces of equipment for granted. As a result, some companies do not realise the extent to which their operation relies on their hand pallet truck until they find themselves without it due to a breakdown.

We all know the frustration and stress arising from delays to the production process or hold-ups in the supply chain caused by the failure of materials handling equipment, but when essential tools that are in near-constant use, such as hand pallet trucks, malfunction it is not only a company’s ability to meet deadlines that suffers. A business’s reputation can be negatively impacted too – and that usually leads to reduced profitability.

Toyota has developed a dedicated national team of Hand Pallet Truck Specialists specifically to keep these vital workhorses safe and performing to the highest standards at all times.

Its dedicated team of Hand Pallet Truck Specialists operate nationally to enable preventative maintenance, safety inspections or repairs that are required to be carried out quickly and efficiently.

Whether you use a single hand pallet truck or several across multiple locations or at one site, Toyota says its dedicated team will ensure that your productivity remains high by arranging and undertaking a regular servicing and maintenance plan that fits your precise needs and work patterns.

Hand pallet trucks must be routinely inspected and maintained to comply with health and safety regulations. Specialists ensure that customers are operating in accordance with all the relevant regulations, including Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98)

Regular maintenance is also essential for the safety of your workforce and a robust service programme will identify any potential issues that may compromise the safety of the hand pallet truck and its operators. It will also reassure your team that the equipment they are using is in the best possible condition.

A structured service schedule from Toyota provides cost transparency and, because fees are agreed up-front, budget forecasting becomes far simpler. Toyota says its ‘Pallet Truck Plus’ is a hassle-free hand pallet truck rental option with low monthly costs on a two-year agreement.

While a strict servicing and maintenance regime is the best way of preventing significant downtime – with all the cost and disruption to a business that can mean –  truck build quality is also a major factor in maintaining operational efficiency.

Manufactured at a dedicated production facility in Sweden, the BT Lifter range of hand pallet trucks from Toyota Material Handling comes with a 99-year functional guarantee on the fork frame and a 5-year guarantee on the pump unit.

With their built-in sustainability, models in the BT Lifter range set the highest standards in hand pallet truck durability, strength and performance, says Toyota. Capable of lifting and moving loads weighing up to 2.3 tonnes, in work-cycle tests BT Lifter HPTs have been shown to deliver optimum performance for up to five times as long as other trucks on the market.

But, importantly, Toyota’s HPT Specialists are trained to work on any make of hand pallet truck – not just Toyota models – which is essential for those customers that operate mixed fleets. Furthermore, to keep downtime as well as costs to a minimum Toyota’s Specialists carry out maintenance work at your facility.

Taking truck maintenance seriously means that any potential problems can be identified before they become more serious and, over time, this not only helps to extend the performance and life of your trucks, but also protects the wellbeing of your team.

 

Mooneh optimises warehouse management with Infor

Posted on by David Priestman

Infor, the industry cloud company, has announced that Mooneh, a third-party logistics storage and distribution provider operating on behalf of leading international pharmaceutical corporates, has deployed Infor WMS (warehouse management system). In addition to establishing an efficient and effective warehouse operation, the solution is set to deliver full traceability of all inventory. The project was successfully delivered by SNS, a leading provider of supply chain consultancy and software implementation.

With 100,000 sq m of temperature-controlled logistics infrastructure and storage capacity to allocate over 100,000 tonnes of FMCGs a year, including up to 22,000 pallets of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, Mooneh provides fulfilment & logistics solutions.

As part of its objective to optimise warehouse operations, Mooneh’s project goals were two-fold. The first was focused on receiving, storing and shipping efficiently by fully utilising the warehouse space, while the second sought to minimise human intervention and travel time for optimised productivity. Infor WMS now manages Mooneh’s entire warehousing operation from receiving goods to storage and shipping.

“As global supply chains continue to face disruptions and volatility, we needed a warehouse management solution that would enable us to demonstrate best practice and resilience in upholding the high standards our customers have to come to expect of Mooneh,” comments Oday Abu Shehab (pictured), Mooneh’s executive director.

“The in-depth functionality of Infor WMS supports our warehouse operation from goods received to shipment. Further, the system generates insights built on gathering, analysing and synthesising intelligence. thus, enabling us to utilise strategic alignment and response capacity.

“SNS worked closely with our team to deliver the project on time and to budget, as well as providing additional support on areas such the relabelling of warehouse locations, zones, areas and pallets to support enhanced traceability. Through our Venture Investment program, launched to ignite supply chain, fulfilment and logistics innovation in emerging technologies, we shall continue to invest in industry-specific solutions provided by Infor & SNS to evolve our role in the biopharma and global logistics market as a whole, projected to be valued at $12.9bn by 2027.”

“This successful Infor WMS deployment will help Mooneh deliver greater automation in its warehouse, enhanced traceability in its inventory management, and greater resilience within the wider supply chain,” comments Mohammad Obaidah, SNS director of services. “As a leading 3PL for the pharma industry, Mooneh is embracing digital transformation at its helm, and we’re delighted to be able to support them in their ambitions to drive best practice in their warehouse operations.”

 

Mooneh optimises warehouse management with Infor

Posted on by David Priestman

Infor, the industry cloud company, has announced that Mooneh, a third-party logistics storage and distribution provider operating on behalf of leading international pharmaceutical corporates, has deployed Infor WMS (warehouse management system). In addition to establishing an efficient and effective warehouse operation, the solution is set to deliver full traceability of all inventory. The project was successfully delivered by SNS, a leading provider of supply chain consultancy and software implementation.

With 100,000 sq m of temperature-controlled logistics infrastructure and storage capacity to allocate over 100,000 tonnes of FMCGs a year, including up to 22,000 pallets of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, Mooneh provides fulfilment & logistics solutions.

As part of its objective to optimise warehouse operations, Mooneh’s project goals were two-fold. The first was focused on receiving, storing and shipping efficiently by fully utilising the warehouse space, while the second sought to minimise human intervention and travel time for optimised productivity. Infor WMS now manages Mooneh’s entire warehousing operation from receiving goods to storage and shipping.

“As global supply chains continue to face disruptions and volatility, we needed a warehouse management solution that would enable us to demonstrate best practice and resilience in upholding the high standards our customers have to come to expect of Mooneh,” comments Oday Abu Shehab (pictured), Mooneh’s executive director.

“The in-depth functionality of Infor WMS supports our warehouse operation from goods received to shipment. Further, the system generates insights built on gathering, analysing and synthesising intelligence. thus, enabling us to utilise strategic alignment and response capacity.

“SNS worked closely with our team to deliver the project on time and to budget, as well as providing additional support on areas such the relabelling of warehouse locations, zones, areas and pallets to support enhanced traceability. Through our Venture Investment program, launched to ignite supply chain, fulfilment and logistics innovation in emerging technologies, we shall continue to invest in industry-specific solutions provided by Infor & SNS to evolve our role in the biopharma and global logistics market as a whole, projected to be valued at $12.9bn by 2027.”

“This successful Infor WMS deployment will help Mooneh deliver greater automation in its warehouse, enhanced traceability in its inventory management, and greater resilience within the wider supply chain,” comments Mohammad Obaidah, SNS director of services. “As a leading 3PL for the pharma industry, Mooneh is embracing digital transformation at its helm, and we’re delighted to be able to support them in their ambitions to drive best practice in their warehouse operations.”

 

Smart Fashion Picker: Cobot picks items of various sizes

Posted on by David Priestman

As of today, Smart Robotics, a global leader in picking automation as a service for warehouses and logistics processes, is announcing the official launch of their latest cobot – the Smart Fashion Picker. The reliability of the cobot, and its ability to run continuously, ensures quicker return on investment – whilst answering the labour crisis in logistics and bettering the physical and mental health of warehouse employees.

The Smart Fashion Picker addresses the pain point of transformation within warehouse automation. The need arises from the notion that the warehouse sector is quite late to automation, compared to other industries, and is now looking at a rapid transition to modern processes. Transformation is greatly needed since the efficiency of piece picking in warehouses plays a key role in creating a frictionless course of the logistics to follow.

The Smart Fashion Picker’s name is derived from its function – the cobot can pick a large variety of fashion items, which are placed in protective wrapping, straight from a cart or bin. The vision sensors, motion and task planning algorithms help the cobot to calculate what to pick next, as well as how to pick and place the item accurately into the next bin, plus it can easily detect when the bin is empty or filled.

“We’re super excited to introduce this product to the wider market after successful implementation with our initial customers. It has proven to deliver steady, reliable performance with the throughput necessary to be relevant in a warehouse whilst it is able to cope with the often-changing large product ranges that are typical for the industry. This product is an important step in our master plan to reduce repetitive and harmful work in warehouses around the globe.” – Johan Jardenvall, CEO of Smart Robotics.

Picking items in warehouses is a repetitive process that’s hard-wearing on the people who manually pick and place items. Automating thus enables warehouse employees to tend to the robotised systems, rather than wearing themselves out by picking and sorting items.

The cobot is capable of handling items at a pace that matches human pickers, requiring very little oversight. The system ensures reliable and uninterrupted operation and doesn’t require any special training from its operators. Not to mention, it can safely be managed by people of all skill levels.

In addition, the Smart Fashion Picker is smarter in its ability to adapt with changing circumstances around it, such as changes in assortment, how the cobot interacts with people moving around it, etc. As such, the Smart Fashion Picker is capable of working in the real world of warehouses, instead of a predefined, coded, environment.

Smart Robotics has been developing picking applications based on cobots, since 2017, and is confident that the Smart Fashion Picker will help ensure more reliable capacity in highly demanding logistics. This launch is a great achievement in Smart Robotics’ continuity of improving their cobot designs. The Smart Fashion Picker is but one of the many improvements Smart Robotics has in the pipeline to make warehouse automation more versatile and dynamic in a highly performant logistics industry.

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