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Tag: warehouse automation

Gebhardt expands management

Posted on by David Priestman

The Gebhardt Intralogistics Group, headquartered in Sinsheim, Germany has welcomed two new members to the management team. This change is necessary to maintain strong company growth and meet the challenges of the market, optimally positioning the company for the future. Volker Nicolai has been appointed the new Managing Director of Sales and Service. Kevin Stadler will be responsible for Human Resources and Finances as Managing Director. With these positions, Gebhardt strengthens its current management consisting of Fritz and Marco Gebhardt and Reinhold Himmelhan.

Gebhardt Intralogistics Group has been on the market for 70 years and is proud of the many years of continuous growth. Fritz and Marco Gebhardt and Reinhold Himmelhan reflect happily on the successful past and made the company a reliable and innovative intralogistics provider.

Fritz and Marco Gebhardt explain the motivation behind the expansion: It was an important step “to ensure this development continues and to best position the company for the future, as well as to expand the market position further.”

Nicolai is no stranger to the company. He began his Gebhardt career in 1993, taking a short hiatus as Head of Project Management at ICM Airport Technics GmbH from 2005 – 2012. Since then, he has led the International Sales team.

“Gebhardt is more than just an employer to me. It is a long-standing connection, both professionally and personally. I am looking forward to the new task and am thankful for the trust they have put in me,” explains Nicolai, pleased about the new position as Managing Director of Sales and Service.

In December 2006, Stadler started his professional career at Gebhardt after successfully completing his industrial engineering degree at the University of Applied Sciences in Mannheim. Over the years, he has gained professional experience in many areas, primarily in controlling, finance, and human resources, and he looks forward to bringing his expertise to the management team. “In this position, I will do my part to ensure that Gebhardt continues to be at the forefront of intralogistics providers and remains an interesting, sought-after employer in the region and other locations,” comments Stadler.

“With Volker Nicolai and Kevin Stadler, we welcome two skilled professionals in their field and long-time employees to the management team. With this step, we are focusing on continuity and continued positive development. Intralogistics is facing great challenges, whose solutions we want to actively shape with the expanded management and the entire Gebhardt team,” Marco Gebhardt concludes.

Customer remains focal point for the future of intralogistics

Posted on by David Priestman

Over the past two years, many things have changed fundamentally in the industry, including purchasing and consumer behaviour. But this also means a door has opened for companies to walk through it and grab hold of new opportunities to optimize their business models. In the run-up to the recent LogiMAT event, Bernard Biolchini (pictured), Executive Vice President EMEA at Dematic, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of integrated automation technology, software and services for supply chain optimization, spoke about the new era.

Dematic believes it is key to understand that “the best way to help companies find the right opportunities is to constantly engage with their customers, working together and as closely as possible as they seek to fundamentally change their processes.

Q: Hello Mr. Biolchini. Dematic’s trade show presence this year is themed #bringiton. Can you briefly explain what this is all about?

Bernard Biolchini (BB): It means, mutatis mutandis, “We’re ready! Let’s embrace these new opportunities together!” We are sending a direct message to our customers: Let’s work together to take advantage of new opportunities that have cropped up over the last 24 months. Let’s stand together to tackle everything the industry faces in terms of new customer requirements, market conditions and technological issues.

Q: Sounds interesting, how did the new approach come about?

BB: We support our customers in every process, from a specific order to its delivery and while doing so, we engage in a dialog with them to better understand the logistics world from their perspective. Having in-depth conversations was an obvious outcome of the events of the last two or so years, where many parameters have undergone fundamental changes where there is no going back. That is why we have conducted extensive surveys and analysis. We have been talking about a new era lately, and we don’t just mean the industry, but all of Europe as well! It is no longer a luxury for companies here to just think about transformation, but a must for our customers to embrace automation and innovative technologies. Our answer: let’s work together to help you succeed in this new era.

Q: With what results?

BB: In our conversations with them, patterns began emerging. We began to identify opportunities to address new problems that had come up. Some may see them as challenges, but we see them as opportunities to make changes.

Q: Can you give some specific examples?

BB: Firstly, there is the potential of digitalization, particularly the growing importance of data- and cloud-based solutions. Our goal is to make our customers’ supply chains fit for the future through intelligent software and transparent data points. Data transparency is also key to another opportunity – meeting delivery deadlines by creating robust supply chains. Knowing which order is where, at any point in time, is a key building block of successful e-commerce businesses.

Q: What do you do when customers come to Dematic with disruptions in their supply chains?

BB: We bring together all of a customer’s data points. It ensures transparency, reliability and flexibility, but also the greatest possible planning security. In this context, the increasing uncertainty is not just about delivery deadlines, but also specific cost issues. It is the reason we want to be a constant and reliable partner for our customers and support them in optimizing their supply chains with autonomous picking systems, data-based solutions and intelligent software systems. Based on this view, we want to bring another opportunity to the table for discussion, which stems from our #bringiton campaign: efficient use of space. Spatially constrained warehouses in urban environments, for example, rely on high scalability of picking systems. Our multishuttle solutions or our Autostore systems can create real competitive advantages. However, the focal point for intralogistics of the future is not going to be on automation or digitalization. Most definitely not on technology implementation as such.

Q: Instead…?

BB: But if course on the customer! Understanding them and, in turn, their customers is the game changer for developing tomorrow’s technologies and solutions. It is precisely the focus of our thoughts and actions at Dematic. And so we are especially excited about LogiMAT 2022. We want to inspire our visitors with our new solutions, which we plan on presenting to them in an extraordinary way!

IFOY FINALIST FOCUS: Noyes Technologies

Posted on by David Priestman

We’ve reached the final category of our run-through of each of the IFOY Award nominated finalists ahead of the winners announcement on 30th June at BMW World. It’s the turn of Noyes Technologies, the first of three finalists in the Start-up of the Year category.

IFOY Category: Start-up of the Year

Noyes creates the innovative solution for a new kind of urban logistics that flexibly adapts to rapidly changing consumer behaviour. In the E- and Q-commerce (Quick commerce) sector, customers are demanding ever faster delivery times – evident in Gorillas and Flink, which advertise 10-minute delivery. However, the required warehouse space close to customers, especially in urban areas, is scarce and expensive. The particular challenge is to enable urban logistics while operating efficiently as well as economically.

The solution to this lies in a system that can seamlessly and flexibly adapt to urban conditions. This includes: Minimising warehouse space through optimal use of floor space and room height, low noise levels, flexibility and adaptability, 24/7 availability and high product density. All this is offered by the Noyes storage solution.

Noyes Nano Fulfillment is the smallest and fastest supply chain solution in close proximity to the customer. Noyes urban nano warehouse enables lightning fast delivery times at an affordable price. Fast pick times of only five to ten seconds per access save a lot of time compared to the manual process. In addition, the Noyes solution’s ability to compress up to 2000 SKUs into a 30 sq m warehouse enables it to transform any store space into fully automated, customised nano warehouses.

A special feature is the sustainable and energy-saving cooling system with different temperature zones, which is currently being developed in cooperation with a renowned cooling technology manufacturer. This cooling solution can be quickly and easily integrated into any Noyes warehouse. The system also offers unparalleled flexibility, thanks to the technology used and developed in-house: the plug-and-play system allows system expansions at any time – even during ongoing operation. At the same time, important software updates and information can be imported “over the air”.

The Noyes solution serves a wide range of application areas. These include E- and Q-commerce, food retail, postal services, medical and hospital as well as industrial applications. Especially in the area of Q- & E-commerce and food trade the company offers a modern and promising solution to face the growing challenges of dynamic and erratic consumer behaviour.

Innovation

Noyes Technologies revolutionises urban logistics with intelligent, fully automated nano warehouses that sustainably optimise processes and significantly reduce costs. Noyes warehouses are characterised by their highly flexible, uncomplicated and modular design. Based on this, the warehouses can be optimised for any floor plan. Unlike existing decentralised storage systems, no additional corridors are required for transport and access can be provided on any level. This saves storage space and thus enables integration into the urban environment.

Market relevance

The need for automation and better space utilisation in warehouse logistics has been growing for years. This growth was further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic in the e- and Q-commerce (quick commerce) sectors. While new sales and new customer records were set in e-commerce, especially by closed department stores and regular stores, Q-commerce grew to become a serious branch in the grocery supply sector. Providers such as Gorillas, Getir and Flink are not only the talk of the town due to the huge influx of capital from outside backers, but the promise of delivering groceries in less than ten minutes also made waves. Noyes Technologies’ ultra-dense and automated storage system allows customers in virtually all industries to benefit from significantly improved space utilisation. Customers in the e-commerce sector can use the storage solution in central warehouses to realise savings in the pick-and-pack process steps in particular, in addition to space savings. Also the Noyes solution significantly reduces the risk of picking errors and costly returns.

The Q-Commerce divisions face high rental costs with its cost-intensive city centre locations. In addition, customer orders must be assembled manually. The Noyes warehouse solves two problems here. The enormous density of the warehouse means that either the product range can be expanded, or existing space can be reduced, as aisles for pickers are no longer required. The number of pickers can also be reduced because the warehouse automates the movement of goods from inside the system to the pick location. The two factors play an important role in Q-Commerce vendors’ path to sustainable profitability.

The system is also relevant to other industries. Manufacturing companies can use the system to pre-buffer significantly more parts for picking on the shop floor. This results in a reduction of the delivery frequency within the plant, a better utilisation of space and the partial elimination of sequencing. Further use cases can be found in the healthcare sector, where the warehouse keeps medicines in hospitals, for example, protected from access and close to the patient.

Main customer benefits

Even the smallest areas can be automated by the innovative storage system from Noyes Technologies. While classic automated storage systems are offered from about 900 sq m, the Noyes Storage System can automate areas as small as ten square metres due to its modular design. The ability to store 2,000 SKUs (Stock-Keeping-Units) in an area of 30 sq m with a ceiling height of only two meters is unparalleled among competitors.

The combination of the warehouse’s enormous density with very fast access times of five to ten seconds per product enables customers to operate even with the highest demands on the warehouse system’s performance. The warehouse is modular, offering customers a highly flexible and scalable solution. It can be expanded on the fly and thus grows with customers’ needs, implementations of the warehouse are possible within a very short time (one to two days) due to the cloud-based management software and the non-requirement of ground anchoring or heavy current connections.

The innovative cooling system, which is being developed in conjunction with a renowned supplier of cooling systems, offers further advantages in addition to the highly flexible cooling of individual boxes. Seamless verification and documentation of the cold chain is achieved through sensor technology, thus ensuring greater safety and less food waste. The integration of the cooling system also follows the Noyes principle of simplest expansion and can be installed as well as integrated during existing operations without disrupting the existing flow.

With the addition of a pick robot, the overall system can be operated 24/7. Market access through same-day delivery or same-day pickup can thus be made possible for any partners and customers. This also ensures a reduction in inner-city parcel delivery volumes with classic delivery vehicles. Starting from the Nano Fulfillment Hubs, either end customers can pick up the product around the clock and according to their own time requirements. Alternatively, last-mile delivery providers use bicycles or e-bikes to bring the products to the end customers sustainably and with low emissions. In the future delivery bots will also handle the last-mile deliveries. Noyes Technologies thus actively contributes to sustainable urban development in addition to increasing efficiency for its customers.

Summary

Noyes Technologies offers the first robot-operated, ultra-dense, automated and highly flexible nano logistics system for urban logistics and any budget on the market. The goal is to create a new standard in nano fulfillment, enabling sustainable consumption for the global growing urban population.

The Noyes solution optimises logistics processes and reduces costs to the minimum necessary. The goal of Noyes Technologies is to solve complex problems sustainably through simple approaches: Noyes achieves this through the consistent application of first-principle thinking and a clear focus on reducing technology to what is necessary and additionally paying attention to a high degree of standardisation and modularisation.

IFOY Innovation Check

Market Relevance: Noyes offers compact and cost-effective storage systems close to the customer for e- and quick-commerce. In terms of storage density combined with high provisioning speed and flexibility, there are currently no comparable, economically applicable warehouse automation solutions in this segment. In addition, a nano warehouse can also be used in other industries such as food retail, postal services, medication warehouses or as a component warehouse in production. This suggests a very high market potential.

Customer Benefit: Customers benefit from minimising storage space, reducing delivery frequency and offering more products in the same space. At the same time, a high provision performance is achieved through automatic sorting according to access frequency. This is expected to double the picking performance and greatly reduce picking errors. The highly flexible modular design allows the realisation of any storage geometry in all three dimensions. In the near future, an efficient cooling system for refrigerated and frozen zones as well as a picking robot for automatic order picking will be offered.

Novelty: While the individual components and technologies used are not in themselves exceptional market novelties, their combination in the Noyes nano warehouse represents an innovation optimised for cost, packing density, speed, scalability, simplicity and robustness. Until now, automated warehouses that could be operated economically were not technologically available on the market in the segment of 10 to 300 square metres of floor space. The modular design allows entry at minimal investment costs with any future expandability during operation.

Functionality / Type of Implementation: The solution shown was technically convincing, can be set up by laymen, is implemented redundantly and, due to the simplicity of the chassis kinematics and the navigation solution, a long service life and robustness of the robots can be expected. The self-developed robots have a minimal overall height, reliably drive under the load carriers on every warehouse level and lift them slightly for transport to the loading and unloading balconies at the edge of the warehouse. The use of different box sizes is possible. The provisioning time of 10 seconds per load carrier could not yet be comprehensively tested on the test system.

Verdict: Noyes nano warehouses can offer economic automation from a footprint of 10 square metre, which is a novelty in the field of micro warehouses, together with other innovations such as highest storage density, high freedom in the form factor of the warehouse, high flexibility between storage density and performance, modularity, scalability, simplicity and minimal costs. This unique combination makes the solution highly attractive for the automation of local dark stores, not only in the fast-growing e- and quick-commerce market.

Market Relevance  ++

Customer Benefit ++

Novelty ++

Functionality / Type of Implementation ++

++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / – – not available

For an overview of all the finalists, visit www.ifoy.org

CLICK HERE to find out more about Noyes.

HAI Robotics attracts US$100 in financing

Posted on by David Priestman

HAI Robotics, a pioneer in Autonomous Case-handling Robot (ACR) systems for warehouse logistics, has received over US$100 million in a D+ round of financing. The lead investor is Capital Today, and co-investors include a top US dollar fund and existing shareholders including 5Y Capital, Source Code Capital, Sequoia Capital and 01VC.

This is the third round of financing it has obtained within the past 12 months.

Richie Chen, the company’s founder and CEO, said: “This round of financing will be spent on stepping up the R&D of warehousing logistics robotic systems and on global business expansion, to provide more efficient, intelligent and flexible products to power every warehouse with robots to address labour shortage and cope with the challenges brought by the aging population.”

Founded in 2016, HAI Robotics now has more than 500 projects globally and has offices in the US, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, serving customers from more than 30 countries and regions.

In an effort to make its warehouse automation solutions easily accessible to worldwide business operators, it has paired up with leading system integrators and players in the supply chain, such as MUJIN, MHS, BPS Global, Savoye, Zion Solutions Groups, Tompkins Robotics, Storage Solutions, as well as UK-based Invar System and Greece-based Voyatzoglou Systems.

In December 2021, the company opened its first demo centre in Silicon Valley, the US. The ACR system was presented for the first time in Europe by Savoye at Log!Ville, a demonstration centre that promotes innovative logistics solutions in Belgium. In March 2022, the first demo centre in Asia opened in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.

 

Wine store benefits from automated handling

Posted on by David Priestman

At The Park – the UK’s largest independent wine bottling and storage facility – the introduction of a fleet of automated reach trucks and Radioshuttle technology supplied by Toyota has improved throughput efficiency, reduced labour costs and helped to overcome the problems associated with the increasingly difficult task of attracting and retaining qualified and proficient forklift operators and other warehouse personnel.

Following a strategic review of its drinks, manufacturing and distribution facility in Bristol, Accolade Wines – a leading global wine-making company whose portfolio of market-leading brands includes such popular labels as Hardys, Echo Falls, Banrock Station and Kumala – set about reconfiguring the site as a fully-automated contract beverage production and packing unit.

Located at the mouth of the River Severn, the facility – which is now known as The Park – has been transformed into a fully automated operation capable of supporting future growth and reducing labour costs while delivering a complete drinks solution for the European beverage sector.

The Park’s General Manager, Richard Lloyd, comments: “This investment, coupled with others, has given us a phenomenal scale to offer a range of services to other drinks companies with whom we have synergies. By working in partnership with someone that can handle their logistics, packing and warehousing needs, our clients can focus their energy on creating brands. The Park, handles every aspect of their fulfillment operation.”

The extra volume provided by The Park has been welcomed by the UK and European drinks industry. “More than 40% of all the wine that arrives in Britain is estimated to be brought into the country in bulk tanks before bottling for the simple reason that it is possible to fit close to two and a half times the amount into a shipping container if the wine is stored in a bulk tank rather than bottles,” explains Richard Lloyd.

“With the UK’s existing contract bottlers either at, or close-to capacity and the amount of wine shipped this way only likely to increase, the arrival of The Park is good news for the beverage sector,” he adds.

Almost half of the total sum spent on redeveloping The Park was invested in automating key aspects of the site’s empty bottle storage system and upgrading the manually-operated reach truck fleet that serves the site’s high bay finished goods warehouse.

Toyota Material Handling planned and delivered the project and supplied the manual forklifts, VNA forklifts, automated reach trucks and the Radioshuttle technology that is at the heart of this ultra-efficient handling and storage solution.

Eight Toyota Radioshuttles operate within The Park’s high-density empty bottle storage system. The load carriers automatically place or retrieve palletised loads of empty glass wine (and, of course, other beverage) bottles within the racking. In simple terms, they shuttle pallets of bottles backwards and forwards within the racking, allowing them to be loaded and unloaded to and from the storage cube by the automated Toyota reach trucks in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) pattern. For optimum flexibility each shuttle can be moved between lanes within the racking as required.

In essence, palletised loads of empty glass bottles arrive at The Park from various suppliers on curtainsided lorries. The curtainsiders are unloaded using manually-operated counterbalance forklifts which deliver the pallets to an allocated drop-down position within the in-bound marshalling area. Once incoming pallets have been deposited within the goods-in zone an order is triggered and the fully automated reach trucks are sent to collect loads in a pre-arranged sequence and deliver the empty bottles to the in-bound face of the high-density rack system. Automated reach trucks place pallets on to one of the Radioshuttles which then delivers the pallet to its designated position within the storage system.

The empty bottles are stored in the high-density Radioshuttle system until such time as they are needed in the bottling plant, at which point an order is created for the type of SKU required and a Radioshuttle is instructed to retrieve an appropriate pallet and deliver it to the waiting automated reach truck. The automated reach truck delivers the empty bottles directly to The Park’s production area.

Once bottles have been filled, finished loads are taken from the bottling plant by the automated reach trucks and deposited P&D stations within the high bay finished goods store before being put-away by the Toyota VNA trucks.

One of the main drivers behind the decision to automate elements of the intralogistics process at The Park was the fact that companies across the European logistics sector are finding it increasingly tough to attract and retain qualified and proficient warehouse personnel –forklift operators in particular.

The automated reach trucks supplied by Toyota undertake every type of task that would be expected of traditional manually-operated models. Originally 26 Toyota RAE160 automated reach trucks were acquired for operation at The Park but such has been the success of the system and, with throughput rising at the site, a further three machines have been ordered. The trucks are part of Toyota’s Autopilot series of operator-free materials handling equipment that also includes counterbalanced trucks, powered pallet trucks and heavy-duty tow tractors.

Safety is a feature of all Autopilot products and, with built-in scanners and obstacle detection units preventing collisions, the machines can operate in the same area as manual workers and other materials handling equipment.

The trucks at The Park are controlled by Toyota’s in-house-designed Order Manager software. Capable of working as a standalone or communications layer with most WMS and production systems, Order Manager tracks goods storage, orders, traffic and flow.

In addition to the obvious saving in labour costs that opting for a fleet of automated reach trucks has delivered, other benefits include: reduced damage to goods, racking and trucks; greater picking accuracy; and more efficient use of the available storage space.

Given the scale and complexity of the project, integrating the Toyota AGVs and Radioshuttle units to The Park’s existing WMS and conveyor systems was challenging, as John Hobbs, Toyota Project Manager – Logistics Solutions, explains: “A lot of integration was required to automate what had originally been done manually. Several different systems had to be brought together and made to read and understand the messages that were being sent. In other words, we had to be sure that messages were going back and forth correctly between the client’s WMS and the system that controls the new hardware.”

The project went live in June 2021 and it is estimated that when the financial benefits accruing from the site’s improved throughput efficiency are added to the reduced cost of the wage bill that the automated handling technology delivers, The Park’s total annual cost saving will be extremely significant.

Richard Lloyd comments: “With automation costs decreasing and becoming more available with better paybacks, we were very aware of the importance of embracing the technology but, at the same time, we were also conscious of the need to invest wisely to ensure that our automated handling systems deliver maximum impact. We have to remain cost competitive and keep driving productivity forward, but won’t invest in automation that will become obsolete in three years’ time because demand has changed.”

Toyota’s John Hobbs adds: “The growing pressure to make the most of every square foot of storage capacity along with the fact that experienced workers are becoming increasingly difficult and costly to employ, means warehouse automation is now a highly attractive intralogistics option for companies across the beverage sector.

“As The Park demonstrates so clearly, automating those aspects of a wine warehouse’s operation that follow a predictable pattern makes a lot of sense – particularly since relatively recent developments in automation technology have seen the emergence of flexible and scalable products that deliver a rapid return-on-investment by driving productivity, saving costs and improving on-site safety.”

Toyota Material Handling has successfully delivered more than 270 automated projects featuring over 1,000 automated guided vehicles across Europe.

Female leadership at Witron

Posted on by David Priestman

Margaret Wilson (pictured) successfully manages a WITRON OnSite team with more than 100 staff members. She doesn’t need her own office: “I have a desk next to the conveyor system”, says the WITRON site manager with a smile.

Since 2018, she has been responsible for one of the largest US WITRON OnSite teams, which works at the logistics centre of grocery retailer Kroger in Tolleson, Arizona. The heart of the highly automated system is the OPM solution, which the retailer was the first customer worldwide to opt for in 2003.

“Office work alone wouldn’t make me happy; I need to be in direct contact with my colleagues – and, of course, with the technology.” She leads her team, is en route in the facility four to five times per week, and actively maintains the conveyor system and stacker cranes, including all components.

The distribution centre supplies more than 100 Kroger stores with a dry assortment of almost 9,000 products and “we can only master the daily exciting challenges as a team ”, explains the 55-year-old engineer. The WITRON employees in the logistics centre work four shifts, 24 hours a day, and 363 days a year. The site manager served many years in the US Army as a combat engineer, maintenance supervisor, and unit movement officer.

“There, I learned a lot of logistics, but most of all responsible leadership. You have to trust people. In the Army, I served teams with people coming from all walks of life.”

In the logistics centre, more than 100 WITRON experts ensure that the mechanics and IT run permanently with maximum availability around the clock and that the goods leave the warehouse on time. This is because WITRON, as a lifetime partner, sells a delivery service to the customer, and Margaret Wilson and her OnSite team ensure that the technology keeps the promise made, day in and day out.

“We have IT specialists, electricians, and spare parts experts,” reports the manager. When she started, there was one woman on her team. Today, 15% of the workforce is female. One female colleague also manages her own team,” emphasises Margaret.

Do women lead differently? Wilson agrees. “I think, women tend to lead more collaboratively, take up ideas from the team, and don’t always have to know everything down to the technical detail. That might differentiate us from some men who think that if they are the boss, they have to show it, and have to be able to answer every question on their own. I think that is not absolutely necessary. Getting people to work together, creating a powerful team, that’s our most important job as a leader.”

For Margaret, a good leader is first and foremost a person whom the team trusts in and who gives confidence. “I can’t be directly on the front line for every shift or every repair, or maintenance call. I have to manage resources, keep the system running, and develop my team members professionally and personally.”

But where do women and men learn good leadership? In the military, according to Margaret, but also in sports clubs or church groups. “You have to practice over and over again. It will not come automatically.”

Her career in the military is still unusual, and even in the US, society is debating job opportunities for women in traditionally male professions. “Logistics for many Americans still means men with big muscles carrying packages. But logistics today is also mostly a head thing, and we need a lot of women there, too.”

She has made a lot of good experiences with the Kroger management, she said because they also have many women in management positions.

“When I started at WITRON back then, the customer’s concern was not that I was a woman, but that I was a rookie and had no direct experience with the processes in a logistics centre,” remembers Margaret and laughs. “I’m sure the WITRON bosses were a little nervous at first, too”, she jokes.

“They trusted me but were afraid that some of the gentlemen on the team might not accept me.” So? “The team wanted a competent leader who was motivated and committed, and, of course, had the technical knowledge. I was that leader, and that’s who I still am. After a week, I had arrived.”

Margaret is confident. “You have to believe in yourself and your abilities.” The site manager is certain: Despite rise of automation, employees are still and oftentimes become even more important. The shortage of skilled workers is omnipresent. “The logistics centre is a great place to be if you like technology and people like I do.”

CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast of Margaret Wilson

 

“The focal point of intralogistics remains the customer”

Posted on by David Priestman

Over the past two years, many things have changed fundamentally in the industry, including purchasing and consumer behaviour. But this also means a door has opened for companies to walk through it and grab hold of new opportunities to optimise their business models. In the run-up to LogiMAT, held recently in Stuttgart, we spoke to Bernard Biolchini, Executive Vice President EMEA at Dematic, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of integrated automation technology, software and services for supply chain optimisation, about the new era.

Dematic believes it is key to understand that “the best way to help companies find the right opportunities is to constantly engage with their customers, working together and as closely as possible as they seek to fundamentally change their processes.

Q: Dematic’s trade show presence this year is themed #bringiton. Can you briefly explain what this is all about?

A: It means, mutatis mutandis, “We’re ready! Let’s embrace these new opportunities together!” We are sending a direct message to our customers: Let’s work together to take advantage of new opportunities that have cropped up over the last 24 months. Let’s stand together to tackle everything the industry faces in terms of new customer requirements, market conditions and technological issues.

Q: How did the new approach come about?

A: We support our customers in every process, from a specific order to its delivery and while doing so, we engage in a dialog with them to better understand the logistics world from their perspective. Having in-depth conversations was an obvious outcome of the events of the last two or so years, where many parameters have undergone fundamental changes where there is no going back. That is why we have conducted extensive surveys and analysis. We have been talking about a new era lately, and we don’t just mean the industry, but all of Europe as well! It is no longer a luxury for companies here to just think about transformation, but a must for our customers to embrace automation and innovative technologies. Our answer: let’s work together to help you succeed in this new era.

Q: With what results?

A: In our conversations with them, patterns began emerging. We began to identify opportunities to address new problems that had come up. Some may see them as challenges, but we see them as opportunities to make changes.

Q: Can you give some specific examples?

A: Firstly, there is the potential of digitalisation, particularly the growing importance of data- and cloud-based solutions. Our goal is to make our customers’ supply chains fit for the future through intelligent software and transparent data points. Data transparency is also key to another opportunity – meeting delivery deadlines by creating robust supply chains. Knowing which order is where, at any point in time, is a key building block of successful e-commerce businesses.

Q: What do you do when customers come to Dematic with disruptions in their supply chains?

A: We bring together all of a customer’s data points. It ensures transparency, reliability and flexibility, but also the greatest possible planning security. In this context, the increasing uncertainty is not just about delivery deadlines, but also specific cost issues. It is the reason we want to be a constant and reliable partner for our customers and support them in optimising their supply chains with autonomous picking systems, data-based solutions and intelligent software systems. Based on this view, we want to bring another opportunity to the table for discussion, which stems from our #bringiton campaign: efficient use of space. Spatially constrained warehouses in urban environments, for example, rely on high scalability of picking systems.

Our multishuttle solutions or our Autostore systems can create real competitive advantages. However, the focal point for intralogistics of the future is not going to be on automation or digitalisation. Most definitely not on technology implementation as such.

Q: So, what is the focal point?

A: But of course on the customer! Understanding them and, in turn, their customers is the game-changer for developing tomorrow’s technologies and solutions. It is precisely the focus of our thoughts and actions at Dematic. And so we are especially excited about LogiMAT. We want to inspire our visitors with our new solutions, which we plan on presenting to them in an extraordinary way!

IFOY FINALIST FOCUS: Pallet Classification System from SICK

Posted on by David Priestman

The next in our look at all of the IFOY Award nominated finalists ahead of the winners announcement on 30th June at BMW World is a focus on the PACS (Pallet Classification System) from SICK.

IFOY Category: Special of the Year

Description

SICK’s deep learning-based pallet identification system PACS is used for automated recognition of pallet types. The automated recognition simplifies the process of automatically tagging different pallet types and can be easily integrated in many locations due to its compact design and small footprint.

The hardware of the system consists of two colour cameras for image acquisition, a light barrier array for triggering, and a controller for processing the data and executing the trained neural network. Optionally, other SICK sensors (e.g. barcode scanners) can be integrated to realize additional tasks.

The software tools SICK Appspace and dStudio enable image recording, training, classification and execution of the trained network even without in-depth knowledge of programming or machine learning. Optionally, further SICK sensors can be integrated, which can take over additional tasks..

Innovation
Unlike conventional image processing solutions, the use of deep learning technology in the SICK solution does not require detailed programming knowledge, as the system learns from concrete examples. This has enabled SICK to make pallet identification comparatively simple for the customer. Where the use of trained neural networks would normally require in-depth machine learning knowledge, SICK developed dStudio, a training software that includes a guided process flow. This has made it possible to reduce the large number of setting options of conventional solutions to a minimum. This simplification allows users to focus on their specific application – and not on the technology.

In interaction with SICK Appspace and SICK’s know-how in the field of sensor applications, the deep learning-based pallet identification system was developed – a complete solution with maximum customer benefit from a single source..

Market relevance
Customers from various industries lose a lot of money every year because deposit pallets are incorrectly assigned in incoming goods. The SICK system helps them avoid losses, save resources, and significantly increase their process quality. A previously resource-intensive and error-prone manual process can be automated in this way. Higher reliability, increased efficiency, and transparency are just some of the benefits ensured by pallet identification from SICK.

With this innovative solution, customers from all industries and across all sectors can optimize their pallet handling and relieve the strain on their incoming goods resources.
Moreover, the market may be significantly larger from the user’s point of view: The technologies used not only lend themselves to pallet type identification applications but can also offer significant benefits in many other areas.

Main customer benefits
The advantages of deep learning-based pallet identification PACS are evident in the creation, deployment and maintenance of the solution.

Time and complexity can be saved in the creation of the solution compared to the use of traditional image processing. By using trained neural networks, it is possible to identify the branding of pallet types with a high success rate, even if the quality is subject to large deviations. These deviations are taken into account in the training process and are learned, thus increasing the robustness of the evaluation.

The use of the solution not only enables an increase in efficiency and throughput, but also an increase in process quality and traceability. Employees are relieved and can concentrate on processes with higher added value.

The space-saving design means that the system can also be integrated in tight assembly positions. The use of standard sensor technology makes maintenance and servicing of the system very cost-effective.

Summary

One of SICK’s customers was faced with the problem that its employees in goods receipt had to manually determine whether incoming pallets belonged to a pallet pool and were pawned accordingly. Until now, this was an additional task in goods receiving that was resource-intensive and error-prone.

With deep learning-based pallet identification PACS (Pallet Classification System) from SICK, customers are given the opportunity to automate a previously laborious and manual process based on a modular kit of hardware and software.

The building block is based on SICK Appspace and dStudio. Appspace is an innovative approach for the realization of powerful apps on SICK sensors, dStudio is a web-based tool for the classification of images based on artificial neural networks, which can be used on SICK sensors. The construction kit can also be used for other tasks in the field of image processing.

IFOY TEST REPORT

Is it a Euro, a Chep, a UIC or perhaps a completely different pallet? Wrong deposit pallets, which are wrongly regarded as “real” deposit pallets at goods receipt and are accepted without complaint, cost companies thousands of euros every year. The PACS application from Sick now wants to put an end to this by enabling the automatic deposit of different pallet types.

PACS – this acronym stands for “Pallet Classification System”, i.e. a recognition system that uses images to identify the type of pallet. Four pictures of the pallet feet are necessary for this, the fifth picture is taken from above and shows what is on the pallet. The whole thing is usually integrated into the stationary conveyor system directly in the goods receiving area; for the test setup in Dortmund, a Sick employee still had to manually feed the incoming pallet onto the camera technology for demonstration purposes. The aim of the event is to provide companies from industry and trade with full transparency in goods receiving and consequently in the flow of goods. Because wrong deposit pallets cost companies a lot of money.

Until now, employees had to manually determine whether a pallet was “good” or “bad” when it entered the factory gate – an additional task that was error-prone and resource-intensive. With the PACS deep-learning pallet identification system, customers are given the opportunity to automate this process on the basis of a modular system of hardware and software. The financial aspect is the direct benefit of this classification system. But there is also an indirect effect, in fact several, that make this solution so interesting. Because incorrect pallets in the system also lead to damage and expensive downtimes of the conveyor system more often than average. Another, even more valuable aspect is more transparent processes by connecting the goods to the load carrier. And finally, no specialised personnel is required to operate the PACS system.

How does PACS work? The hardware of the system consists of one or more cameras with which the images for the system are taken, a light barrier arrangement for triggering and a controller for processing the recorded data and for executing the trained neural network. Even without in-depth knowledge of programming or machine learning, the software tools AICK Appspace and dStudio enable image recording, training, classification and execution of the trained network. Optionally, even further Sick sensors can be integrated, which can take over additional tasks. No programming knowledge is required because the system learns from concrete examples. In this way, Sick was able to make pallet identification comparatively simple for its customers.

Because Sick uses trained neural networks for its solution, the brandings of the individual pallet types can be recognised with a high success rate – even if their quality is subject to large deviations. The training process takes these deviations into account, learns them and thus increases the robust evaluation. Due to its space-saving design, the PACS system can also be integrated in narrow assembly positions. Because Sick uses standard sensor technology for its solution, the system is very cost-effective to maintain and service.

IFOY Test Verdict

With an estimated 500 million Euro pallets in circulation, not to mention the other types, the savings potential through PACS is in the tens of millions. But also companies that regularly use, for example, mesh pallets or small load carriers in their intralogistics can use PACS. The application range of the very reliable pallet classification system covers a broad spectrum: retail, freight forwarding, automotive, mechanical engineering and many other industries.

IFOY INNOVATION CHECK

Market relevance: Given the enormous quantity of goods of all kinds handled on different types of pallets, the Pallet Classification System from Sick is expected to have a very high market relevance. Optimising pallet handling can be beneficial in many areas for a large number of customers. The savings potential in terms of the automation of a former manual work process and the controlled labelling lead us to expect a high level of interest.

Customer benefit: Users ultimately benefit from the cost savings. Pallets do not have to be recorded manually when goods are received and can be automatically recognised and classified with the system. Deposit pallets can be assigned with high accuracy, which brings further cost-saving potential for companies. The expandability of the artificial neural network (ANN)-based system with regard to defect detection should also be emphasised. Faulty pallets can be detected in time, which allows one to take action before subsequent work processes and avoid possible downtimes.

Novelty: Image processing by means of ANNs is not new in itself, but here in practical application it represents an innovative solution for pallet classification. The system is well equipped for the future and can be extended for new pallet types up to the digital pallet (e.g. iPAL). Additional characteristic data can be integrated into the registration and passed on for the customer-specific systems.

Functionality / type of implementation: The system appeared very well implemented and can be flexibly positioned on the conveyor system. The image capture is limited to the lateral capture of the pallet. The detection accuracy depends on the trained ANN in the system, which can be retrained at any time, e.g. for new pallet types.

Verdict: The Pallet Classification System from SICK is undoubtedly a nominee for the IFOY AWARD that promises high savings potential for many areas.

market relevance ++
customer benefit ++
novelty +
functionality / type of implementation +
[++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / – – not available]

For an overview of all the finalists, visit www.ifoy.org

CLICK HERE to find out more about SICK.

BotsAndUs releases “seminal” white paper

Posted on by David Priestman

“The use of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies allows warehouses to become better at managing and performing a multitude of tasks, improve the operational efficiency by huge margins. They have real-time data transfer, flexible communication, and Big Data analytics. These, along with the cloud-based solution, enable automated, sophisticated, and agent-based control.”

These are the insights shared by British AI, Data and Robotics company BotsAndUs in its seminal White Paper –  Robotics And Automation: A Revolution In Logistics And Warehouse Management – that clearly lays out the business case for the use of AI and robotics solutions in logistics and warehouse management.  As the industry knows at a great cost, limited visibility of the goods’ journey affects every step and stakeholder within the supply chain. Robotics and AI introduce a total visibility of the good’s journey, together with cost-efficiencies, improvements in processes and optimisation of operations.

In recent years, the logistics and warehouse markets have experienced unprecedented growth. This was mostly driven by the surge in e-Commerce in response to the pandemic and restrictions, as well as by the industry’s need for efficient warehousing, inventory management and real time data to deliver efficiencies and cost savings. Across the supply chain there are challenges in stock changes, shortages in workforce, issues with deliveries and a rise in overall costs. In addition, billions of pounds are lost annually due to the lack of real time data on warehouse operations and crucial logistics nodes.

Coupled with other major concerns that include the ability to quickly identify and act on problems in the warehouse, logistics and wider supply chain early on, it is easy to see why the industry is looking for solutions.

BotsAndUs is a London-based data-driven technology company using artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and robotics. It is transforming the logistics industry through automation and real time digitisation of assets. Its White Paper explains the technology and allays the concerns – and myths – that are worrying operators of logistics and warehouses in the UK.

Oana Jinga, BotsAndUs Co-Founder commented on the White Paper, saying: “The release of our White Paper – Robotics And Automation: A Revolution In Logistics And Warehouse Management – coincides with an increased demand from the industry for practical and cost-effective solutions. At first glance, it would appear that the only way for companies to ease these pressures will be to introduce big changes to the way they operate along the supply chains.

“However, we know that automation in logistics and warehousing present immediate solutions and immense opportunities for early adopters in terms of more efficient processes and space optimisation, regardless of the size of their operations.”

Andrei Danescu, CEO and Co-founder continued: “At BotsAndUs, we are pioneers in this industry and we are building the next generation of AI and robotics technology to help organisations harness the power of real-time data and become more efficient in driving their operations. We have developed autonomous technology that works alongside logistics and warehouse employees. The technology focuses on data capturing and automation through fleets of autonomous robots that scan the entire warehouse, building up data for a digital twin for real-time analysis and insights on storage of goods in warehouse space.

“This then feeds into optimisation programmes. There is no workflow disruption at any stage. The data-gathering robot accelerates productivity, reduces unnecessary time spent processing and tracking and allows businesses to drive better business decisions.”

The White Paper features a clear explanation of this technology and how it can be delivered across the logistics and warehouse operations. The White Paper may be collected/retrieved from the BotsAndUs stand #8045 at Multimodal.

BotsAndUs uses artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and robotics to transform the logistics industry through automation and real time digitisation of assets. Founded in 2015, its state-of-the-art robotics and AI products combine social sciences with human-centred design and cutting-edge engineering. Mim, its fully autonomous mobile and modular robot measures, tracks and finds goods across warehouses without workflow disruption and provides real time data at every stage of the process.

Game-changing intralogistics technologies at IMHX 2022

Posted on by David Priestman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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