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Tag: robotics

Strong Partnership for Production Logistics

Posted on by David Priestman

cts GmbH, the automation specialist from Burgkirchen in Upper Bavaria, Germany, has entered into a long-term and strategic partnership for production logistics with the robotics company Magazino GmbH from Munich. Magazino complements the cts logistics portfolio with the supply chain robot “SOTO” which brings materials to the assembly line, just-in-time and completely autonomously. The range of mobile robots is thus extended by an additional option. Together, the companies offer solutions that further drive the development towards a living “Smart Factory”.

The SOTO robot combines these elementary logistical process steps into a single, fully autonomous solution: picking up KLTs of different sizes from a warehouse or into one, autonomously transporting multiple KLTs from source to sink, and exchanging containers at machines or delivering them to line-side flow racks at different heights. The combination of these capabilities clearly sets the SOTO robot apart from the market environment and enables true end-to-end automation in material handling for the first time.

Cooperation between cts and Magazino

“We are pleased to have Magazino as a technology partner in the field of production logistics. The industry is constantly facing new challenges that make it necessary to develop innovative solutions. We can offer our customers an overall concept tailored to their needs thanks to our high level of expertise and extensive experience,” reports Alfred Pammer, Head of Sales and Marketing at cts GmbH.

“Working with a strong integration partner like cts GmbH provides our customers with a reliable service in planning, commissioning and support. With this support, the SOTO solution as a complete package becomes an economical and reliable tool in production,” added Andreas Marx, Senior Partner Manager at Magazino GmbH. “We are very pleased to have cts GmbH as a first class partner at our customers’ side.”

Magazino develops and builds intelligent, mobile robots that perceive their environment and make decisions themselves. The autonomous robots work in parallel with humans and make processes in the areas of e-commerce, fashion and production logistics more flexible and efficient. Magazino has grown steadily in recent years and now employs 120 people at its Munich site. Magazino’s investors include Jungheinrich AG, Körber AG, Zalando and Fiege Logistik.

Outdoor/Indoor Autonomous Logistics Solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Exail, a leading high-tech industrial group specializing in cutting-edge robotics technologies, introduces its new autonomous outdoor and indoor forklift truck, the Alvin FT. Easily integrated within existing infrastructures, the Alvin FT is a modular forklift that can handle loads up to 2.5t and up to 6 meters. Its standard forks can be replaced by spur, clamp, conveyor, or other specific and customizable interfaces for more versatility.

Equipped with advanced perception sensors for smart and secure autonomous navigation, the Alvin FT Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) ensures logistics flow continuity 24/7 in all weather conditions and is perfectly suited for extremely accurate and safe handling, stacking, shelving, storage and supply operations.

Autonomous Logistics

“By supporting the handling and stacking of goods up to 6 meters, our new Alvin FT solution offers up to 75% operational gain and answers the major challenges faced by the logistics industry such as labour shortage, drudgery and an increasing volume of goods needed to be transported, while also reducing the overall carbon footprint of logistics operations.” Explains Luc Nicolas, Head of Sales Industrials Robotics at Exail.

Autonomous Forklift

Exail’s Alvin FT comes with a user-friendly supervision software that offers efficient mission planning and management, real-time installation status (map, roads, load pick-up and drop-off areas, vehicles status) as well as a stock management feature able to interface with clients own WMS/ERP.

Exail is a leading high-tech industrial company specializing in cutting-edge robotics, maritime, navigation, aerospace and photonics technologies. With a strong entrepreneurial culture, Exail delivers unrivaled performance, reliability and safety to its civil and defense clients operating in severe environments. From the deep sea to outer space, Exail expands their capabilities with a full range of robust in-house manufactured components, products and systems. Employing a workforce of 1500 people worldwide, the company benefits from a global footprint and conducts its business in over 80 countries. Exail was formed by ECA Group and iXblue joining forces in 2022. It is a subsidiary of Exail Technologies, a family-owned company specialized in high-technology.

New US Tech Campus for stow

Posted on by David Priestman

Stow’s new tech campus location, opening in early April of 2023, will be the new base of operations for both stow US, Inc. and the stow Group’s North American automation business unit, stow Robotics US. With ground-breaking technology and warehouse automation solutions from the robotics group, the innovative campus will be a technology and experience centre along with offices for solution sales, engineering and design, project management, aftermarket sales, and service & support. With the new facility, stow Group brings together all qualitative, industrial racking systems with its warehouse automation solutions such as the stow Atlas® 1D and 2D Automated Pallet Shuttle, stow Mobile®, stow e.scala® 3D Robotic Bin Storage Order Fulfilment Solution, and the iFollow AMR for picking and in-house transport in warehouses and distribution centres. Now with this unique combination of products, stow Group provides an all-round solution with innovative technology sets that are:

EFFICIENT: reaching any SKU, on any level, within a highly utilized warehouse cubic space
INTEGRATED: with the ability to be seamlessly linked together (stow Atlas® 2D, e.scala®, iFollow) to manage a complete warehouse
QUICKLY DEPLOYED: leveraging global resources and strategies to deliver solutions faster than the industry average
SCALABLE: As business operations expand, we can easily add storage locations, shuttles, and AMRs to accommodate this dynamic need
COST EFFECTIVE: providing a near ‘out-of-the-box’ solution for customers and integrators

The brand new North American technology and experience centre in Romeoville will give the stow Group a unique opportunity to showcase our newest automation solutions to our customers. This is the next step in the fast build-up of our activities on the North American market. We are thrilled to see the first big stow Atlas® 2D installations being installed on the market, and are very confident about our future on the North American market.

Jos De Vuyst, CEO of stow Group, said, “stow Group is quickly emerging as a leading warehouse racking and automation provider and is growing at an astonishing rate, both in Europe and the US.

“Our employees continue to be our greatest assets. We’re excited to give them the tools and resources they need to be successful by investing in state-of-the-art facilities like our new Romeoville campus,” added Nathan Richter, Managing Director of stow Group USA. “In addition, the new technology centre will allow our customers to get a first-hand experience with the automation and how it will fit their product/application. We understand that uptime is critical to a customer’s success; to that end, we have planned to inventory spare parts, AMRs, and robot shuttles to increase our service and support offerings domestically as well as improve response times and recoverability. Service and maintenance training for our customers will also be offered to ease the transition into automation.”

CoEvolution Makes ProMat Debut

Posted on by David Priestman

Multi-robot orchestration software specialist CoEvolution Technology has launched its products onto the US stage and is now seeking partners in North America. As part of its first appearance at the ProMat industry trade show in Chicago this year, CoEvolution has been showcasing its multi-robot orchestration software solutions.

CoEvolution’s core technology is AI-powered software that can control different types of robots and coordinate them seamlessly, so they operate as a homogenous fleet. Using this core technology engine, the company builds multi-robot orchestration software solutions for customers that are innovative, highly efficient and flexible, including synergised robot control systems, automation process orchestration, and smart logistics simulators.

CoEvolution aims to build the next generation of flexible logistics automation solutions, to help customers quickly adapt to an ever-changing business environment. The company’s team of co-founders bring with them many years of AI and robotics experience. CoEvolution already has more than 30 industry awards and over 20 patents to its name, and it focuses on customer value, continually striving to “co-evolve” with its customers.

Seeking US partners

Having established itself in a number of international markets, CoEvolution is now securing its presence in the US market and seeking to forge new partnerships as part of its ambitious goal to expand its US customer base, open its first US office, and hire a US workforce in the near future.

CoEvolution brings with it mainstream robot vendor partnerships (such as with Geek+) and is actively seeking North American partners at ProMat, including robotics vendors, logistics companies, systems integrators, 3PLs, and others.

Global demand for mobile robots is anticipated to undergo rapid growth over the coming years, with shipments expected to increase by around 50% between 2022 and 2027. Alongside this, the need for multi-fleet orchestration is growing in popularity at an even faster rate, with a forecast CAGR of 138% over the same five years, according to the recent Warehouse Automation Software report from market intelligence specialist Interact Analysis. And the outlook is even better for the US multi-fleet orchestration market, with a predicted CAGR of 147% over 2022-2027.

What is AMR orchestration?

In a traditional robot fleet implementation model, different types of robots are physically separated and operate in different regions within the warehouse, leading to low space utilisation. However, this results in low efficiency in integrating different processes and it is often hard to control traffic for multiple types of robots.

CoEvolution’s system can improve utilisation of space by providing a means of controlling multiple types (brand, navigation, functionality) of robots holistically, and synergised control of a mixed robot fleet can increase efficiency by 20-30%.

Utilising multiple types of robots to create smart warehouse systems leads to high storage density and high throughput, increasing operational efficiency and reducing errors. CoEvolution’s AI-powered multi-fleet orchestration software can also be used in production and processing settings to control different types of robots working collaboratively together as a homogenous fleet to create a complete intralogistics system.

Next-generatoin flexible automation

Michael Wang, CoEvolution Chief Operating Officer, says: “We aim to bring our next-generation flexible logistics automation solutions to the US through successful partnerships. The need for multi-fleet orchestration is growing and we are excited to launch our software into the North American market at ProMat 2023. Having just incorporated in the US, we are ready to do business and are actively seeking partners who will work with us to bring our innovative intelligent flexible logistics solutions to a wider audience.

“I am so proud that our products, combined with our growing portfolio of partners, mean we can offer a wide range of warehouse automation, logistics and material handling solutions to customers, with rapid deployment and fast ROI. Our multi-robot orchestration technology has been proven to increase storage density, improve productivity, enhance efficiency rates and deliver cost savings.

“We very much value the US marketplace and the opportunities it offers, and that’s why we came to ProMat 2023. We have been communicating our vision of the smart warehouses and factories of the future to the leading players in the industry. Looking forward, I will personally be taking charge of our activities in the US and I am joined at ProMat by our Co-founder and Chief Scientist Heng Liu, and a team of expert CoEvolution solutions engineers.

“Having been recently named by leading US tech publication The Information as one of the 50 most promising start-ups of 2022, we are already starting to make waves in the North America and plan to keep doing so!”

CoEvolution at ProMat

At its 1,500 sq ft booth, CoEvolution is showcasing its AI-based mobile robot orchestration solution to a US audience, including:

  • The CO-PICK smart warehouse system, including a demo which utilises six kinds of mobile robots running collaboratively, including integrating an industrial/commercial cleaning robot into the system
  • The R-Star Smart Factory Solution, which can be seamlessly integrated with customers’ WMS, ERP or MES systems to control various mobile robots. It includes path planning and traffic control capabilities to deliver quick, easy-to-use and flexible workflow configuration.
  • A demo video of CoEvolution’s simulator, which is based on actual logistics control and robot control systems. It supports real business workflow simulation of smart warehouses and factories with 2D and 3D visualisation, and a comprehensive data dashboard.

 

Oceaneering Increases Manufacturing Capacity

Posted on by David Priestman

Oceaneering’s Mobile Robotics group has added an extra production campus in Orlando, Florida. The location allows the Mobile Robotics team to expand their capabilities to support future growth. The campus, also home to Oceaneering Entertainment Systems, offers 238,000 sq ft of space dedicated to the assembly, integration, and acceptance testing of its mobile robot systems.

Henny Bouwmeester, Vice President/General Manager, of Oceaneering Mobile Robotics, said: “The new campus will support the manufacture and delivery of new-build mobile robotic systems for the North American market. This move will enable us to more efficiently deliver recently signed orders while positioning us to ramp up to meet the future demand we see in the market.”

Oceaneering Mobile Robotics designs, manufactures, implements, and maintains innovative turnkey logistic solutions based on autonomous mobile robot technology. Its mobile robot systems consist of one or more robots, advanced supervisory software, and supporting infrastructure. These robots can be operated in mixed fleets.

OMR says integration management ensures that these turnkey logistic systems are optimised to suit customer needs and seamlessly interface with other customer processes, while OMR’s high-performance battery solution helps to lower customers’ operational carbon footprint. For over 30 years, OMR has been a trusted partner for the automotive, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics industries.

 

SVT and Kardex Partner for Pick and Pack

Posted on by David Priestman

SVT Robotics, an enterprise software provider for the rapid integration of industrial robotics, and Kardex Solutions, a Global Business Partner of AutoStore and intralogistics solution provider of automated storage, retrieval, and material handling systems, have announced a strategic partnership. It enables Kardex Solutions customers to easily deploy and integrate AutoStore systems with additional automation technology by leveraging the power of the SVT Robotics SOFTBOT Platform.

Building upon its Kardex Control Center WES technology, Kardex Solutions has connected its software to the SOFTBOT Platform to enable a complete end-to-end pick and pack solution. Through this partnership, Kardex Solutions customers can quickly integrate and deploy an AutoStore system and Kardex Control Center with other warehouse functions, such as a WMS.

“Agility is one of the greatest advantages that companies can leverage. When it comes to automation, it’s imperative that businesses can quickly deploy supply chain technologies as well as reconfigure them to meet their evolving needs,” said A.K. Schultz, CEO of SVT Robotics. “We’re excited to partner with Kardex Solutions to offer their customers a simple and effective method for rapid automation adoption.”

“By coupling Kardex Control Center with the SOFTBOT Platform, we’re able to provide our customers with a true ‘easy button’ approach to automation,” said Mitch Hayes, President of Kardex Solutions. “What we’ve done is eliminate the complexities around warehouse automation by creating a pathway for AutoStore systems to easily integrate with technologies commonly found in distribution centres. We’re proud to offer this complete solution to our customers.”

AutoStore Introduces Enhanced Workstations

Posted on by David Priestman

AutoStore™, the leading robotic technology company, announces the arrival of two new enhanced workstations that prioritize operational efficiency, operator productivity, and ergonomics: FusionPort™ and FusionPort Staging™. The workstations offer advanced integration capabilities to accommodate various automation technology solutions and are available worldwide from April 12.

Designed with the well-being of warehouse operators in mind, FusionPort maximizes employee performance by presenting two tilted order-picking Bin openings and visual picking aids. These features reduce the repetitive movements operators face as they manually transfer inventory from one location to another, while streamlining order picking by providing visual cues with a pick-to-light system for easy item identification. The station additionally includes an enhanced safety hatch that makes the Bins accessible only when the Port is ready for picking.

“Businesses today need to optimize their picking process if they are to meet evolving customer demands, but in order to achieve this, warehouses must be equipped with the tools that will enable their employees to work productively and safely,” said Carlos Fernandez, Chief Product Officer at AutoStore.

“This is why we’re excited to offer FusionPort and FusionPort Staging, which will enable businesses to best serve their staff while leveraging the world-class technology that AutoStore is known for.”

AutoStore developed FusionPort Staging based on an in-depth understanding of the space constraints that warehouses face by storing inventory in staging areas. The workstation consolidates order picking and staging to a single Port, allowing businesses to streamline operations and reduce real estate and costs by decreasing the space required for staging. Similar to the FusionPort, the workstation also features visual picking aids and a safety hatch. FusionPort Staging comes pre-assembled for easy installation and allows organizations to store consolidated orders dust-free.

Both workstations feature a compact exterior design for greater flexibility when integrating with additional automation technology, with FusionPort Staging offering up to four times more storage capacity for existing warehouse footprints.

Lithium-Ion Batteries Power Automation

Posted on by David Priestman

Automated internal logistic platforms, such as AGV and AMR, as well as other industrial autonomous robots, are becoming more widespread due to lithium-ion batteries, as their apparent advantages make them more attractive than the various alternatives.

Previously, most used batteries with lead-acid based chemistry, like forklifts and other industrial mobile machines. Regardless of the specific type, these lead-acid based batteries are considered to have poor lifespans, especially when used in deep discharge cycles. The rapidly growing global market for lithium-ion batteries has allowed Johnson Matthey Battery Systems to become a leader in the industry, opening up several growth opportunities. As it now stands, the company has developed a full-service manufacturing capability, allowing it to offer a cost-effective solution for all customers.

Due to the low lifespans of lead-acid based batteries, many are now instead opting for lithium-ion batteries, which have a lifespan that’s approximately 4x longer. This is partly down to energy density, which can be up to 5x higher in li-ion batteries (50-100Wh/kg in lead-acid vs up to 260 Wh/kg in NCA/NMC cells). What’s more, lead-acid based batteries can be cumbersome, unlike Li-ion batteries, meaning they’re unsuitable for many mobile robots.

Mitigating Against Safety Concerns of Li-ion Batteries

As with many new technologies, li-ion batteries have some downsides, with the biggest being the concerns over their safety. Thermal runaway is possible in the event of overheating or overcharging, which can lead to fire. But the risk from this can be minimised. Johnson Matthey Battery Systems has achieved this by utilising a Battery Management System – which can also be used to gauge information about a battery – and by ensuring a robust mechanical design.

Moreover, most high-quality batteries have secondary backup protection, such as a fuse or SCP. A robust design is also critical, protecting the battery from physical damage while also contributing towards a long lifespan. Cell holders, cell connectors, enclosures – all should be constructed to the highest possible specifications for maximum effectiveness.

Cell Chemistry to Further Enhance Safety

LFP cell chemistry is now being used in many industrial applications to enhance safety further. This is still li-ion technology but behaves less violently when subjected to any type of force. Even ruptured LFP cells only cause smoke or minor fire contained within the battery, plus their thermal runaway temperatures are higher than NMC and NCA. LFP cells also have an exceptionally high cycle life, even with 100% Depth of Discharge (DoD). Depending on the model, the figure could reach 2,000 or more cycles, around double that of NMC and up to quadruple that of NCA. Add in DoD reduction, and the total number can be several thousand more.

There is a trade-off for the extra safety and performance: the energy density is lower than NMC and NCA – currently, it is 150-200 Wh/kg vs 220-270 Wh/kg. But the energy density is steadily improving and is already acceptable for industrial applications. What’s more, it is already up to 4x higher than that of lead-acid. Thanks to this improving energy density, LFP cells are now becoming the preferred choice for many industrial batteries.

The manufacture of LFP batteries has some challenges, but these shouldn’t stop experienced manufacturers, such as Johnson Matthey Battery Systems, from manufacturing them effectively.

Johnson Matthey Battery Systems, part of the Johnson Matthey group, is a European-based manufacturer of advanced battery systems with considerable experience within the field. The company specialises in lithium-ion battery assembly processes, manufacturing a wide range of battery packs with various applications, and operates in all other areas of battery production, including design, prototyping, and assembly. It designs and manufactures advanced battery systems of 3.6V to 60V, utilising its expertise and manufacturing capabilities to produce batteries that meet all international standards and the expectations of customers from various industries.

Currently, Johnson Matthey Battery Systems is working on several new projects, as well as internal projects to develop its manufacturing capabilities. With the market for AGVs currently increasing, the company expects to further develop its footprint in this area. One area of particular interest is improving battery pack performance by increasing lifecycles. This focus on improvement has helped JMBS to become one of the world’s most trusted li-ion battery manufacturers.

Dexory Announces new Investors

Posted on by David Priestman

Dexory, a leading intelligence and robotics company, announced today they have a new round of angel investors. This follows significant investment in 2022, when they secured $13m (£11m) in a seed round led by Swiss venture capital firm Lakestar. This announcement marks another milestone in Dexory’s journey, after the recent rebrand from BotsAndUs, reflecting their growth.

The new investors bring a range of expertise in the logistics space that will be invaluable in guiding Dexory during this vital growth stage. Dexory welcomes Paul Dodd, Martin Bysh, and Thomas Bagge as angel investors, among others.

Paul Dodd, Chief Innovation Officer and co-founder of Huboo brings over 20 years of experience working with robotics and supply chain with P&G, both in the UK and worldwide. Together with Martin Bysh, CEO, co-founder of Huboo, the pair have gone from deploying the technology at Huboo to investors, showing their confidence in the Dexory solution. Their experience in leading both the technical and commercial sides of Huboo will be of great benefit to the leadership team at Dexory.

Thomas Bagge, the CEO of Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) similarly brings a wealth of experience, having been working with global supply chains for 25 years in both logistics and container shipping companies. A large part of his career has been centred around digital transformation, process automation and deployment of new technologies, aligning well with Dexory’s vision of automation in the logistics space. The funding raised previously was used to expand and grow Dexory’s ground-breaking data solutions, establish strong partnerships with industry leaders and experts to boost growth and product development, and expand the company’s team. Dexory works with major industry leaders such as Menzies Aviation, Maersk, Huboo, and a number of other logistics and warehousing companies in the UK and across Europe.

Andrei Danescu, CEO of Dexory comments: “I’m proud to welcome such industry-leading expertise into Dexory. To secure this calibre of investors speaks volumes of their faith in the path we are on, and their guidance will help us continue to grow in 2023. We’re sure their industry knowledge will help to shape our roadmap at Dexory, and maximise the capabilities of our tech. Our unique approach to problem-solving, which integrates smart AI technology and robotics, gives us confidence that we can unlock great benefits for our customers”.

 

Photoneo Brightpick Raises Funds

Posted on by David Priestman

Photoneo Brightpick Group, the parent company of Photoneo, a leading provider of robotic vision sensors and intelligence software, and Brightpick, a leading provider of warehouse automation solutions for ecommerce and grocery order fulfilment, has announced it has raised an additional $19 million to complete a $40 million Series B. Taiwania Capital led this most recent round, which also included follow-on investments by prior Series B lead investors IPM Group and Alpha Intelligence Capital. Additional investors in this round include H&D Asset Management, Venture to Future Fund and Kolowrat Group. This round brings the company’s total capital raised since inception to $53 million.

Photoneo Brightpick Group has more than 300 employees and is used in over 5000 technology installations across the US, Europe and Asia. Its customers include leading companies such as General Motors, Volkswagen and KUKA. Currently, the US accounts for approximately 25% of Photoneo Brightpick Group’s revenue. The new funding will be used primarily to fund new installations of Brightpick’s warehouse automation solution in the US.

Brightpick has been actively rolling out its warehouse automation solution in Europe, including with Rohlik Group, one of Europe’s largest online grocers, with over 10 million orders per year and one million customers. Rohlik recently implemented the Brightpick solution to automate order fulfilment and dispatch in its Prague fulfilment centre.

The Brightpick solution takes a month to deploy, enables warehouses to reduce their picking labor by 95%, and cuts costs for order fulfilment by half. It is. The company is expected to announce a next-generation automated order picking solution powered by proprietary machine vision and AI technology in Q1 of 2023.

“We are seeing extremely strong interest from existing and new customers for Brightpick’s solution because it helps customers cut operating costs and eliminate labour challenges, two relevant concerns in today’s tough economic environment,” said Jan Zizka, CEO and co-founder of Photoneo Brightpick Group. “These new funds will help us accelerate the pace of deployment of our solution and scale our US presence.”

“Photoneo Brightpick Group has strong leadership, talented engineers and world-class technology that will fundamentally change how online retailers and grocers do order fulfilment in the future,” said Mitch Yang, managing partner at Taiwania Capital. “We look forward to working closely with them in this high-growth phase. In addition, we believe our connections to Taiwan’s ICT (Information and Communications Technology) sectors could add great value to this partnership.”

Photoneo is a leading provider of robotic vision sensors and intelligence software. Based on a patented 3D technology, Photoneo developed the world’s highest-resolution and highest-accuracy 3D camera, thus unlocking the full potential of powerful, reliable and fast machine learning. Photoneo is part of Photoneo Brightpick Group, headquartered near Cincinnati, OH, which has more than 300 employees and whose technology is used in over 5000 installations across the US, Europe and Asia. Its customers include leading companies such as General Motors, Volkswagen and KUKA.

Brightpick offers the world’s most efficient warehouse automation solutions for ecommerce and grocery order fulfillment. The company’s end-to-end robotic solution autonomously picks, consolidates and dispatches orders in large, small and micro fulfillment centers. The Brightpick solution takes less than a month to deploy, enables warehouses to reduce their picking labor by 95%, and cuts costs for order fulfillment by half. Brightpick is part of Photoneo Brightpick Group, headquartered near Cincinnati, OH, which has more than 300 employees and 5000 technology installations across the US, Europe and Asia. Its customers include leading companies such as General Motors, Volkswagen and KUKA.

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