Subscribe

Tag: AMRs

Apparel Distributor Expands use of Robotics Solutions

Posted on by David Priestman

S&S Activewear, a leading apparel distributor, has announced the expansion of its partnership with Körber Supply Chain and the deployment of Geekplus robotics solutions at three warehouse sites across the Americas. The collaboration enables S&S to optimize on-site staff, order quality and delivery efficiencies to meet the surging demands of a rapidly evolving market.

“Innovation is a core tenet of S&S’s decades-long history in the apparel industry. Advancing our warehouse operations with Körber and Geekplus’s robotics and automation expertise has been a natural and impactful evolution in our technology journey,” said Brian Beale, CTO for S&S. “Our customers deserve a seamless experience from order to fulfillment and we’re excited about the increased efficiencies we’re already seeing through our collaboration with Körber.”

The partnership commenced with the deployment of 340 Geekplus robots at a single 750,000 sq. ft. S&S site in Lockport, Illinois, marking the largest collaboration in Körber’s robotics portfolio. This signifies a major commitment to pioneering solutions within the apparel industry.

“Warehouse solutions are a core area of Körber’s expertise, and we look forward to expanding our partnership with S&S,” said Sean Elliott, CTO and Acting CEO Software, Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “Our robotics offerings are designed to scale with the speed and size of business, optimizing warehouse operations so organizations can focus on value-driven activities to support the larger overall goals.”

A key aspect of this expansion is the implementation of Geekplus’s PopPick robotics solutions aimed at optimizing warehouse processes. These advanced robots play a crucial role in efficiently moving inventory stored in totes to pick stations. The system incorporates autonomous mobility and slotting of inventory, facilitating a seamless and efficient flow within the warehouse environment.
Since the inception of the partnership, S&S Activewear has witnessed impressive successes. The system, designed to support more than 4,500 lines per hour through 24 picking stations, has proven its effectiveness in enhancing speed and efficiency in warehouse operations, order fulfillment, and quality assurance.

“Our longstanding partnership with Körber has been crucial in bringing our revolutionary solutions to a wider audience,” said Randy Randolph, director of channel partner sales at Geekplus. “This deployment with S&S highlights the huge impact of our mobile robots in helping retailers meet the crush of e-commerce orders while improving quality and efficiency.”

Supply chains are growing more complex by the day. Körber uniquely provides a broad range of proven end-to-end solutions tailored to help manage the supply chain as a competitive advantage. Fitting any business size, strategy or industry, our customers conquer the complexity of the supply chain thanks to a portfolio of software, voice, and robotics solutions – plus the expertise to tie it all together.

read more

Körber Celebrates Milestone with Geek+

 

Körber in Gartner Magic Quadrant for WMS

Posted on by David Priestman

Körber, a global provider of warehouse management system (WMS) solutions, announced today that it has been positioned as a Leader for its Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems report again this year.

Körber was also recently acknowledged in the 2023 Gartner® Peer Insights™ Voice of the Customer for Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). The ‘Voice of the Customer’ report, which aggregates user reviews into actionable insights, highlighted Körber with an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 based on 41 reviews, with 95% of reviewers willing to recommend Körber as of 31st August 2023. Placed in the upper-right corner of the “Voice of the Customer” grid, Körber was recognized as a Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice.

Körber provides a suite of end-to-end solutions spanning warehouse management, warehouse control, order management, robotics, voice and simulation to empower global businesses to further digitize and automate warehouses to meet today’s extensive supply chain pressures.

“More than 70% of companies state that their supply chain complexity has grown over the past year and more than 80% recognize the supply chain is mission critical,” said Sean Elliott, CTO Software, Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “We view our placement as a Leader in the Gartner® Magic QuadrantTM for Warehouse Management Systems as another milestone in our journey to enable companies to build and future-proof agile, efficient and resilient supply chains.”

As companies scramble to address rising consumer expectations, effective supply chain technology is of vital importance. Körber’s WMS solutions make it possible to meet and exceed their outcomes across all levels of complexity and scale, by catering to the unique needs of small businesses, global enterprises and third-party logistics providers, all driving to meet end consumer expectations. Körber’s comprehensive suite of supply chain solutions combine to ensure businesses have the technology at their fingertips to revolutionize the end-to-end supply chain–from source to doorstep delivery.

Examples include:
• Fabfitfun: US-based subscription business that deployed Körber’s WMS solution to manage enormous order volumes during multiple peak seasons each year.
• Les Grands Chais de France (LGCF): French wine exporting company relies on Körber’s WMS, Warehouse Control System (WCS), Voice and Gamification solutions to accelerate performance at 14 sites.
• Officeworks: Australian store chain offering office supplies, furniture and technology harnessed Körber’s WMS and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) to modernize their supply chain operations.
• REWE International: Austrian food and drugstore retailer deployed Körber’s WMS at 40 locations across Austria and Eastern Europe, bringing maximum flexibility to meet the grocery retail industry’s multi-layered demands.
• Titan Brands: American online retail company joined Körber to optimize the end customer experience through an integrated interplay of Körber’s WMS and Order Management System (OMS).

Supply chains are growing more complex by the day. Körber uniquely provides a broad range of proven end-to-end solutions tailored to help manage the supply chain as a competitive advantage. Fitting any business size, strategy or industry, our customers conquer the complexity of the supply chain thanks to our portfolio of software, voice, and robotics solutions – plus the expertise to tie it all together. Conquer supply chain complexity, with Körber.

read more

Gartner Magic Quadrant Highlight for Intelligent Transport Provider

 

Warehouse Management with DexoryView

Posted on by David Priestman

Dexory, a data intelligence company, today announced it has deployed DexoryView, its cutting-edge AI and robotics solution, at the state-of-the-art warehouse facility of FLX Logistics, part of the Freshlinc Group, in Peterborough, United Kingdom. By using robotics and digital twin technologies, FLX Logistics, specialists in ambient logistics management, will be able to drive efficiencies and confirms the company’s commitment to innovation and operational excellence.

“At FLX Logistics, we are always looking for ways to enhance efficiency and accuracy across our operations,” says Sam Goodger, General Manager for FLX Logistics site at Peterborough. “Using DexoryView from the outset at our new facility provides us with unparalleled real-time data on stock accuracy that empowers our team to drive the business forward.”

In a recent successful implementation, at FLX Logistics’ brand new facility, spanning an impressive 140,000 square feet and housing products ranging from diverse food products, raw materials and finished goods, Dexory unveiled its DexoryView solution, featuring state-of-the-art autonomous mobile robotics (AMRs) and a seamlessly integrated digital twin. FLX Logistics was able to generate data from the outset to ensure it has stock accuracy from the opening of the new warehouse. This combined with having access to real-time data of the warehouse on an ongoing basis, allows the business to elevate the efficiency of its warehouse operations to an unprecedented level.

“We are thrilled to be working with FLX Logistics in revolutionising their warehouse operations,” says Oana Jinga, Chief Commercial and Product Officer & Co-Founder at Dexory. “Having implemented DexoryView from the outset shows that FLX Logistics is a forward thinking business and sees the benefit in utilising real-time data and insights to better drive efficiency across its operations. We have already seen the company use the data to effectively manage and transform its day-to-day operations thanks to the insights they are able to glean from DexoryView.”

Dexory captures real-time insights into warehouse operations using fully autonomous robots and Artificial Intelligence. Using autonomous technology to unlock data and drive insights through all levels of business operations, helping companies boost their performance and unlock their full potential. Instant access to real-time data helps optimise the present, de-risk the future and discover the intractable in each location and at every stage of the product journey through the warehouse and onto dispatch.

Founded in 2015, by three founders, Andrei, Oana and Adrian, and is based in the UK. The founders are school friends from Romania, who moved to the UK a decade ago with experience accumulated across engineering and tech roles at Formula 1, Google, and IBM. Combining commercial nous with deep technical expertise, the three founders are now working together to help transform warehouse management practices worldwide.

read more

Maersk Expands DexoryView Partnership

 

Calling ‘order’ on Inbound Goods

Posted on by David Priestman

Supermarkets face a pressing need to automate their DCs. But first, they must put their inbound processes in good order. Dan Migliozzi, Sales & Marketing Director, at independent systems integrator, Invar Group, gets to the root of the problem.

With floor areas measured in hectares, carrying tens of thousands of SKUs to supply the daily needs of 67 million people, the distribution centres of our major food retailers are surely the textbook case for extensive and profitable automation.

Dependence on manual operations is looking increasingly unsustainable. Post Covid mitigation measures have introduced inefficiencies, recruitment is tough as the gap between the wage rates the food chain can afford and the salaries available elsewhere is growing, in contrast to the levels of skill, capability and commitment offered by those who are prepared to work for the money. Meanwhile, margins are shrinking in a highly competitive market faced with the ‘cost of living crisis’.

And yet in 90% of grocery DCs across Britain and Ireland, manual operations are still all-pervasive, and where the supermarkets have invested in automation the benefits and the returns on investment are often underwhelming. What is going wrong?

Feeding the beast

It’s not the technology. From the simplest conveyors to robotic arms and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), automation continues to become smarter, faster, more capable, more flexible, even more energy-efficient. The problem lies not with the appetites of the automation, but in how we feed the robotic beast.

Because, in a strange way, the robots are only ‘human’. Like us, they work most consistently and efficiently when presented with standard, predictable, ordered tasks. When the job is random or chaotic, even the latest advances in sensors, vision systems, artificial intelligence struggle – indeed, often human workers are better at creating order from chaos. Which is why even in relatively highly automated facilities there are many workers purely engaged in sorting goods so that they feed the right piece of automation in the right order at the right time.

This in turn arises because of the haphazard way in which incoming goods are received from suppliers. Too often there is no standardisation or uniformity in the way goods are received, even from one supplier let alone across the supply base.

Arriving in a mix of roll cages, totes, pallets, boxes, bags, goods destined for quite different routes through the DC are often mixed promiscuously. ‘Zero day’ goods, or consignments that should be cross-docked for immediate onward shipment, are in the same cage as goods that will be held for days; robust and heavy cartons of dry goods alongside (or on top of) the perishable or the delicate. There is little consistency in how labels and bar codes are presented. Even the distinction between ambient, chilled and frozen may be only loosely observed and within those categories, while surely no supplier would put cooked meats adjacent to raw chicken, lesser sins are regularly committed.

Need for SKU-specific protocols

In short, there are no SKU-specific protocols – rules that mandate the supplier that ‘this is how this SKU should be delivered, in these temperature conditions, and in this form of pack. These are items it can legitimately be co-shipped with; putting it in with those items is a no-no’. And so on.

Creating and enforcing such protocols across tens of thousands of SKUs is a major, we would say strategic, task, but it has to be done if automation is to yield its much-needed benefits.

Across the range of SKUs questions need to be asked. What am I receiving? When is it arriving? When does it need to go out again? Where will it be stored (if at all), in what conditions and for how long? Which are the items I want to see arrive together – based not just on the nature of the goods but on what is going to happen to them on their journey through the warehouse, which effectively is asking what elements of automation are going to touch these items?

Driving collaboration

This can’t be done in isolation. The supplier, after all, isn’t presenting a chaotic mix of items just to be awkward – they will have their own constraints, for example on batch sizes and times, or on their own storage capacities. So, this needs to be a joint venture – which in some cases will be the job of a 3PL or 4PL – working with suppliers almost in the role of consultants, to understand supplier challenges and making sure the supplier understands the challenges in the DC, so that goods can consistently be delivered in a way that can feed the automation with minimal intervention.

Naturally this requires top class, intelligent WMS/WCS not just for operations within the warehouse or DC, but to interact with outbound transport logic. There is a lot of data-driven software involved, but the benefits will be significant.

If the product is sorted logically before it hits the automation, the system works faster, more consistently, with smoother flows, better use of storage and so on. Further investment, in say scanners and vision systems, or AI applications, then becomes justified because the payback is visible and predictable. At the moment ‘the product is sorted logically’, more or less, by scarce and expensive manual labour – how much better it would be if it was already in order when it leaves the supplier.

read more

Tesco Picks Transporeon To Manage Inbound Logistics Flows

 

Food Sector Fears over Warehouse Automation

Posted on by David Priestman

Past mistakes should inform, but not inhibit, the adoption of new technologies within the food supply chain. Dan Migliozzi, Sales & Marketing Director, at independent systems integrator, Invar Group, explains why the sector needs to rediscover its appetite for risk.

The food and grocery market in the UK is one of the most competitive and fast-moving retail sectors, arguably, in the world. The pressures are immense, with disruptors to existing business models ranging from the rise of the discounters and the explosion in home delivery to the impact on supply chains of everything from weather to war. In addition, there is the constant cycle of new products and trends, such as vegan/meat free, which may or may not become established.

And all this is set against the challenges of ever more costly and increasingly unavailable labour, uncertain but generally increasing transport costs, and a consumer base that despite, or because of, the ‘cost of living crisis’, demands convenience and availability at the lowest price and exhibits diminishing levels of loyalty to retailers and brands.

To meet these challenges, one might think that investment in automation in the fulfilment chain – warehouses and distribution centres – would be a no-brainer. Higher throughputs, managed, picked and delivered more accurately, improving service levels with less inventory (and waste), better transport utilisation, all with lower levels of labour and a more flexible and agile response to changing market conditions, whether there be one-off events or longer-term trends.

Past mistakes

Yet, there is a clear reluctance amongst supermarkets and other food businesses to go all-in on automation. This is perhaps unsurprising – there are few of the well-known names that haven’t experienced some sort of technology-driven crisis over the past decade or two. Not infrequently these have left the business section for the front page, leading not just to missed sales and unhappy consumers, but to panicked shareholders, questions in Parliament, and ‘thoughtful’ op-ed pieces in the media. More often than not, the ‘solution’ has been to side-line the tech and flood the warehouse with people.

As a fully independent automation and systems vendor and integrator, however, we observe that it is only rarely that there have been fundamental issues with the hardware and software. Rather, the issues lie around timescales, complexity and over-ambition, and a lack of forward vision. Major investment decisions appear to have been driven by a combination of FOMO – fear of missing out on what the competition is thought to be doing, and the understandable desire of owners, whether public shareholders or private finance, to ‘sweat the assets’. Neither of these are sound foundations for the serious investment in advanced technologies that the sector undoubtedly needs.

Paradoxically for such a fast-moving environment, our first piece of advice would be to slow down a bit. Take the time to think ahead. However fast the implementation of technology, it may well not outpace transformations in the industry: think how quickly home delivery moved from being a niche ‘inside the M25’ offer to being core business in the Highlands and Islands!

A measured approach

Implementation doesn’t have to be simultaneous and company-wide, across half a dozen DCs. Starting with a large-scale pilot across a single DC, a particular class or skus and/or a particular channel will allow you to find out, not just if the chosen automation is really appropriate, but more fundamentally, whether you have truly captured the reality of how your business works, or should work, in practice.

This may mean that some of the potential efficiencies and savings are not immediately captured, but these are by definition long term projects. If this scale of investment is really the answer to today’s problems, there are probably deeper issues at play. The business needs to look out as far as it can, with the best forecasts (or range of forecasts) available. This automation is supposed to make the company more successful – so what does ‘success’ look like, not next quarter but in five years’ time?

Change is the only certainty – how flexible, adaptable, scalable is the solution you are proposing? Do you need a higher level of ‘robotics’, broadly defined, to meet a largely unknown future, or is it appropriate (as it may be), simply to opt for significantly over-specified fixed automation? But while any level of investment must meet a business case, it is a false, and potentially disastrous, economy to allow this apparently unnecessary surplus capability to be stripped out of the proposal. Could it, in fact, be unnecessary? Has anyone mentioned promotions?

Examine flexible options

There is a lot of detailed ‘what if?’ thinking to be done – what if, for example, demands for less packaging lead to more loose goods being handled? That might steer the project towards a greater use of robotics for item-level manipulation, rather than fixed automation at a carton or pallet level. There are also assumptions to be challenged – it may be that the automation plan expects suppliers to deliver in a certain manner. Actually, they don’t but that’s alright because the workforce knows the work round. The automation probably doesn’t. The automation has to be designed around the supply realities, but equally the suppliers have to be aligned with the automation.

And although we stress the need for the longest-term planning, it does have to be accepted by the business owners that it may be desirable to replace at least some elements of the automation years before its theoretical end of life. Fixed automation, or AS/RS (automated storage and retrieval systems) may be a valuable interim solution to be augmented or replaced a few years down the line by AMRs (autonomous mobile robots), ‘cobots’ working alongside staff, or whatever else technical progress brings forward. AMRs, incidentally, are a great way of achieving great scalability for low CapEx, as units can be taken on or off lease as requirements vary – easier and cheaper than hiring a hundred extra bodies.

An appetite for risk

The food chain is always under huge pressure – consumers, media, shareholders, suppliers, and often with an added political element. To meet these pressures, the food distribution chain needs to rediscover its appetite for risk. But don’t panic – by working with an independent and experienced systems integrator such as Invar, those risks can be well-controlled.

Read more…

80% say Brexit is biggest disruption

 

Otto Launch AMRs in Europe

Posted on by David Priestman

OTTO Motors, a leading provider of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), announced their formal expansion into the European market at LogiMAT Stuttgart. With over fourteen years of robotics experience and more than 4 million production hours in mission critical environments, OTTO Motors is solving labour and safety challenges with its established AMR fleet at manufacturing facilities and warehouses globally.

As one of the first AMR providers to support the interoperability standard VDA5050, OTTO AMRs have made over 15 million autonomous deliveries last year alone across more than 200 facility installations globally. OTTO has delivered results for the world’s most recognized manufacturing brands with its pioneering AMR technology and award-winning software, designed to improve productivity and efficiency of material handling operations. GE Aerospace saved $1.3 million in the first year, while Faurecia Interior Systems achieved an 11-month ROI. Mauser Packaging Solutions increased throughput by over 600%, and Danfoss removed over 70,000 manual touches annually.

“OTTO Motors leads the material handling automation industry in North America with the world’s most comprehensive AMR portfolio and the largest AMR deployments with the deepest integrations globally,” said Matt Rendall, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of OTTO Motors. “We’re expanding our unmatched expertise and experience into the European market to better serve our global customer base and improve material handling operations worldwide.”

OTTO AMRs are already driving productivity improvements for customers in Europe through our OTTO Certified Network. Hand-selected through our rigorous evaluation process, these experienced manufacturing organizations are certified and trained to develop, deploy and service end-to-end OTTO Motors’ solutions. OTTO Certified partners, including Guidance Automation and Orbel Grupo, are helping support the growing European market by designing, installing and maintaining the industry’s smartest AMR solutions in Europe.

“As demand for AMRs rapidly increases, we’re proud to be part of the OTTO Motors Partner Network and offer the world’s leading material handling solutions to improve productivity, safety and efficiency for our customers across Europe,” said Dr. Paul Rivers, Managing Director of Guidance Automation. “With over thirty years in the industry, our customers come to us for our experience, credibility and expertise. We’re committed to partnering with organizations that also leverage cutting edge, yet mature automation technology to optimize business operations.”

New, Collborative Mobile Robotics Solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Comau is designing a powerful mobile robotics platform as part of an open, highly collaborative production environment, in the context of 3 different European Projects.

The integrated solution, which leverages Comau’s proven expertise in IoT-enabled technologies and collaborative robotics, is a natural evolution of the company’s automated workflow optimization systems. Modular, scalable and completely re-configurable, the platform can be easily adapted to different applications without changing the system’s underlying software or hardware architecture. Furthermore, because the robotic arm is mounted on an autonomous mobile platform it is not tied to a single operation but can address a large number of applications in different areas of the plant as needed.

Comau’s mobile robotics paradigm integrates the company’s high-payload Racer-5 COBOT, a 6-axis articulated robotic arm that can work at industrial speeds of up to 6 m/s when human operators are not present, and its Agile1500 autonomous mobile vehicle. It supports customized and efficient operations where human operators and machines work side-by-side, and is designed to handle individualized production within an Industry 4.0-enabled manufacturing environment. It can also be seamlessly integrated within Comau’s digital infrastructure, further safeguarding productivity and profitability across the entire manufacturing line. Visual feedback for pick and place operations, as well as other tasks, is provided thanks to an integrated vision system, such as the novel Comau MI.RA, installed directly on the arm. Finally, the robotic arm is mounted on an autonomous mobile platform equipped with two independent batteries that power the AGV and the robotic arm separately and can be managed using different types of navigation modes and a standard Comau controller.

The solution is currently being used within several European projects. In the first application, with DIMOFAC, an EU-initiative aimed at helping companies implement a smart factory architecture, the platform is being used for pick and place and warehouse automation tasks within a machining scenario. For PeneloPe, on the other hand, it is being used for glue dispensing and non-destructive quality inspection in the public transport domain. Here, the goal of the Horizon 2020 program is to develop a closed-loop, end-to-end digital manufacturing solution that facilitates bidirectional data flows across the entire manufacturing value chain. Finally, the platform is being used as part of ODIN to support the manipulation of mechanical parts for automotive applications with the aim of demonstrating the technical and performance feasibility of collaborative robotics on the factory floor.

The global market for collaborative mobile robots is significant, based on an internal analysis of published market data. Especially considering that collaborative robotics already represent up to 13% of the industrial robotics market and Automated Mobile Robots are expected to achieve a 5-year CAGR of 15% (2022 to 2027).

Mushiny Robotics Gains European Presence

Posted on by David Priestman

Mushiny, a leading supplier of complete solutions for the use of autonomous mobile robots, is consistently continuing its successful entry into the European market by establishing its own branch offices. Mushiny Robotics Europe GmbH, headquartered in the Lower Saxon municipality of Stuhr near Bremen, is making a start.

“With the important logistics location of Bremen in the neighbourhood and excellent transport links to the ports along the North Sea coast, we now have the ideal base to provide users of our products with optimum support in every respect,” explains Thomas Li, Co-Founder of Mushiny Robotics Europe GmbH. “From here, we can develop highly efficient AMR solutions in close customer contact, and in the future, interested parties will also be able to see for themselves the performance of Mushiny products in a showroom,” Li continues.

Mushiny specializes in creating highly efficient solutions for warehouse logistics, focusing on the use of autonomous mobile robots (AMR). Following the goods-to-person principle, Mushiny links warehouse management and ERP systems to AMR fleet management via AI software. Instead of just following predefined routes within a warehouse or production hall, Mushiny robots, as self-learning AMR systems, can independently optimize routing and thus logistics processes on an ongoing basis. The size of the robot fleet is easily scalable and can comprise more than 1,000 AMR units in individual cases. To control the complex operations, Mushiny develops individually configured Robot Management Systems (RMS), which can also be seamlessly integrated into existing logistics environments. Meanwhile, the recently introduced and industry-leading “Mushiny Xihe iRMS” solution is a new generation RMS whose use increases the operational efficiency of a warehouse logistics system by three to five times.

AMR Supplier

Founded in 2016, Mushiny has quickly become the world’s leading provider of AI-driven AMR systems for a wide range of applications in goods and cargo logistics. The company is headquartered in the Suzhou Industrial Park north of Shanghai in the Chinese province of Jiangsu.

In addition to establishing its own subsidiary in Germany, Mushiny 2023 will also participate with its own presentations at the Hannover Messe (April 17-21) and LogiMAT in Stuttgart (April 25-27).

Game-changing intralogistics technologies at IMHX 2022

Posted on by David Priestman

Sales of autonomous mobile robots and driverless lift trucks are taking off but the game-changing intralogistics technologies we will see at IMHX 2022 go much further than the simple replacement of man by machine, says event director, Rob Fisher.

Across the intralogistics sector sales of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are booming. Indeed, in a recent report Interact Analysis forecast that more than 1.1 million robots will be deployed in warehouses around the world before the end of 2024. And almost a fifth of respondents quizzed earlier this year for the IMHX Optimism Index expected to be using AMRs to some extent within the next 12 months – a remarkably high figure for a technology that was seen as futuristic just a few years ago.

In simple terms, AMR technology differs from the science behind long-established Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) in that the units do not rely on human interaction to change route. Instead, on-board navigation systems guide them between destinations.

These robots are proving a particularly effective alternative to the type of conveyor-based sortation systems that have historically been used at parcel hubs and order fulfilment centres. Their attraction is partly based on the fact that they require a significantly smaller floor area within which to operate than a conveyor to achieve the same parcel throughput statistics – at a time when every square foot of available floorspace has to be optimised, this particular benefit is clearly a significant plus point.

Modular AMR-based sortation systems are also scalable, so additional robots can be introduced as and when they are needed to cope with any spikes in throughput and, what’s more, if an individual robot malfunctions, it is simply and quickly removed from the ‘shop floor’ and replaced with no discernible drop in throughput capacity.

The technology is also fully portable, which allows systems to be switched between sites if required.

Until now, China and the USA have been the top two investors in AMR sortation systems but, as autonomous mobile robot technology’s reputation for bringing flexibility and scalability to some of the busiest parcel sorting hubs in the world spreads, Europe’s logistics community is increasingly conscious of the benefits that this innovative, low CapEx approach brings.

Of course, other forms of robotic and automated intralogistics technology are taking off too. For example, with a substantial decline in the availability of forklift drivers recognised as a major problem, a growing number of warehouse and distribution centre operators see driverless forklift truck technology as the solution to the recruitment and employment cost challenges they face.

Driverless forklifts undertake every type of task that would be expected of a manually-operated forklift – including vehicle loading and unloading, pallet put-away and retrieval in both standard and very narrow aisle racking configurations, as well as pallet and stillage movements throughout the warehouse.

In addition to the obvious savings in labour costs that driverless forklifts bring, other benefits include: reduced damage to goods, racking and trucks; greater picking accuracy; and more efficient use of the available storage space.

DHL and Walmart are among the high profile businesses to have already adopted driverless lift trucks, while countless small and medium sized forklift users are also benefiting from the advantages that the technology delivers.

But the developments and technologies we will see at IMHX 2022 will go much further than the simple replacement of man by machine.

Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, ‘big data’ and the Internet of Things are beginning to be adopted in a significant way right across the logistics field to allow warehouses or distribution centres to become self-learning, self-correcting, self-optimising operations capable of adapting to change in real time.

And as technology continues to play an ever-more crucial role in shaping the future of supply chains, IMHX 2022 will provide a fascinating opportunity to discover artificial intelligence, robotics, and automated handling systems by bringing together world-class suppliers of intralogistics and supply chain solutions across three days of interactive demonstrations, exciting new product announcements and immersive experiences.

In addition to the full exhibition floor, which includes names such as Whittan Group, Knapp, Combilift, Geekplus, Cesab, Zebra Technologies and Swisslog, IMHX 2022 will also host a multi-track series of educational seminars, talks and workshops. Covering key industry themes and trends, the line-up of influencers, innovators and pioneers among the conference speakers will reflect the growing role of artificial intelligence, automation and robotics within the modern supply chain.

The seminars are free to attend and alongside the innovations on show within the main exhibition halls they make a day at IMHX 2022 an outstanding opportunity for logistics industry professionals to stay ahead of the shifting landscape of supply chain processes.

IMHX 2022 takes place from 6 – 8 September at the NEC, Birmingham. To find out more and activate your free pass, visit www.imhx.net.

New Depths of Flexible Automation

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, a global leader in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and warehouse automation, and Universal Logic, a world-leading pioneer of an AI/sensor/machine-control software ‘brain’ for robots, announce the beginning of a new partnership. Together, the two technology leaders declare a joint commitment to support the manufacturing and logistics industry with a paradigm-shifting goods-to-robot solution, for automating supply chain operations and elevating industry 4.0.

With large parts of the supply chain dependent on fixed automation and manual materials handling, the rise in demand for customization and made-to-stock capabilities have resulted in strained processes. In turn, it has generated a need for technologies that can automate the flexibility and precision of skilled labor and combine it with the throughput capacity of dynamic inventory control.

Randy Randolph, Senior Sales Manager of Geek+ US, says: “We are very glad to partner with Universal Logic and look forward to leveraging their extensive experience in automating dynamic robot behavior to realize the full potential of our intelligent mobile robotics solutions. By combining our advanced robotics hardware with Universal Logic’s unparalleled experience, we believe that this collaboration has the potential to transform the global supply chain and shape the future.”

The partnership will give Universal Logic access to Geek+’s wide range of robotics hardware for intelligent sorting and picking. Built on autonomous mobile robot technology and AI-driven software, Geek+ will provide Universal Logic with the flexibility to automate the entire chain from dynamic inventory control to pick & pack, expanding from goods-to-man to goods-to-robot solutions. Correspondingly, Geek+ will have access to Neocortex, Universal Logic’s AI platform featuring real-time and modular robot control for extended perception, direct grasping, and advanced robot guidance, enabling human-like flexible picking capabilities, to unleash the true potential of intelligent robotics for logistics.

Universal Logic CEO, David Peters, states: “The Geek+ mobile robot platform, dovetails perfectly with Universal’s dynamic robot control for picking and packing, providing our customers seamless automation capabilities, creating an end-to-end solution to meet current and future supply chain needs.”

Today, Geek+ and Universal Logic respectively serves a broad customer range including Fortune 500 Companies and regional businesses. The collaboration will enable them to strengthen their industry leadership and provide clients with flexible, adaptable, and efficient operations that can meet challenges associated with high mix/high volume applications in manufacturing, wholesale, and retail. By combining the efficiency and speed of robots with human-like precision and flexibility, it will allow businesses to realize stable and reliable supply chain operations and meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Subscribe

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