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Tag: warehouse automation

‘World-class’ automated facility for pet food maker

Posted on by David Priestman

Japanese factory automation specialist Daifuku has been instrumental in creating Europe’s most advanced production plant dedicated to the manufacture of high-quality ‘own label’ pet food.

Serving more than 2,500 customers globally, Lancashire-based GA Pet Food Partners produces over 80,000 tonnes of complete dog and cat food to strict human-grade standards. Its innovative use of intelligent automation underpins the business’ operational efficiencies, while enabling it to manufactures 930 different products for its global customer base of pet food brands.

Being able to manage such complexity, while maintaining the highest food standards, is largely down to the company’s adoption of best-in-class technology, which includes four fully automated fork lift trucks (called ‘Henrys’), high bay storage and retrieval systems, sorting transfer vehicles (STVs), conveyors and three huge automated guided vehicles (camels) called Snap, Crackle and Pop.

Daifuku has been specifically responsible for the design and installation of the storage and retrieval systems in the Pantry and Larder Store within the Ingredients Kitchen area of the GA Pet Foods’ facility. This solution comprises 12 automated cranes (six in each chamber), with associated racking, which creates 21,000 unique storage locations. These are used to store raw ingredients and finished products in the Pantry / Larder Store respectively, prior to transportation (via the automated camels) to the extrusion facility, where the finished, dry pet food is formed. All of the warehouse systems are controlled by Daifuku’s WCS partner Invar.

Collaboration is key

Five years in the planning and four years in development, the GA Pet Food Partners’ operation at Chorley, Lancashire represents the very best in automation and genuine partnership. Chairman of GA Pet Food Partners, Roger Bracewell, was determined to find the best automation providers to work on the project, as long as they were able to work together as a single team. He said: “From the outset of our automation journey, we made it clear to potential technology partners that we wanted to create a collaborative team, where genuine dialogue could take place among all of our automation partners.

“Right from the start, we made this intention clear, paying each technology provider for their time during the pre-engineering phase – so that they could provide us with the best, most detailed designs and proposals. We didn’t just ask firms for their ‘best price’. We wanted this to be a quality-driven process and not one that focused solely on the lowest cost.

“Having now opened our fully-automated Ingredients Kitchen, the results speak for themselves. This operation, we believe, sets new global standards for not just pet food production, but also human food processing – especially in the areas of traceability and operational efficiency.”

Extruder efficiency

Interestingly, GA Pet Food Partners’ automation investment strategy has been underpinned by the business’ adoption of sales and operational planning (S&OP) principles.

Russell Hutchinson, business development manager at Daifuku, explains: “While so many businesses nowadays adopt a lean manufacturing strategy, the team at GA have taken time to really understand their operation and realised that ‘lean’ is not the right approach for them. For the plant here in Lancashire, it’s all about keeping the main extruder working to maximum capacity.

“As they say here, ‘If it ain’t turning, it ain’t earning’. That was a real lightbulb moment for Roger and his team who have subsequently invested in the upstream element of their supply chain, with the ultimate objective of improving the extruder’s efficiency.”

For GA Pet Food Partners, automation has not been about labour saving or cost cutting. Moreover, technology has enabled the business to increase output by 30%, improve overall plant efficiency (achieving an improvement of 15% in extrusion up time) and maintain world-class quality standards. The use of leading-edge automation has also enabled the company to remain flexible – one of its key areas of competitive advantage within the global pet food production sector. This as all be done without any increase in headcount at the facility.

Having opened the fully automated production facility this summer, the next project on GA’s agenda is its finished packaging line, which will further improve its service levels to global customers.

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OPEX to exhibit automation solutions at IMHX

Posted on by Keith McKinley

OPEX Corporation, a global leader in automation for almost 50 years, is introducing leading-edge warehouse automation technology to attendees of IMHX on 5-9 September at the NEC Birmingham.

This will be OPEX’s first time exhibiting at IMHX and the first time the company’s Sure Sort robotic sorting system will be on display at a trade show in the UK.

“Sure Sort  is a scalable and cost-effective alternative to traditional put-wall sorting,” said Nicolas Dewit, Director of Business Development for Europe, Middle East, and Asia (EMEA), OPEX Warehouse Automation. “It is an ideal e-Commerce solution for micro-fulfilment centres, retail stores, and distribution centres that demand a small footprint, high accuracy, speed, and high productivity in a system that does not increase labour.”

Sure Sort robotic delivery vehicles, iBOTs, quickly and accurately process up to 2,400 items each hour with as little as three operators, and have the ability to recharge as they travel through the system. Sure Sort will be on display at IMHX 2022 Stand 5D115 where attendees can interact with OPEX operators to better understand how the system can benefit their business.

Used by leading retailers, 3PLs, and distributors for order handling, cross-docking, and parcel sorting, Sure Sort will be installed in several leading UK companies, including Boux Avenue, a part of the Theo Paphitis Retail Group, and third-party logistics company Torque.

OPEX offers a suite of modular, flexible systems that can be customised and easily adapted to meet evolving business needs, including Perfect Pick, an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) that dramatically improves speed, efficiency, and reliability.

IMHX 2022 attendees can experience Perfect Pick HD through a virtual reality tour of a warehouse in which they will pick items using an Oculus headset and guided by OPEX experts.

Ideal for e-Commerce fulfilment and micro-fulfilment, Perfect Pick reduces reliance on labour to pick and ship orders in a system that stores inventory securely in self-contained units. High-density racking increases throughput, reliability, and effectiveness while optimising a warehouse’s space with a fleet of iBOTs that access every storage location in the warehouse aisle horizontally and vertically and deliver inventory directly to a workstation, eliminating the need for complicated conveyor systems or transfer equipment.

With generations of industry expertise and a proven track record developing first-class automation capabilities and advanced engineering, OPEX says it continuously reimagines automation technology to help clients solve their most significant business challenges. For nearly five decades, OPEX has served as a trusted partner, collaborating closely with clients to develop customised, scalable solutions.

BITO all set for IMHX 2022

Posted on by David Priestman

Leading storage solutions provider BITO Storage Systems will once again be exhibiting at IMHX, which takes place on 6-8 September 2022 at the NEC, Birmingham.

The company says its highly experienced UK team are looking forward to meeting visitors from key sectors including retail, manufacturing and logistics on Stand: 5B15. They will be keen to discuss visitors’ challenges and offer potential solutions, drawing on BITO’s lengthy experience working with a wide variety of companies, from SMEs to major well-known brand clients.

Engaging with BITO’s team of experts, visitors will see clearly how the company can match their requirements through creating innovative storage and highly productive order picking solutions from a comprehensive range of products manufactured by BITO in Germany. These include pallet racking, carton and pallet live systems, shelving, bins and containers, and the recently improved LEO Locative driverless transport system. To further provide a one-stop shop, BITO can provide supporting products such as mezzanines, warehouse trucks, signage and rack protection as part of a complete system.

In addition to explaining BITO’s successful approach to reducing its own environmental impact, BITO’s team can highlight sustainable intralogistics solutions that will assist companies in the increasingly important task of cutting emissions and demonstrating their sustainability credentials.

Edward Hutchison, Managing Director of BITO Storage Systems, said: “Organisations are seeking to drive operational efficiency to meet the challenges ahead in these unprecedented times. They will require innovative solutions that can only be generated through experience and expertise. They also need equipment of a quality they can depend on. Companies know their business best and often have their own great ideas for solutions to their particular issues. BITO is an expert in turning a client’s ideas into reality.

“The ability to see our equipment in our Nuneaton showroom, where solutions can also be tried, tested and refined, will help to contribute to a seamlessly integrated system. Our online store will rapidly fulfil orders from our broad range of stock housed in the warehouse to suit all kinds of smaller projects. For larger systems, BITO’s comprehensive product range and capabilities means customers gain from a single point of contact that guides a project from design and manufacture through to the installation and support. This ensures the passion and involvement at design stage is continued through to project planning and then execution to deliver a truly successful storage and order picking project.”

 

Addverb’s shuttle system optimises delivery demands

Posted on by David Priestman

Addverb Technologies, a leading automation solutions provider for warehouses and distribution centres, has launched Medius, its new multi-level shuttle (MLS) system. Medius is an automated and highly dynamic shuttle system that performs the function of storage and retrieval on multiple levels and is designed for businesses that want to increase storage density or establish an automation operation capable of rapid delivery that is scalable and modular. Based on goods-to-person principles, automated storage retrieval systems (ASRS), and carton shuttles, Medius will enable agile ergonomic order fulfilment processes.

Optimising the use of space within a warehouse, Medius can operate at seven levels (3.7m/12ft high) with the ability to add more aisles by combining multiple MLS systems. Perfect for the storage and retrieval of cartons or totes, Addverb’s latest automated robotics solution features a storage capacity of 255,000 crates, double-deep tote-picking, and the ability to travel horizontally and vertically with 35 to 40 double cycles per hour.

With an increasing demand for businesses seeking safe and efficient automation capabilities in the rapid execution of delivering goods, Addverb’s Medius offers key features, including:

  • Enabled with seamless integration interface with any WES/WMS
  • High SKU system that caters to industries such as e-commerce, pharmaceutical, and FMCG
  • Low maintenance without disrupting other MLS operations
  • Increased efficiency with high throughput and an ability to store and retrieve

“The lines between traditional retail and e-commerce are becoming increasingly grey, which forces the need to engineer and empower warehouses with resilient and innovative technologies,” said Sriram Sridhar, CRO, Americas at Addverb. “At Addverb, we are in constant pursuit of providing a range of technologies to balance throughput and storage capacity challenges for omnichannel retailers and provide customers with a partner they can trust to offer such solutions.”

In addition to being able to operate on Addverb’s own software integration solutions, Medius is equipped with an automatic braking system and features an IP24 rating, allowing for grocery warehouse and distribution centre operations.

With the unveiling of its newest multi-level-shelving system, Addverb continues expanding its portfolio of fixed and flexible automated solutions. Earlier this year, Addverb announced its expansion into North America and South America, and established key partnerships, leveraging the company’s integrated solutions in the ever-growing e-commerce market.

 

Big Box brings RFID technology to SMEs

Posted on by David Priestman

Big Box Automation, part of Big Box Group, has added Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging technology to its range of inventory management products offered to SMEs.

This technology gives smaller businesses access to critical infrastructure, allowing them to compete in an increasingly customer experience-driven trading environment.

RFID technology is not new. Its roots go back to the 1940s. However, the e-Commerce consumer boom has sped up the development of RFID in terms of intelligence and ease of application, whilst reducing cost. It is now within the reach of individual companies and independent stores.

An RFID tag doesn’t have to be seen or handled in order to record and access large amounts of data about an individual item of stock. Multiply this feature across multiple products to realise the advantage this technology offers to businesses who are embracing e-Commerce and same-day remote order fulfilment.

Consumer behaviour changed forever because of the Covid pandemic, accelerating e-Commerce and introducing an entirely new global audience. Alongside this change of behaviour also sits a global labour shortage, huge supply chain and logistical challenges, and unprecedented demand. These factors have created the perfect storm where smaller players with the same technological advantages can compete based on efficiency and flexibility.

Altaf Saddique, RFID Solution Architect, explains: “A retail clothing store, for example, would typically have to close to allow staff to perform a full manual stocktaking audit. This could even be overnight depending on the size and complexity of their stock ranges, obviously inconveniencing staff and costing the company money. Also, depending upon how frequently the manual checks were carried out, they could expect as low as 60% – 70% accuracy.

“With RFID, that same stocktake can happen within 20-30 minutes with 99% accuracy whilst the store is open for business, across multiple floors, stock rooms and changing facilities. If an item is tagged, and on the premises, the RFID scanner will find it.”

Big Box Automation offers clients full technological support to deliver the benefits of RFID where required. Other expertise within the Big Box Group can also help customers with integrating RFID into other supply chain automation. This can include warehouse design, racking, storage systems, and handling equipment, including robot pickers.

Although retail and online fulfilment sectors are the first to benefit from the reduction in cost and increased accessibility to RFID technology, other sectors may eventually follow. The health and care sectors, for example, are looking at RFID tagging solutions to help manage assets and resources.

Jason Dyche, Divisional Director, said: “The Covid pandemic has super-charged progress in automation in terms of development, demand and application across the entire spectrum of application with new sectors opening all the time. Big Box Group is responding to the rise in demand from e-Commerce for same-day order fulfilment needs with robotics and automation. RFID used to be prohibitively expensive for SMEs, but the rapid development has led to the technology becoming the sensible choice in terms of cost-benefit.

“RFID tags have dropped in price considerably in the past ten years, from a few pounds to a few pence per tag. Add labour cost savings and the ability to monitor, and control stock, and respond to specific consumer behaviours, and it’s a technology that no inventory-based business can afford to ignore or be without.

“At Big Box, we monitor developments in automation technology and bring the best of what’s available to our clients when we see the emergence of the effective and affordable technology that can offer the right benefits. One such deployment was for an independent golf shop, not a huge multi-national online name, but a well-established local business with a great offering.

“RFID has helped the company take control of their stock inventory, track where items are in the system, keep up with parts and potential shortfalls and to allocate resources to identify the growth areas of the business rather than on chasing stock and solving supply issues.”

634AI signs agreement with Musashi to deploy AMRs

Posted on by David Priestman

634AI, the Israeli developer of Maestro, an AI-enabled control tower for indoor mobility management, and Musashi Seimitsu, a global tier-1 auto part manufacturer, have signed an agreement to deploy 200 Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), powered by Maestro, across Musashi Seimitsu’s 35 manufacturing facilities worldwide.

634AI’s Maestro powered AMRs will be used to automate Musashi Seimitsu’s intralogistics operation and increase the safety and efficiency of activity on its manufacturing floors.

Musashi Seimitsu, a global transmission gear manufacturer, is a major shareholder in 634AI. After two years of testing 634AI’s Maestro in live manufacturing facilities in Japan, Musashi Seimitsu will be rolling out 634AI’s AMRs under the management of Maestro over the next four years.

634AI is part of the SixAI family, helping to bring advanced technology and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) into traditional industries. SixAI products are designed to improve productivity and better serve people around the world. Established by Israeli entrepreneur Ran Poliakine, the company solves manufacturing and distribution shortcomings by providing solutions that raise productivity and lowers costs.

SixAI introduces technology integration in legacy industries and acquires companies in both local and international markets, mainly in the fields of AI, robotics, green energy, cyber and fintech. SixAI has a strategic partnership with the Japanese corporation Musashi Seimitsu.

Maestro is 634AI’s proprietary AI-powered centralised control tower that enables effective and harmonised indoor operations. Maestro offers a constant visual mapping of the entire floor, ensuring hazards and obstacles are recognized and prevented. Alongside 634AI’s AMRs, Maestro can track raw material movements, provide productivity and utilization data of forklifts as well as provide safety alerts for forklift drivers, and even navigate the movement of heterogeneous AMR fleets.

With Maestro, Musashi Seimitsu plans to have a more automated intra logistics operation and better coordinated activity, where man-driven forklifts, employees, and robots can operate in sync and with greater safety.

Musashi Seimitsu’s global presence includes manufacturing facilities in Japan, Germany, US, Canada, India, China, Brazil, Mexico, Hungary, Spain, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Isaku Takeshi, Managing Executive Officer of Musashi Seimitsu, said: “We have been heavily investing in automation and AI capabilities over the past few years, with a vision to create a more humane workplace where people no longer carry out tedious, repetitive, unrewarding tasks. We believe 634AI’s distinct approach for industrial floor management and control allows, for the first time, people and machines to effectively work side by side in a much safer environment.  We look forward to a fruitful deployment across our global manufacturing sites.”

Oren Levy, CEO of 634AI, said: “Maestro’s global deployment with Musashi Seimitsu is a major leap forward for our company. It is a mark of trust and confidence in our ability to deliver an effective logistics automation solution in a real, busy industrial environment. Our computer vision-based AMRs powered by a central floor management brain and collaboration with Musashi confirm the distinct advantages of our technology in complex, dynamic industrial environments, and point the way forward for the rest of the industry.”

iFollow showcases slimline AMRs at IMHX

Posted on by David Priestman

iFollow will be showcasing Its premium, slimline autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) on the Stow stands 5B105 and 5B110 at IMHX 2022, which takes place on 6-8 September 2022 at the NEC, Birmingham. Frazer Watson, UK / Ireland Country Manager at iFollow, said: “As the logistics solutions and intralogistics technology event of the year, IMHX offers the perfect platform to promote the transformative benefits that mobile robots can bring to warehouses and fulfilment centres.”

The iFollow team invites visitors to the stands to discuss the latest agile automated intralogistics techniques involving AMRs. Suited to a broad range of applications, even in cold storage, iFollow’s mobile robots can assist order picking operations in sectors such as grocery, manufacturing and logistics. They have the flexibility to transport different storage units such as pallets, trolleys and roll cages – with a standout feature of being able to transport two roll cages at once in cold stores and ambient warehouses, making them an ideal productivity boosting solution for grocery logistics.

In addition, the robots can operate in temperatures from -25°C to +40°C without degradation of battery life, and their robust build happily withstands travel on rough floors. Being just 17cm high – approximately half as tall as of other AMRs – gives the iFollow robot a further advantage in reducing overall height when carrying roll cages.

Earlier this year, stow Group’s warehouse automation business unit acquired a majority stake in iFollow, which designs and manufactures 100% of its high quality AMRs in France.

 

Automation is pivotal to warehouse operations

Posted on by David Priestman

Relentless eCommerce trends continue to put tremendous strain on distribution and fulfilment operations worldwide. A new Honeywell report reveals once-predictable consumer demand cycles centred around holidays and “peak seasons” have given way to a model where any month, week or day can be a holiday.

Warehouse Automation: Future-Proofing the Global Economy, authored by Futurum Research, examines the importance of automation as an increasingly critical component in helping warehouse and distribution centre (DC) operators meet new escalation points in consumer demand.

“One of the biggest predictors of how a business will thrive in the hypercompetitive e-commerce and omnichannel marketplace is how well it improves its decision making in real time to make deliveries faster and more accurate,” said Keith Fisher, president of Honeywell Intelligrated. “With rising service level agreements dictating order fulfilment process improvements, automation can help bring stability, predictability and potentially unlock greater efficiency to their operations.”

The analysts at Futurum Research developed the report after sitting down with a group of industry leaders with deep, global experience in warehouse operations, automation technologies and systems implementation to hear first-hand of their experiences and thoughts on the future of warehouse automation. Three recommendations emerged from the interviews as businesses navigate challenges both present and future along their automation journey:

Focus on augmenting and securing, not replacing the worker. While the concept of a dark warehouse exists on the horizon, the reality today is that the future of warehouse and DC operations for the foreseeable future is one where workers and automation technologies are both needed and must co-exist.

Constantly challenge assumptions and technologies. The value of automation should not be limited to just automating existing takes or processes, it should be part of an overall strategy that addresses the issues of what tasks can be automated today while also asking what new tasks or processes might be possible tomorrow.

Invest with a long-term focus for both technologies and partners. In a static or slow growth market, the application of automation technologies to address specific short-term needs may make sense. However, the rapidly growing and evolving market of today requires a much longer focus and a more rigorous framework.

“While warehouses have historically had a sense of predictability in demand cycles, we found that in today’s warehouses and DCs, every day is as busy as peak,” said Shelly Kramer, principal analyst and founding partner of Futurum Research. “While we can assume the level of strain this has placed on supply chain and fulfilment operations, we were able to get a better grasp of how businesses are approaching this shift in consumer expectations and adopting the right automation to meet their long-term business goals.”

The report also explores how the ongoing pandemic, global trade issues and regional conflicts have created long-term disruptions to the historically predictable throughput and capacity of warehouses and DCs.

From concept and integration, Honeywell Intelligrated draws on its expanding portfolio and deep industry expertise to help warehousing, distribution and fulfilment companies optimise and manage their processes. The business offers integrated end-to-end automation solutions, warehouse execution systems and analytics solutions to improve throughput and keep workers safe.

CLICK HERE to download the report.

Invar website walks businesses through digitalisation

Posted on by David Priestman

Invar Group, a leading independent software developer and integrator of advanced warehouse automation, has launched a new website to help guide businesses through the complexities associated with warehouse upgrades and digitalisation projects, highlighting potential areas where advanced technologies can transform operational performance within the fulfilment or distribution centre.

The new format brings together valuable independent insights and technical information on the latest innovative technologies available to the market. As an independent integrator of warehouse technologies Invar Group is well positioned to offer an unbiased approach to finding the optimum 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. Our new website aims to help businesses explore the full range of technologies and options available to them – without fear of being limited to choices from a single manufacturer. And our ability to provide clients with the software, integration and controls elements of a project, all in-house and from within the UK, puts us in a strong position to bring together best of breed technologies in a seamless solution.”

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.

Invar Group has supplied systems to many of the world’s leading brands, such as: SuperDry, Games Workshop, Bentley, Coca Cola, and Nike. Examples of case studies on the new website include work carried out by Invar Group for major international brands SuperDry and Pets at Home – with further case studies in the pipeline.

Nord expands LogiDrive system

Posted on by David Priestman

Nord Drivesystems has expanded its successful LogiDrive concept with new markets and products to give additional applications access to the benefits of standardised, industry-optimised geared motor versions. With the new LogiDrive product family, the North German company offers a wide portfolio of perfectly matched drive solutions, which meet many different requirements and purposes – be it energy efficiency, version reduction, cost-effectiveness or flexibility.

LogiDrive is an energy-efficient, service-friendly and standardised modular system. Depending on the industry and objective, different Nord products are combined into one drive solution, which is 100% tailored to the respective industry standards and application requirements. The new extended LogiDrive solution space is intended for conveyor applications in the fields of post & parcel, airport and warehouse, and comprises one advanced version with IE5+ synchronous motor technology and a basic version with IE3 asynchronous motors.

While the LogiDrive advanced drives address issues such as energy efficiency, version reduction and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), the basic LogiDrive’s main focus is on cost efficiency.

Nord says all LogiDrive systems are efficient and extremely easy to maintain and install thanks to plug-and-play technology. The entire system has a modular design, so that all components of the drive technology can be individually serviced. This minimises maintenance and repair costs. All connections are made using simple plug connections while integrated maintenance switches and manual control switches ensure a high level of user-friendliness.

Nord also supplies the cables. Potential sources of error are thus eliminated, and commissioning is facilitated. The compact design saves space and is light in weight thanks to the aluminium housing. Thanks to the design of the motors used and the operation on the frequency inverter, the same motor variant can be universally used worldwide.

The new LogiDrive solution space comprises the following geared motor versions:

LogiDrive for post & parcel and airport

  • Advanced: IE5+ synchronous motor and two-stage helical bevel gear unit or DuoDrive plus NORDAC LINK frequency inverter installed close to the motor.
  • Basic: IE3 asynchronous motor, two-stage helical bevel gear unit and NORDAC FLEX frequency inverter

LogiDrive for warehouse

  • Advanced: IE5+ synchronous motor (ventilated or unventilated), two-stage helical bevel gear unit and NORDAC ON+ frequency inverter with integrated multi-protocol Ethernet interface
  • Basic: Fixed motor-inverter combinations consisting of IE3 asynchronous motor (87 Hz) and NORDAC ON frequency inverter with integrated multi-protocol Ethernet interface plus worm gear unit

The whole concept is designed for optimum performance, highest efficiency and best possible user-friendliness. Utilising the high overload capacity of the motors and the system’s wide adjustment range, all solutions are individually tailored to each customer and specifically designed for the system’s individual load range.

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