Subscribe

Tag: robots

5000 Locus AMRs Deployed by DHL

Posted on by David Priestman

DHL Supply Chain has announced the expansion of its partnership with Locus Robotics, a leading provider of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), increasing its use of Locus AMR robotics within its supply chain operations. As part of this new partnership, DHL Supply Chain will deploy 5,000 Locus Origin AMRs across its global network of warehouses and distribution centres, representing the industry’s largest AMR deal to date.

The expanded fleet of Locus AMRs will provide DHL Supply Chain with advanced automation technology to optimise its supply chain operations, and improve worker productivity, order accuracy, speed, and efficiency. The robots will be deployed across DHL Supply Chain’s global network, further enhancing its capabilities in e-commerce fulfilment, retail replenishment, and pharmaceutical and healthcare logistics.

“An idea is only a good idea if it can scale,” said Oscar de Bok, Chief Executive Officer DHL Supply Chain. “The flexibility and scalability of the Locus solution has been instrumental in helping us meet the evolving demands of the e-commerce landscape and leveraging cutting-edge technology to optimise our operations and deliver an even better experience for our customers.”

“The addition of Locus Robotics AMRs to our network is a major milestone in our digitalisation journey, and we are excited to partner with Locus Robotics to bring this technology to our operations,” said Markus Voss, Global CIO & COO DHL Supply Chain. “By using advanced robotics and data intelligence, we can further improve our operational efficiency, reduce processing time, and continue to improve our customer experience.”

“We are thrilled to be working in an expanded capacity with DHL Supply Chain to bring our industry-leading robotics technology to their global network,” said Rick Faulk (pictured), CEO of Locus Robotics. “As the robotics industry continues to consolidate, Locus Robotics has emerged as the clear leader in the market, and we are poised for further significant growth. Our innovative technology and commitment to customer success have set us apart. With our expanding product offerings and growing customer base, Locus Robotics is well positioned to capitalise on the tremendous opportunities ahead.

Industry’s largest AMR deal

DHL has now surpassed more than 250 million units picked using the LocusOne solution across its global sites. The deployment of the new LocusBots is expected to be fully integrated into DHL Supply Chain’s operations by the end of the year.

“Locus is helping DHL rapidly transform operations through a workforce empowered with the right technology at the right time, to deliver goods where they need to at the speed our modern markets demand,” said Sally Miller, Global Digital Transformation Officer, DHL Supply Chain. “Locus is a critical partner for us as we digitalise our warehouses, distribution and fulfilment centres to efficiently meet increasing order volumes, labour shortages, and rising consumer expectations.”

Locus Robotics is a leading provider of autonomous mobile robots for e-commerce, retail, and Locus Robotics is the world leader in revolutionary, enterprise-level, warehouse automation solution, incorporating powerful and intelligent autonomous mobile robots that operate collaboratively with human workers to dramatically improve product movement and productivity 2–3X. Named to the Inc. 500 two years in a row, and winning over 17 industry and technology awards, the Locus solution dramatically increases order fulfilment productivity, lowers operational costs, and improves workplace quality, safety, and ergonomics for workers. Supporting more than 100+ of the world’s top brands and deployed at 250+ sites around the world, Locus Robotics enables retailers, 3PLs and specialty warehouses to efficiently meet and exceed the increasingly complex and demanding requirements of today’s fulfilment environments.

Logistex Announces Partnership with John Lewis

Posted on by David Priestman

Logistex has been awarded a contract by the John Lewis Partnership to design and implement a solution to optimise their new e-commerce distribution centre at Fenny Lock, Milton Keynes.

The multi-phase project will initially see Logistex deploy its Warehouse Execution System (WES) Reflex, which will orchestrate the picking of orders across multiple zones of the Fenny Lock DC, and provides full integration with conveyors, Locus “Origin” robots and automated bagging Machines.

Future phases will include the deployment of an Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) Tote-to-Person (TTP) picking solution based on HAI Robotics HAIPICK robots and HAIPORT Workstations.

Tony Gruber MD Logistex: “We are delighted to be working with JLP on this strategically important initiative. It combines all of our key capabilities in one project, solution design, the deployment of our Reflex WES platform in a multi agent robotic based automation environment & complete project life cycle support. We look forward to a successful project and an enduring relationship with JLP”.

John Munnelly Head of Distribution, John Lewis Partnership said “This an exciting partnership which will transform our Fenny Lock site, as we look for new and innovative ways on how to best serve our customers.”

Logistex provides automated materials handling and software Warehouse Execution Systems (WES) solutions for warehousing operations. We are specialists in storage and retrieval, order forwarding, Goods to Person Picking and Robotic systems. As an independent warehouse automation specialist, Logistex integrate products from across the industry without compromise. Our services cover warehouse/materials handling design & implementation, warehouse management software and control systems, equipment refurbishment and maintenance, facilities management and 24/7 hotline support and spares.

The John Lewis Partnership owns and operates two of Britain’s best-loved retail brands – John Lewis and Waitrose. Started as a radical experiment over a century ago, the Partnership is now the largest employee-owned business in the UK, with over 74,000 employees who are all Partners in the business. The Partnership is purpose-driven, existing to create a fairer and more sustainable future for Partners, customers, suppliers and communities.

Automation Software for Service Robots

Posted on by David Priestman

Service robots for commercial and industrial activities are a major trend. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), 121,000 of the smart machines for professional use were sold worldwide in 2021, which represents a market growth of 37% in comparison to the previous year. The many possible applications encompass everything from the hotel and restaurant industry to medical technology, agriculture, and industrial cleaning.

The functional quality of mobile robots is largely determined by the automation software. Its development requires considerable robotics expertise and entails high investment costs. Thanks to a new software platform from Bosch, the automation of service robots can now be realized very quickly, easily, and efficiently. Machine manufacturers can thus concentrate on the core of their development work – that is, implementing the specific robot function for the application in question. “With our new software concept for automation, we are simplifying the development of service robots and making it easier for small and medium-sized manufacturers in particular to access the growing robotics market,” explains Philipp Kurek, who is responsible for the Off-Highway operating unit at Bosch Engineering GmbH.

The new software platform from Bosch has a modular structure and offers all the necessary functions for complete robot automation in the form of three sub-elements: localization and mapping, obstacle detection, and motion planning (navigation). The various software modules can be integrated into the robot’s control unit either individually or as a harmonized package. The Bosch Group boasts vast experience and extensive research expertise in navigation, driver assistance systems, and automation – for example, through developments for the automotive sector. “On this basis, we were able to create robot software with particularly precise, efficient perception of the surroundings, reliable signal evaluation, and smart navigation functions. Obstacles are safely avoided, and collisions are prevented,” adds Isabell Maier, head of automation and robotics at Bosch Engineering.

The parameters of the automation software can be flexibly adapted to the specific requirements of the respective application. For example, a narrow obstacle avoidance path for cleaning robots can be specified in the same way as a greater safety distance for robots transporting potentially hazardous substances (e.g., hot liquids). The software also provides great freedom when it comes to the hardware concept. Depending on the robot’s operating conditions, lidar sensors, cameras, or other type of sensors can be integrated into the system.

Standardized interfaces of the robot operating system (ROS) facilitate the integration of the software modules into the machine’s software architecture. After around three years of development, Bosch’s robot automation software has been in successful operation in a pilot application since the beginning of 2023. Further information is available to interested LogiMAT visitors at booth 6D31 in hall 6.

RightHand Robotics Appoints New CEO

Posted on by David Priestman

RightHand Robotics, a leader in data-driven, autonomous robotic picking solutions for order fulfilment, announces the appointment of tech industry veteran Brian D. Owen (pictured) as Chief Executive Officer. With 30-plus years of experience and leadership in finance, technology, and commercial deployment, Owen will guide RightHand Robotics through its next phase of growth and lead the continued scale-up of its piece-picking business.

“For eight years, the team and I built, hardened, and scaled our product, improving the technology every year, deploying the robots across the U.S., Europe, and Japan and continuing to grow our customer base. Now is the time to build on these foundations by accelerating the scaling of customers and deployments. I’m very proud of this company and I look forward to working with Brian in my new role as chairman.” said Yaro Tenzer, co-founder, former CEO, and now Chairman of RightHand Robotics.

Owen is a six-time public and private company CEO of global enterprise hardware and software companies with experience driving corporate strategy, mission, and purpose, while fostering a culture of trust, responsibility, commitment, and innovation among employees, partners, and customers. He has served in numerous roles as executive and non-executive, chairman, and director in more than 25 technology companies – two of which were public – overseeing multiple financings, IPOs, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, and more than 15 exits while working alongside top-tier private equity investors.

Previously, Owen was the CEO and President of Cambridge Semantics Inc., a modern data management and enterprise analytics software company, where bookings grew 300 percent to $24 million during his leadership. He also served in senior roles at White Cup, SunGard, ORACLE Corporation, MapInfo and Computer Associates, among others. Owen earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science from Boston College and an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

“I am thrilled to be joining RightHand Robotics as the next CEO and incredibly proud for the opportunity to build on eight years of progress that the team has accomplished,” said Owen. “The company’s piece-picking technology is in high demand in the market and I look forward to working with this amazing team to continue that momentum to grow the company worldwide. I’ve led six companies through various stages of growth and execution and have the scar tissue resulting from the many successes and lessons experienced along the way. I plan to apply that knowledge to this role and carry on the company’s mission and vision of ‘owning the pick in the supply chain so humans don’t have to.’”

Tenzer will remain in the company as Chairman to work with the management team on GTM strategy and business development.

Since the company’s $66 million Series C financing, RightHand Robotics has seen major developments in its business and made significant global moves. The company launched its Partner Integrator program, resulting in recent collaborations with leading players like Vanderlande and AutoStore™ integrator Asetec. RightHand Robotics also solidified its automated piece-picking leadership in the growing online pharmacy market with a new pharma customer, Apotea. With more growth to come and ambitious plans for the future, RightHand Robotics is ready for this natural next corporate step. To learn more about the company and its executive transition, visit the RightHand Robotics booth N8107 at ProMat 2023 in Chicago, Illinois, from March 20-23, 2023.

TGW Presents the Future Fulfilment Centre

Posted on by David Priestman

The TGW Logistics Group will demonstrate its Future Fulfilment Centre – how it works, how users can benefit from its advantages, and what technology it uses – for visitors at the LogiMAT intralogistics trade fair in Stuttgart from 25 to 27 April. To promote the continuous development of this innovative ecosystem, the company invests heavily in technology, structures and its employees.

There is a fundamental difference between today’s warehouses and the Future Fulfillment Center: the system of the future is not only highly automated, but also and above all it operates proactively. This means that it fulfils tasks independently, optimises processes and is constantly learning. At the same time, it offers maximum flexibility and thus relieves the operator’s workload. For example, in the future, staff scheduling need not be handled by employees, but rather can be carried out by intelligent software tools via data processing. These tools will also control performance in an energy-efficient and low-wear manner and will anticipate consumption behaviour.

Customer benefits, flexibility and profitability

TGW is constantly working to further develop the Future Fulfilment Centre and its modules, which range from user-friendly software to intelligent mechatronics to a digital twin. There are three central goals in this regard:

• Greater customer benefits: operating the system shall require significantly less time and effort, allowing customers to focus entirely on their core business.
• Greater flexibility: customers shall be in a position to increase their adaptability and react flexibly to changes in the market or in their business models.
• Greater profitability: system performance shall be adapted to the required availability, thus increasing profitability by minimising staffing, reducing wear and decreasing energy consumption.

It’s not just the geopolitical situation that is unpredictable: changes in economic sectors also complicate things. Faster delivery promises and rising service levels continue to drive these developments, while demographic change exacerbates the shortage of qualified personnel. “Anyone investing in a new intralogistics system is seeking flexibility, efficiency and fitness for the future – and collaboration with partners that they can trust 100 percent,” emphasises Harald Schröpf, CEO of the TGW Logistics Group.

Transparent, self-learning and self-healing

The credo is therefore: Spotlight on customer benefits. Keywords like full data transparency, self-learning and self-recovery are hallmarks of TGW’s Future Fulfillment Center. Initially, relevant data are gathered and used for a digital representation. The system learns through information analysis and uses real-time data for optimisations. It proactively corrects malfunctions and autonomously reports potential sources of error.

Focusing on sustainability

The fulfilment centre of the future is based not only on modern robotic technology that increases profitability and addresses the labour shortage, but also on the three pillars of sustainability. “Our basic principle is that each system must be planned and implemented in an ecologically, economically and socially acceptable manner,” insists Harald Schröpf. In order to fulfil this promise, TGW is constantly optimising its supply chain and developing more sustainable products.

In order to continue promoting the Future Fulfillment Center and improving the technology, TGW consistently invests in research and development. “We invest approximately 4.5 percent of our annual revenue, which is significantly more than many of our competitors,” according to CEO Harald Schröpf. “At the moment, there are over 750 specialists working in the areas of software and digitalisation at TGW.”

TGW Logistics Group is one of the leading, international suppliers of material handling solutions. For more than 50 years, the Austrian specialist has implemented automated systems for its international customers, including brands from A as in Adidas to Z as in Zalando. As systems integrator, TGW plans, produces and implements complex logistics centres, from mechatronic products and robots to control systems and software. The company has subsidiaries in Europe, China and the US and more than 4,000 employees worldwide. In the 2020/2021 business year, the company generated a total turnover of 813 million euros.

Path to Robotic Automation for High-bay Storage

Posted on by David Priestman

BALYO, the company that specializes in transforming standard forklifts into driverless robots, will be attending ProMat 2023. Robotic experts will be on-hand to discuss BALYO’s full line of driverless forklift vehicles that are helping companies scale up as opposed to out, and showcase tools that simplify the shift from manual to autonomous materials handling.

The BALYO line of high-bay storage robots will be front and centre at ProMat 2023. Robots like the BALYO REACHY, which can pick pallets of up to 1.5 tons to a height of 37 feet and achieve a 360° turn in only 9.9 feet – the narrowest in-aisle turning space for high-reach robotic forklifts.

“Smart companies are scaling up – not out!” says Mark Stevenson, BALYO’s Chief Sales Officer. “The only way to safely and efficiently be part of this vertical revolution in materials handling is to automate the storage and retrieval of goods.”

In addition to saving space, the shift to high bay storage has other efficiencies including increased speed of materials movement, flexibility in warehouse design, and the inherent safety that comes from using automated systems.

“The shift to robotic operations just makes sense, from overcoming labour challenges, to safety, to ROI, all the numbers add up,” continues Stevenson.” The biggest thing that holds organizations back is the fear of complicated change, time to deploy, and disruption. BALYO is ready to show that there’s nothing to fear, our standard solutions can be deployed in weeks not months, and our simple tools are designed to allow users to do much of it themselves. It’s easy to simply change.”

BALYO experts will be demonstrating tools like BALYO eBudget for simple scoping of robotic projects, and BALYO Road Editor software that makes mission management a drag-and-drop experience. The company developed its unique software nearly 20 years ago with the aim of turning standard electric trucks into standalone intelligent robots, a move which the company believes, helps to address the reluctance of some operators to switch to automation and realize all of these benefits.

Stevenson continues, “BALYO robots can be operated both fully manual and autonomously, bridging the perceived gap between whether to use people or technology. This frees up people to focus on improving operations and other truly value-added activities. In this way, our technology is being used to vastly improve people’s working lives.”

The Reach Robot is just one of the full complement of Balyo’s sustainable robotic solutions including stackers, counter-balanced robots, tuggers, pallet jacks, and a VNA (Very Narrow Aisle) robot that can reach heights of 55 feet. BALYO’s global head offices are in Paris with global operations in the USA, Singapore, China, and Australia.

Pharmacy Boasts 1st Piece-picking Solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Swedish online pharmacy Apotea automated its logistics centre last Autumn with a piece-picking solution to quickly, easily, and smoothly deliver approximately 50,000 orders a day to its customers. Following international cooperation between Element Logic, AutoStore, RightHand Robotics and Apotea, the centre fully integrated eOperator piece-picking robots with an AutoStore solution, a world first.

Pharmacy products are one of the fastest-growing segments of both Swedish and European e-commerce. Apotea.se is Sweden’s largest online pharmacy, with the country’s most comprehensive range of over-the-counter products and prescription drugs.

“During the pandemic, we looked at expanding the capacity to go from delivering 50,000 orders to 100,000 orders. That’s when we started looking at Element Logic and AutoStore. When we thought of installing AutoStore, it was precisely the ability to be able to robotise the picking that was one of the driving forces,” says Pär Svärdson, CEO at Apotea.

Apotea strives to deliver the best customer experience in the industry through fast and accurate deliveries. In Apotea’s logistics centre in Morgongåva, Sweden, the company has invested in automation from Element Logic, which takes care of the entire warehouse process. The goal is to optimise delivery and efficiency and cope with large variations in incoming orders.

The installation consists of 20,000 bins (with space for a total of 25,000), 30 AutoStore robots (R5) and four carousel ports, three of which are served by eOperator piece-picking robots. Initially, the new capacity at Apotea is estimated to be 800 order lines per hour. The installation is a collaboration between Element Logic, AutoStore, RightHand Robotics and Apotea. At the end of 2022, all CEOs and founders from the respective companies met at Apotea to inaugurate the solution.

“For us, it was essential to have a solution that can handle variations in product size and order intake, and that can expand as we grow. This investment helps us become more efficient, which makes it easier for us to exceed our customers’ expectations,” says Svärdson.

“To Apotea, the automation solution of AutoStore, eOperator and other features from Element Logic goes splendidly with their combined targets of optimal warehouse efficiency and environmental care. We look forward to following Apotea’s journey towards highly accurate deliveries along with saved energy, reduced noise levels and ergonomically friendly working hours,” says Dag-Adler Blakseth, CEO at Element Logic Group.

Apotea’s investment in eOperator, the world’s most advanced piece-picking robot solution, makes them pioneers internationally by using it to pick from an AutoStore installation. eOperator picks automatically 24/7, requiring no light at night. Through machine learning, eOperator automatically selects the best way to handle an item to be picked, increasing order capacity, goods handling, and delivery time.

“eOperator makes it possible to deliver quickly to customers, even at nights, weekends and bank holidays. You get a 24-hour operation, which is completely exceptional. We get better efficiency and faster deliveries, making everything cheaper and more efficient. It became natural to say, yes, let’s go,” continues Svärdson.

Apotea is not only Sweden’s market-leading online pharmacy, but also the country’s most sustainable e-commerce company, according to Sustainable Brand Index 2020 and 2021. Apotea‘s goal is to reduce the climate footprint throughout the entire chain, from production to the end consumer. On the roof of their logistics centre, you will find one of Sweden’s most extensive solar cell facilities that supply the entire AutoStore system.

“Our goal is to become Sweden’s most sustainable company, which is both brave and ambitious. It is vital for humanity and our environment, but also to be competitive. I believe that future customers will demand a different approach to sustainability from companies than today,” explains Svärdson.

AutoStore is a modular and scalable robotic solution for storing products efficiently. Compared to a manual warehouse, picking performance is ten times higher with AutoStore. The system consists of a grid where robots pick and deliver goods on the smartest available routes. The robots work around the clock and recharge when needed. At Apotea’s ports, the picked goods are delivered to both human operators and three eOperator piece-picking robots.

“Apotea has had a fantastic growth journey in Swedish e-commerce. By connecting an AutoStore system with Element Logic‘s smart piece-picking solution, eOperator, and other automation, we can help them continue to offer their customers fast and accurate deliveries and improved order capacity and goods handling,” explains Anders Bohlin, Sales Director at Element Logic Sweden.

Facts about Element Logic’s installation:
• 20,000 bins (with space for a total of 25,000)
• 30 AutoStore robots (R5)
• 4 carousel ports
• 3 piece-picking robots (eOperator)
• 800 order lines per hour (calculated capacity)
• 24/7 operations

New Hybrid Picking Robots

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, supplier of mobile logistics robots, has released its latest solution, RoboShuttle Plus, achieving one-stop storage and picking of all types of goods and delivering higher throughput and flexibility. This marks a significant advance in the interoperability of Geek+’s various robot models and a stride towards full warehouse automation.

The upgraded solution fills the market gap for an all-in-one picking solution by coordinating of three types of robots around one centralized workstation: RoboShuttles handle vertical storage and retrieval of totes, P40 picking robots move smaller items, and P500 and P800 robots move medium to large items.

Totes and racks

Hongbo Li, Chief Technology Officer at Geek+, said: “The RoboShuttle series has been one of our most successful line of solutions enabling automated height storage for warehouses, and this latest version realizes the full potential of our technology as it adds more speed and higher throughput for customers. Entrusting all picking to RoboShuttle Plus allows businesses to centralize their operations and enables them to respond to business fluctuations quickly and easily.”

RoboShuttle Plus

Geek+’s warehouse management software coordinates the actions of all robots and optimizes the placement of goods in the inventory to ensure maximum efficiency and 99.99% picking accuracy. The solution makes full use of vertical warehouse space and removes the need for multi-zone operations by allowing items of all sizes to be handled by one solution at a centralized workstation.

Geek+ is a global technology company leading the intelligent logistics revolution. We apply advanced robotics and AI technologies to realize flexible, reliable, and highly efficient solutions for warehouses and supply chain management. Geek+ is trusted by over 700 global industry leaders and has been recognized as the world leader in autonomous mobile robots. Founded in 2015, Geek+ has over 1500 employees, with offices in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, and Singapore

Watch Now: Webinar with Fives and SNATT Logistica

Posted on by David Priestman

Logistics Business has a new Webinar to play on-demand for free, moderated by Editor Peter MacLeod. Peter talks to Fabio Sacchi, New Application Director of Fives Intralogistics SpA and Fabrizio Oleari, CEO of Italian third party logistics company SNATT Logistica SpA. Click here to watch now.

In the 34 minute Webinar sortation technology for fashionwear distribution centres is discussed, specifically the new GENI-Ant system.

Here is the transcript:

1. Q to Sacchi: Why did Fives decide to invest in AMR technology for sorting / what is GENI-Ant?

To meet the needs of all companies faced with increasing logistics complexity and labor shortages, Fives has introduced a new smart sorter based on AMR technology: the GENI-Ant sorter.
It is a mobile sorter able to transport 2 items on board each vehicle and deliver the parcels to the destinations within the working area. It is the tallest in the market able to sort dynamically at high speed : the robot can be up to 1.300 mm high and run at 2,5 m/s

2. Q to Oleari: SNATT have been investing in automation already for many years, implementing cross belt equipment in their warehouses. Why did you decide to implement the GENI-Ant? What challenges were you facing?

We had two major requirements: We needed a sorting system that provides flexibility and scalability to any future change in terms of volume of parcels sorted, or number of sorting destinations
Moreover, we needed a sorter equipment ensuring that no parcel is damaged during the operations, including the most delicate ones. We need a system able to handle the parcels with extreme care.

3. Q to Oleari: Please can you tell us a little bit more about your business – the size of the warehouse operations where Fives technology is installed, the size and volume of the products being stored and dispatched, and how the GENI-Ant is being deployed within the operation?

SNATT Logistica is a 3PL company in the fashion industry, specializing in the distribution of its customers’ clothing, footwear and accessories lines. The company provides logistic services and each of its warehouses is dedicated exclusively to the logistics activities of a customer, for distribution of the articles of one brand only, in Italy and abroad. We help our customer’s business, because thanks to our outsourcing service, we help save time and money: the customer has lower fixed costs and can focus on the resources on product development, marketing, and sales growth. We take care of the handling of articles like footwear packed in standard shoe boxes as well as flat garments in plastic bags and various accessories. The GENI-Ant sorter can handle these kinds of fragile packages in a gentle way with no damages at all. As you know in the fashion world, the external packaging is very important for the brand image, almost as much as the content itself. Moreover, Fives sorting technology ensures the flexibility we need in order to react quickly to changes in volumes. Fluctuations in sales result in variations of the material flows to manage inside the warehouse. The implementation of the GENI-Ant ‘s robotic solution has allowed us to process orders faster and increase picking volumes a lot, compared with manual processing.

4. Q to Sacchi: Compared with other traditional sorting technologies, what are added benefits for the customer that chooses a GENI-Ant sorter?

Answer: scalability and footprint
Scalability: GENI-Ant is a system that can be tailored to the required capacity: only by adding robots, it can easily adapt to future volume peaks or structural expansions.
Footprint: the GENI-Ant solution can be installed in very small areas even in general utility buildings. It can be easily reconfigured and relocated from one to another building, if needed

5. Q to Sacchi – What sort of operations are the deployed GENI-Ant robots helping to optimise?

It can be deployed to optimize the sorting operations in various processing, for instance in the last mile delivery or in the 3PL application like at SNATT facilities. The ability to manage multiple types of parcels, even non-standard ones and the compact design make it suitable for installation in urban depots or small warehouses, where the available space is limited or there are
The flexibility and the ability to adapt according to changing requirements as well as to fluctuations in material flows make it the best solution for future-proof systems where the sorting capacity can increase either very quickly for example during seasonal peaks or over the years according to sales evolution. It is actually very simple to increase the sorting capacity of the GENI-Ant: it is enough to install additional destinations or adjust the number of robots, and this is done in a matter of weeks. In this way, there is no need of oversizing the system in view of future expansions, GENI-Ant sorter can grow and adapt easily to changes.

6. Q to Sacchi: how long does it take for the production and installation of a GENI-Ant sorting system?

It takes 7 months for the production and only 2 months for delivery and installation The installation does not disturb the existing on-going warehouse operations at customer’s site.

7. Q to Sacchi: What are the performances achievable with GENI-Ant?

Answer: 6.000 pph with item size from 150×150 mm to 1200×700 mm

8. Q to Sacchi: is it possible to customize a solution according to various and each time different customer requirements?

Answer: yes, we can customize the size and the design of the belts on top of the vehicle/robot to automate the handling and sorting of both conveyable and non-conveyable items
Moreover the layout of the system can be adapted to fit into the sorting are at customer’s facilities and even re-configurated in a second time, if needed

9. Q to Sacchi: how do you see the future of GENI-Ant?
Answer: GENI-Ant will be used more and more for order fulfilment in retail, e-commerce, distribution due to its features mentioned before. While in parcels and postal the requirement is to automate handling and sorting of small and big items that are non-conveyable using traditional equipment and in general more difficult to handle than standard conveyable parcels, thus require still manual handling or re-working.

10. Q to Oleari: Would you recommend GENI-Ant?

I would recommend GENI-Ant because it’s the new cutting-edge technology available in the market for sorting. Nowadays, since the purchasing habits and consumer needs have changed dramatically and the logistics have become extremely complex, GENI-Ant™ is the right solution to respond to investments that require flexibility and scalability in a small footprint.

World of possibilities in advanced automation at IMHX

Posted on by David Priestman

Invar Group, a leading independent software developer and integrator of advanced warehouse automation, will be showcasing its intelligent WMS software, world-class robotic order picking solutions, and the latest technology in warehouse automation at the UK’s IMHX 2022 show – 6th to 8th September 2022, NEC Birmingham (Stand: 5AM26).

Visitors looking to transform operational performance in the warehouse will be able to explore the full range of technologies and options available to them – without fear of being limited to choices from a single manufacturer. As an independent integrator of warehouse technologies Invar Group is able to offer an unbiased approach to finding the optimum solution. And as Invar has the in-house expertise to provide clients with the software, integration and controls elements of a project, the business can efficiently bring together best-of-breed technologies in a seamless solution.

Craig Whitehouse, Managing Director of Invar Group, says: “We are witnessing a technological revolution in the warehouse – AI and robotics is transforming operational performance, particularly around dense storage, order assembly and packing. High CapEx automation, where conveyors and shuttles are bolted to the floor is no longer seen as flexible enough for the fast-changing world of ecommerce and logistics. Agile systems such as AMRs combined with intelligent software and pick-to-light technology can boost order picking performance from under 100 units per hour using traditional methods, to up to 600 picks per hour. As independent integrators we are free to specify and supply the most appropriate and cost-effective technology for the task – and attending IMHX 2022 presents us with a fantastic opportunity to engage with businesses, to explore what’s possible.”

Invar Group, headquartered in Cranfield UK, is focused on delivering complete turnkey warehouse automation solutions using advanced technologies such as industrial robotics, AMR goods-to-person solutions, pick-to-light technology, sortation systems, as well as conventional warehouse automation. The Group comprises: Invar Systems, a developer of warehouse control and management systems; Invar Integration, a front runner in solutions design, hardware integration and project management; and Invar Controls, specialists in the design, implementation and maintenance of PLC software and hardware.

The company has recently launched a new website (www.invargroup.com) to help guide businesses through the complexities associated with warehouse upgrades and digitalization projects, highlighting potential areas where advanced technologies can transform operational performance within the fulfillment or distribution centre. The new format brings together valuable independent insights and technical information on the latest innovative technologies available to the market. Invar Group has supplied systems to many of the world’s leading brands, such as: SuperDry, Games Workshop, Bentley, Coca Cola, and Nike. Discover what’s possible by visiting Invar Group on Stand 5AM26.

Subscribe

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