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Tag: warehouse automation

AMR choice: the difference is quality

Posted on by David Priestman

Frazer Watson, UK – Ireland Country Manager at AMR designer and manufacturer iFollow, examines the quality differentiator when it comes to choosing an Autonomous Mobile Robot solution.

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are rapidly building a reputation for being a smart, flexible and productive intralogistics transport solution. At a time of increasingly scarce labour, AMRs can be deployed to work in cooperation with staff, enabling manufacturing, warehouse, fulfilment and distribution centre operations to redeploy personnel resources from simple transport duties to where they can be most productive – such as picking orders into roll cages or onto pallets being carried by the robots.

These facilities are often demanding environments for materials handling equipment. The surfaces on which AMRs travel are not always the smoothest and they are often full of static obstructions such as racking, shelving, conveyors as well as mobile ones like forklift trucks. Mobile robots can rack up significant mileages through a typical year in these environments, working long shifts carrying loads up to the unit’s capacity.

The combination of these factors is why, like any item of materials handling equipment, quality build and robustness are vital characteristics for an AMR – not only to ensure a longer lifespan for the unit, but also to minimise downtime due to repairs.

There and numerous predictions for AMR market growth through the coming decade and while there are many lower cost units that will have limited uses, market growth will be boosted as the limitations that preclude many units from broader applications are being overcome by higher quality mobile robots, such as those from iFollow.

Increased payload capabilities up to 1.3 tonnes will give mobile robots the potential to carry out tasks such as moving barrels or pallets of paint cans. This is just one example of how improving AMR capabilities will broaden their possible deployment. The ability to work between different temperatures, which can risk strain on internal components, is another. Moving between temperature zones from as cold as -25°C to as warm as +40°C, in constrained environments, presents more of a challenge for mobile robot technology than many may realise. In iFollow mobile robots, for example, the temperatures of the key electronic components are regulated by a servo system completely developed by our teams. Thus, the absence of condensation is ensured, even when moving from a very cold environment to a temperate space.

As the number of mobile robot brands and models available on the market increases customer choice, the quality of the design and build is set to be a crucial differentiator. While many mobile robots look similar on the outside there remains a great deal of difference when it comes to quality. And this should be a prime consideration when choosing the right model for applications in which the AMR is to be deployed. The long-term success of an operation will depend on the AMR having the reliability and capability to maximise uptime and maintain flow through a warehouse or production facility.

Check that the AMR has all the required registration and certification. Buying a fleet of a couple of hundred mobile robots, for example, without certification is a huge risk. Has the machine been through a quality process? Is it CE certified? Does it meet the latest standards that are in force for the region where it is being used? What about support – can parts be supplied locally for quick response?

A supplier that both designs and manufactures its own AMRs, as well as providing the supporting software, can better respond to customer problems with solutions adapted to their particular needs. It will be able to tune the mobile robot solution to the application – for example adapting the lifting platform to the needs of the application. This ability often allows a supplier to adapt a single type of robot to fulfil a customer’s entire needs.

iFollow operates in the food, industrial, pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetic, logistics and mass distribution sectors, which all operate busy, fast moving facilities. The company made the strategic choice to design and manufacture its own autonomous mobile robots – which are all guaranteed – and fully develops its own navigation and fleet management algorithms. Mobile robots are a relatively new technology that is rapidly gaining momentum as a means to gain competitive edge – from grocery retail logistics to industrial manufacturing. Seeking out premium machines that are designed for use in intense, constrained environments and repeated use over time will ultimately deliver greater value for the end user.

Dematic brings interactive stand to LogiMAT

Posted on by David Priestman

Dematic is putting customers and their requirements front and centre at its trade show appearance in Stuttgart, transforming its stand into a unique customer experience at the upcoming LogiMAT, May 31 to June 2. For an interactive trade show experience, the company will unveil 15 showcases where innovation can be experienced live with the help of 3D configurations, 360° tours and augmented reality. This approach allows specific and fully automated warehouse solutions to be visualised, tested and remotely controlled on site.

Under a new slogan, #bringiton, Dematic plans to encourage stand visitors and customers to use new material flow solutions to benefit from opportunities that achieve a competitive advantage. Dematic aims to address current challenges customers in intralogistics are facing, thereby demonstrating how it is a premier partner to deliver the most suitable solutions. The two-story Dematic booth is located in Hall 1 at Booth B37.

“Customer experience is Dematic’s top priority at LogiMAT. In an ongoing dialogue with customers, we want to understand their requirements from the entire intralogistics value chain so that we can help strengthen their competitiveness over the long term with innovative solutions customised to their exact needs,” explains Bernard Biolchini, Executive Vice President (EVP) EMEA at Dematic. The company has identified key challenges the industry is currently facing, such as overcoming staff shortages and space constraints, achieving reliable delivery times despite shortages in raw materials, planning reliability for project costs, changing consumer behaviour and further digitalisation initiatives.

The Dematic executive added: “Over the last two years, many operating parameters have changed and they require new thinking and a deep understanding of our customers’ needs.  At LogiMAT we want to captivate our visitors with new approaches and present them in an extraordinary way.”

Biolchini also mentioned that customers will also have an opportunity to meet many of the executives from the EMEA region, which underwent a new alignment in early 2022 to better meet local customer needs with Dematic’s global experience.

Visitors to the Dematic stand can obtain information and exchange ideas as they normally do, but they can also demo new products on-site.  Notes Dr. Jens Hardenacke, the managing director at Dematic Central Europe: “Our guests will not only be able to see our solutions on product displays, but they can also experience them ‘live’ in innovative ways.”

Thus, visitors have an opportunity to first illustrate their individual automation project in a 3D view and then to operate it live. They can use virtual reality goggles for remote machine maintenance as one example of how the concept translates.

“I am looking forward to showing in a more interactive way how Dematic can support customers from start to finish in terms of their automation journey with our broad set of advanced applications that feature both the best technology options on the market and demonstrate our ability to meet the specific needs of various industries we serve,” explains Hardenacke.

In addition to ground-breaking e-commerce solutions, mixed case fulfilment, pallet storage and mobile automation, Dematic also plans to unveil its new visual remote inspection service for intralogistics equipment at the show. It can significantly reduce the time and effort required for maintenance but without compromising quality. Regular safety checks and visual inspections can be accomplished with the help of drones. Dematic will be conducting live drone flights at its German headquarters in Heusenstamm – near Frankfurt – at LogiMAT. Dematic also plans to demonstrate the use of a digital twin for predictive maintenance.

“With a digital twin, we can also perform a software health check with interactive dashboards, digital showcases and VR applications, which helps reduce time and costs for the customer during maintenance,” says Hardenacke.

 

Continental premieres AMRs at LogiMAT

Posted on by David Priestman

Continental will present for the first time in public its Autonomous Mobile Robots for the external market at the LogiMAT 2022, the international intralogistics tradeshow, from May 31 to June 2 in Stuttgart, Germany (hall 2, booth number EF15).

After an internal test phase in Continental production locations worldwide, the AMRs are now ready for the external market entry with improved and new features as well as the handling of new use cases. Building on the company’s years of extensive research in the robotics field, Continental is including these solutions now into its product portfolio in the newly established area of Continental Mobile Robots.

“We are pleased to confirm that from now on volume production of the AMRs has started in Continental’s Rheinböllen plant in Germany with the first external customer projects slated to be delivered,” says Pierre Pomper, Head of Autonomous Mobile Robots at Continental. “Continental complements its in-house capabilities with a partner ecosystem of technology leaders Kinexon and ROEQ to provide customers a leading edge AMR solution out of one hand.”

Since 2020, Continental’s AMRs have been successfully deployed at several own production locations worldwide. The company built its Autonomous Mobile Robots in-house to meet the demands and challenges of the future factory, since such a solution was not readily available in the market. The experience gained has now been incorporated into the AMR version for the external market.

Due to the load density, the electric vehicles are as small and compact as possible, but can carry very heavy weights. With measurements of only 1,455mm, 630mm and 225mm (l/w/h), the AMRs can carry significant loads up to 1.2 tonnes at a speed of up to 2m/s. Thus, they are versatile, while also being maximally manoeuvrable. Increased torque, shorter turning radius, optimised sensor coverage, improvements to its lifting mechanism design and accessibility of controls as well as the easy equipment for the transport of carts, pallets and top rollers are additional features.

Customers can benefit from a partnership between Continental and Kinexon. The fleet management software of Kinexon which is offered optionally turns an AMR fleet into an intelligent and perfectly coordinated swarm. The creation of orders and routes as well as the management of the AMRs will become much easier and more standardised (e.g., using the VDA5050 protocol).

“We developed a reliable and scalable fleet management software in collaboration with Continental, which increases the flexibility and performance of our customers AMR fleets. Additionally, we offer an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) system for connecting relevant things of the material flow such as AMRs. Our holistic fleet management software combines this information in real time to optimise supply chains, material flow and industrial automation even more,” says Dr. Alexander Hüttenbrink, Managing Director at Kinexon.

Continental is able to offer its AMRs with different top modules. Customers can choose between cart/rack and lifting unit use cases. Due to the close collaboration with ROEQ, a leading expert for robotic equipment, Continental can now also offer top roller modules, for transferring loads between AMRs and conveyors. The number of options offered is what makes Continental’s offering so unique. At LogiMAT, an AMR with top roller module from ROEQ will be shown as a world premiere.

“We are excited to team up with a strong partner like Continental,” says Michael E. Hansen, Managing Director at ROEQ. “We are on a path of significant growth and I am convinced that our collaboration will provide customers with a wider choice of better and more robust solutions to meet their logistic challenges.”

The AMRs are an attractive shopfloor logistics solution for several industries including logistics and warehousing, automotive, food and beverage as well as electrical and electronics. They work hand-in-hand with humans, reduce manual activities such as driving forklift trucks, speed up transport and provide an accurate overview of shopfloor inventory and its storage location. Continental offers everything from a single source, which is not quite common in the market and a big benefit for the customers: From consulting, sales, integration, service and support to maintenance contracts and a 24-hour support – everything out of one hand.

Fish retailer benefits from automated solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Fresh fish and e-commerce – how does that work? Víctor Escancianon (pictured), Director of Logistics + IT at Spanish food retailer Condis, explains how he gets people to shop in his supermarkets and how he supplies them at home via efficient omni-channel concepts.

At first glance, the Spanish retail market is characterised by huge companies such as Mercadona, Carrefour, or Lidl. But in the regions and large cities, medium-sized retailers have been very successful by setting themselves apart from the competition with their proximity to the customer, special services, and special, regional products. This demands new responses from logistics experts.

“Condis has been on the market for 60 years, and generations of families from Barcelona have shopped there”, explains Escanciano, who is responsible for logistics and IT at Condis. The medium-sized company is mainly located in Catalonia. “We convince our customers with freshness”, is Escanciano’s promise. The name Condis doesn’t stand for huge supermarkets, but rather for many smaller stores in the customers’ actual neighbourhood.

“That’s why click&collect is currently not a top priority for Condis,” explains Alberto García Pardo, who, as Key Account Manager at Witron, has been successfully supporting customers on the Iberian Peninsula with the design and implementation of automation projects for more than 15 years. Together with Víctor Escanciano, the Witron engineer optimises the logistics processes of Condis.

Innovative and advanced logistics and order picking technology

But the classic “e-commerce business” is growing. “Covid 19 has given momentum to the channel,” Escanciano looks back. Condis has been active in the online business since 2000 already. “This topic is gaining importance in urban areas. Meanwhile, we have more than 500 orders per day in Barcelona. And we are making money, too.”

For him, e-commerce must come from one source – from logistics to the driver. Nevertheless, he still sees e-commerce more as a service for the customers. “People will always come to the store to convince themselves of the product quality or to get ideas for the meal. But we also see that customers quickly order a chicken or a bottle of wine in the evening. These are the people returning from work, who find an empty refrigerator, and need an express order,” the logistics manager laughs.

“But they also come back to the supermarket on the weekend to buy fresh specialties.” There is no way around an omni-channel strategy for retailers. Escanciano would know because Condis merged the responsibilities of logistics and IT. “Everything that belongs to e-commerce is a logistics issue.”

The automated omni-channel logistics centre in Montcada i Reixac near Barcelona plays a special role. More than 670 supermarkets in Catalonia region – operated independently or by franchisees – are currently supplied with over 3,100 different dry products. “At Condis, we use innovative and advanced logistics and order picking technology to ensure maximum service quality for our stores and online customers, and to achieve maximum cost efficiency.”

Ergonomics plays a central role

Due to the permanent growth as well as the solution’s high cost-efficiency and flexibility, Condis decided in 2017 to expand the fully automated OPM system that was originally implemented by Witron in 2013 from six to eight COM machines during ongoing operation. The existing automated small parts warehouse was also expanded to 172,000 tray storage locations with 17 stacker cranes. An additional depalletiser and a second automated stretch-wrapper have been added, as well. Now, the system can pick more than 90,000 cases on a peak day in a store-friendly and error-free manner.

Small-volume items are picked in the DPS tote picking system according to both the goods-to-person and the person-to-goods principles. Depending on the order structure, the items are provided in the pick front in a permanent manner or on-demand, thus enabling constant optimisation of the pick front.

The replenishment of the picking aisle is exclusively system-controlled, using stacker cranes, which are also used for the return of products currently not required for picking. The classification of the product structure is permanently verified and adapted by DPS. Based on the static and dynamic provision of the stored goods, the walking distances of the employees are reduced by up to 75%. “Ergonomics plays a central role in all processes,“ explains Víctor Escanciano.

The DPS system used at Condis consists of a one-aisle AS/RS with 5,100 tote locations. Employees working at three pick workstations are guided by a pick-by-light system and pick the items directly from the storage tote into the customer order tote. “DPS is the ideal system for us to pick small-volume items in a semi-automatic manner on a minimum floor space with high throughput,” says Escanciano.

Cases are picked using the patented Witron OPM / COM system, enabling a fully automated product handling from receiving through to dispatch, with almost no human intervention. With the COM technology, order pallets/order roll containers are built in a fully automated manner. Rather than gripping the product, the COM pushes the items exactly to the position on the order pallet/roll container that was calculated by the system based on a stacking algorithm.

The entire process is monitored via sensor technology, ensuring maximum availability. The products are gently carried and pushed during the complete process, as conventional gripper technologies limit the scope of goods that can be picked automatically.

The system, including the manual areas, has a size of 31,700 sq m. The automated logistics area covers a size of almost 4,700 sq m. As a general contractor, Witron was responsible for the design and implementation of all material flow, IT systems (WMS and MFC), control systems (PLC), and mechanical components. All conveyor system elements and stacker cranes were designed and produced by Witron. A Witron on-site team with 12 employees ensures a 24/7 availability of the logistics system and takes care of all service and maintenance tasks.

“Automation in the dry goods area has provided numerous benefits – both economically and ecologically,” explains Escanciano. But why doesn’t Condis also rely on automated warehouse logistics in the temperature-controlled areas? “In fresh produce, we operate a completely different business model,” says Escanciano. García agrees: “This is due to the special business processes at Condis as we also implement many fresh and frozen automation projects in Spain and across the globe. More than 35% of our OPM installations are temperature-controlled.”

Data-driven logistics and machine learning

And the e-commerce business? “We have opened two new, smaller warehouses and supply them efficiently and on-demand through our automated central warehouse. It is a classic fulfilment business. And we continue to invest. The two warehouses were no interim solution due to Covid 19.” That sounds like growth in other regions, too. Escanciano denies: “There, you can only grow through acquisitions. That’s not our strategy. We focus on last-mile logistics in the new warehouses. That’s where we need to continue to improve.”

And what else is Condis working on with Witron? “We want to run our automated system efficiently and permanently in the existing facility. Therefore, we are working with Witron on new maintenance and operation strategies, relying on Big / Smart Data, and Machine Learning for even more information from the warehouse.”

IFOY FINALIST FOCUS: Locus Robotics’ AMR Solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Continuing with our run-through of each of the IFOY Award nominated finalists ahead of the winners announcement on 30th June at BMW World, we look at Locus Robotics’ AMR Solution, the first of two entries in the Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV/AMR) category.

IFOY category: Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV/AMR)

Locus Robotics is a leading provider of intelligent autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that operate collaboratively with human workers to improve productivity and throughput within the warehouse and manufacturing facilities. The solution helps retailers, 3PLs, specialty warehouses, and manufacturers meet and exceed increasingly complex and demanding requirements, integrating into existing infrastructures without disrupting workflows, and enabling customers full ROI within six to eight months.

The solution consists of an integrated execution platform that uses proprietary optimization algorithms and real-time operational performance data to coordinate labor and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to deliver two to three times more productivity and throughput. In addition, Locus provides a variety of AMR form factors to apply the right robot to the right job, at the right time. A purpose-built, integrated robotics solution designed to automate all material flow within the warehouse and manufacturing facilities.

Description

Locus’s strength lies in the maturity and optionality of our execution platform which provides real-time optimization of all tasks to be completed within the four walls and across multiple levels in warehousing and manufacturing environments. The software acts as a fleet manager, managing complex workflows that support a variety of use cases and clustering work to build optimal robot missions.

The unique multi-bot approach decouples workers from orders and tasks, minimizing unproductive associate time and assigning the right robot form factor to meet the right human at the right time to collaboratively perform the next most efficient task. Proven at scale, the system can seamlessly add robots to add capacity to any operation within minutes.

Locus also improves the overall workplace quality and ergonomics. Workers no longer need to push heavy carts and walk long distances to keep up with growing order fulfilment demands. Workers stay in zones while the bots bring the work to them. This significantly lowers worker fatigue, and improves workplace safety to deliver higher productivity and lower overall labour costs for recruitment, training, and retention. Locus customers are seeing documented double or triple increases in their fulfilment productivity and fulfilment cycle times, while significantly lowering labour recruitment, training, and retention costs for  both full time and seasonal positions.

CLICK HERE to watch three case studies.

IFOY TEST REPORT

The US provider Locus Robotics offers its autonomous robots, which work collaboratively with warehouse staff, exclusively in a packaged rental model. After the set-up with a one-time “start-up fee”, a “core fleet” is available to the customer for his tasks. This is an average of between 45 and 50 vehicles per customer, with fluctuations (rather) upwards and less downwards not excluded, of course. The robot manufacturer from Wilmington in the Greater Boston metropolitan region (Massachusetts/USA) has been active in Europe since 2019.

At the moment, Locus serves around 80 customers in about 200 warehouses with its picking system. The customers come not only from retail, but also from pharmaceuticals and industry (ABB). Picking into the 45-kilogram moving robot is extremely easy: the type and quantity of the products to be picked at the location and placed into the small load carrier on the Locus robot are very clearly displayed on the clear touchscreen. Picked, confirmed, and the fast journey continues. The tester has never found this so easy, intuitive and without a single second of “learning the ropes”.

The peak season for Locus is November/December, because the Christmas business easily burdens retailers with four to five times as much picking work as during the year. According to a survey by Material Handling Industry (MHI) and Deloitte, 56% of respondents have “extreme problems” finding suitable staff. No wonder: up to now, about 40 to 60% in the warehouse are determined by walking, with an average age in Germany of 40 to 55 years.

Locus solves this problem pragmatically and effectively by separating the employees from the picking trolleys: the work comes to the pickers, i.e. a classic goods-to-person principle. However, not stoically standing only at a fixed workstation, but “flowing” in a certain area, which normally, however, does not go beyond the warehouse aisle. This not only saves a lot of energy, but also makes the work far more effective and productive than picking along. Locus does not replace the customer’s inventory management system, but obtains its information about the product and the number of units to be picked from it. The Locus software clusters the orders for the optimal picking route – of the roving units, mind you, not of the individual pickers – and which orders are connected on a container. In the field, the system works with high-quality Lidar sensors (“Light Detection and Ranging”). Irrespective of the time saved by short distances for the pickers: the picking system also increases productivity by the fact that the human at a single picking position, for example, spends only 8 instead of 12 seconds – that adds up. When picking, both hands are free for the products to be picked.

If necessary, a seasonal fleet can easily be added to the core fleet mentioned at the beginning, for example for two to three months for the Christmas business. The robots themselves are produced between May and November and are maintained quickly and leanly. A total of around 8,000 of these robots are currently in use, 2,000 of them in Europe. When the going gets tough, 100 to 500 f the robots can easily be produced – per week. The “package” also mentioned above consists of the uncomplaining replacement of the robots during maintenance; in the event of malfunctions, the customer does not incur any additional costs. Every three months, the so-called “field service” comes to the customer’s premises to check on things. It also takes three months for the customer to implement such a system.

IFOY Test Verdict

With collaborative AMR, retailers, 3PLs, but also operators of special warehouses or manufacturers can greatly improve their effectiveness with an ROI of six to eight months. In doing so, an integrated execution platform uses proprietary optimisation algorithms and operational performance data to coordinate “man and machine”. On the subject of innovation, Locus has 33 patents in the US and seven in Europe. An additional 23 patents have been filed in Europe.

IFOY INNOVATION CHECK

Market relevance: In terms of market relevance, Locus’ AMR Solution hits the head. The massive increase in e-commerce requires cost-effective solutions to increase throughput, which has been impressively realised with Locus’ all-in-one solution. The business concept makes the solution affordable also for smaller companies. Therefore, the market relevance is considered to be very high. In addition, the sustainable handling of the equipment through reuse and refurbishment meets the demand of today’s trend, which makes the solution even more interesting.

Customer benefit: Customers benefit in many ways and to a great extent from the AMR Solution. An enormous increase in productivity can be expected with a simultaneous reduction in the workload of the employees. In addition, customers enjoy a full service if required, can monitor internal performance data and use the software system to optimise workflow. The presentation based on reference projects is fully convincing and shows the benefits for the current boom in e-commerce. Enormous customer interest is also seen in the flexibility. An uncomplicated expansion or reduction of the machinery fleet in the case of fluctuating seasonal business is possible without financial risk and thus meets the modern requirements in this area.

Novelty: The overall system impresses in many ways and can be considered highly innovative. Without complex technology, the robots are used efficiently to increase productivity and can also be operated intuitively. The human-machine interaction is limited to the essentials for a practical application and has been implemented very well. This is where innovation meets real practical benefit. An innovative convenience is working with individual personal tags, which, for example, immediately adapts the user interface to the correct language of the employee.

Functionality / type of implementation: Due to a professional presentation of all aspects, the AMR solution from Locus could be comprehended very well. The handling of the devices during order picking is very easy and the flexible reaction to obstacles is done without any problems. The devices themselves are limited to the most essential things and make it clear that an efficient use of hardware and software can have a huge effect.

Verdict: Locus’ extraordinary AMR solution is an excellent response to current market demands.

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 Locus Robotics’ AMR Solution.

 

 

RangePlus DC achieves significant efficiency improvement

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, a global leader in AMR technology, has announced the successful implementation of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at independent British online retailer RangePlus’s fulfilment centre. The new automated storage and retrieval system was designed and delivered in collaboration with warehouse automation specialist and Geek+ strategic delivery partner Breathe Technologies. The modernisation provides RangePlus the firepower to compete with larger actors in the growing e-commerce sector.

Lit Fung, VP and Managing Director, Overseas Business at Geek+, said: “We are delighted to see our smart picking solution enable RangePlus to achieve efficient, flexible, and accurate operations. This digital transformation helps them greatly increase their competitiveness and chart their own course as an independent ecommerce provider.”

Due to the change in customers’ shopping behaviour from buying in brick-and-mortar shops to online purchasing, RangePlus has seen rapidly growing order demand, and its original manual order picking was holding the business back. With a high number of small and irregular goods, manual order picking processes were time-consuming and prone to error. RangePlus began looking at automation solutions to boost warehouse capacity and throughput. After comparing different order picking options, Geek+’s cost-effective, flexible, automated warehouse picking system was the best choice to help them handle a 25% increase in order volumes and 40% in SKUs.

Marcus Uprichard, Head of Business Development & Partnerships at Breathe Technologies, said: “Working closely with RangePlus and Geek+, we’ve created an automated warehouse picking system that’s incredibly flexible, modular, and perfectly suited to high-growth e-commerce environments.”

The Geek+ goods-to-person solution is running 24/7 in RangePlus’s fulfilment centre with 243,000 SKUs and handles over 250,000 orders per year. After automating its picking process, RangePlus achieved a 300% improvement in picking rate and order picking time, as well as a 25% reduction in operating costs. They also maximised their warehouse capacity by stocking 50% more SKUs in the same space while reducing error rates and minimising waste. Their ROI is 100% under two years, proving that investing in AMRs is a sound investment.

Shabbab Al-Ghamdi, co-founder of RangePlus, said: “This automated warehouse picking system has been a wise financial decision. We can now significantly increase the amount we pick, pack, and ship… the system is paying for itself.”

Geek+ picking AMRs automate the picking process by bringing the inventory shelves to the warehouse operator at the picking station. The solution reduces the time spent finding and moving goods around manually and improves not only picking accuracy but also employee productivity and comfort. Empowered by artificial intelligence, inventory shelves are arranged according to demand in real time; the most in-demand items are close to the operator to ensure a fast and efficient picking process.

Geek+’s solutions offer valuable flexibility to companies navigating the rapid changes inherent to e-commerce. The sudden rises in demand that accompany peak seasons like Black Friday and Christmas can be met by quickly adding AMRs to the system. Geek+ will continue creating and applying smart logistics technology to support independent e-commerce merchants’ transition to smart logistics operations.

 

 

Toyota delivers turn-key automation projects

Posted on by David Priestman

Toyota Material Handling UK has announced the establishment of a systems integration division dedicated to designing and delivering turn-key automated storage and handling projects.

Toyota Logistics Solutions Integration (LSI) will develop systems based on the most appropriate technology for each client’s specific requirements, which means that designs are not restricted to products within the Toyota portfolio.

Luis Sullivan, Head of Systems Integration within LSI, says: “Toyota is one of the world’s most trusted brands and is known for the exceptional build quality of its industrial products. But the equipment selected for every LSI solution is proposed on its own merit to provide tremendous productivity gains and the lowest total cost of ownership.

“We describe the LSI approach as ‘technology agnostic’. We respect the specific character of each project and offer end-to-end automated solutions designed to fit a client’s business. This means that we approach each project thinking ‘what does this customer need?’ rather than ‘what products can Toyota offer this customer?’“

LSI designs systems based on the latest automated picking and storage technologies, state-of-the-art sorters, conveyors, autonomous robots and automated guided vehicles (AGVs). All the necessary control software is also provided – from single modules that connect to a client’s existing IT infrastructure to a fully-built central management system.

LSI oversees an automation project from commission to sign off, while Toyota’s team of highly qualified and experienced service engineers provide fast and efficient ongoing after-sales support and system maintenance.

Toyota expects the UK market for automated handling and storage system to continue its upward trajectory as more companies seek to optimise their intralogistics processes and improve operational robustness through automation.

Paul Freeman, Head of Logistics Solutions at Toyota Material Handling UK, comments: “The need to make the most of every available square foot of storage capacity and move more inventory around the warehouse or distribution centre building with optimum efficiency has made the idea of automating key intralogistics functions increasingly attractive.

“Brexit and the pandemic have made it increasingly difficult to attract warehouse personnel and, as a result, we have seen our customers go from zero automation to at least partial automation within their businesses.

“Toyota is the largest manufacturer of forklift trucks in the world, but the role of our solutions integration operation is to identify scalable material handling systems, innovative software and automation engineering to deliver unique solutions that help our clients become leaders in their industries.”

 

Berkshire Grey and Logistex partner to deliver robotic solutions

Posted on by David Priestman

Berkshire Grey Inc., a leader in AI-enabled robotic solutions that automate supply chain processes, is partnering with Logistex, a leading system integrator and warehouse management system provider, to help companies grow despite the labour shortages and logistics challenges that are straining global supply chains.

This partnership combines proven AI-enabled robotic automation from Berkshire Grey with experienced system design and integration services from Logistex to deliver world-class warehouse robotics to Europe’s premier pure-play eCommerce companies, retailers, and 3PL providers.

“Berkshire Grey’s robotic solution portfolio is incredibly robust.  By addressing some of the most labour-intensive warehouse processes and handling the broadest range of SKUs, their systems can solve operational challenges across our customer base,” said Andy Branch, COO at Logistex. “Logistex has a long history of delivering transformative solutions, and across industries we are seeing more customers ready to leverage intelligent robotic automation. That’s why we’re partnering with Berkshire Grey – to solve real challenges with robotic solutions that deliver value at our customers’ warehouses and facilities today.”

As more companies feel the pressures of eCommerce growth, enhanced consumer expectations, and the evolving labour shortage, Berkshire Grey’s AI-powered robotic solutions fill the gap. The company offers a wide range of robotic automation solutions that can increase fulfilment throughput by up to 3X and improve labour efficiency by up to 70%. Logistex, an established leader in traditional material handling and warehouse management systems, is evolving their innovation portfolio through this partnership to help companies streamline processes, improve employee productivity, and deliver flexible solutions that scale.

“The demand for innovation to address operational challenges plaguing supply chains brought on by new connected consumer buying behaviours for eCommerce and omnichannel purchasing is very strong in the UK, and Berkshire Grey has the solutions the market needs to compete,” said Neil Berry, SVP and General Manager for EMEA at Berkshire Grey. “Partnering with Logistex allows us to deliver a comprehensive robotic automation portfolio to more customers faster, accelerate the adoption of AI and robotics across the UK market, and enable joint customers to rapidly realise the value of robotic automation.”

Berkshire Grey’s Partner Alliance programme works with a select group of strategic partners to provide customers across Retail, eCommerce, 3PL, Grocery and Package Handling industries with scalable robotic solutions developed to improve fulfilment throughput while driving down operational costs. Berkshire Grey solutions deliver faster ROI than other providers in the industry and their partner programme enables them to team up with the best consultants, integrators, technology providers, and material handling leaders to extend its value-added solutions to customers.

 

Cimcorp automation helps modernise intralogistics

Posted on by David Priestman

Intralogistics system integrator Cimcorp will be exhibiting at LogiMAT, which takes place from 31st May to 2nd June in Stuttgart. The global company will demonstrate its holistic solutions to ramp up the intralogistics of major players in the food retail industry.

Cimcorp says it meets customers’ supply chain challenges by integrating its advanced robotic technologies and software with leading-edge material handling systems.

Netto Marken-Discount automated logistics centre

German food retailer Netto Marken-Discount, boasting the largest range of groceries in the discount segment, is automating its logistics for fresh produce with Cimcorp, making Netto the very first German retailer to use this system.

“Getting fresh fruit and vegetables from producers to the retail floor is an absolute race against the clock,” says Christina Stylianou, Head of Corporate Communications at Netto Marken-Discount. “In many cases, only a few hours pass between receipt at our logistics centres and delivery to our stores. In Cimcorp, we have found a service provider to supply us with a solution for fully automated order picking of ergonomically packed fruit and vegetable pallets, a solution that meets the requirements of our stores – fast, reliably and cost-effectively.”

If the system is successfully commissioned, the retailer plans to implement additional automated logistics systems at its other storage locations. Cimcorp has already successfully deployed automated facilities in the fruit and vegetable sector in other European countries.

Freshness is paramount

Cimcorp solutions are designed to speed up warehouse operations, which is vital for perishable food items in order to maximise their freshness.

“Freshness is synonymous with quality in grocery retail,” explains Kai Tuomisaari, Cimcorp’s VP, Sales. “With limited sales windows for fresh food, faster order processing means that freshness is maximised at the retail store, giving a longer shelf life for perishable products.”

With fresh food, especially perishables, time is essential. The faster products can be delivered to stores, the longer they will be on sale – resulting in more profit.

Automated systems fulfil orders in stages so new products can arrive and be picked immediately to guarantee freshness. Cimcorp’s solutions are designed to meet the modern demands of distribution, including shorter lead times, SKU proliferation and challenging seasonal peaks amid labour shortages. The company has developed unique order fulfilment and storage solutions for the tyre, food and beverage, retail, e-commerce, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and postal services industries.

Meet the team at LogiMAT

Visitors to LogiMAT are invited to discover more about Cimcorp automation for warehouse and distribution applications and book a meeting with the Cimcorp team at the company’s booths (Hall 1 #1B81 & Hall 1 Gallery #1OG90).

 

HAI displays warehouse automation technology

Posted on by David Priestman

HAI ROBOTICS, a pioneer in Autonomous Case-handling Robot (ACR) systems for warehouse logistics, will for the first time display its technology in Italy, at the upcoming Intralogistica Italia 2022 from 3rd-6th May in Fiera Milano.

The company, with European headquarters in the Netherlands, will run live demos of its solution with HAIPICK A42 robot at the tradeshow in Italy (Booth C11/D12 Hall 10), which sees rising demand for more flexible and cost-efficient Goods-to-Person order-picking solutions as e-commerce grows fast in recent years.

Davide Tuzi, HAI ROBOTICS‘ Country Manager Italy, said: “Our ACR system is an excellent solution for the challenges the Italian warehousing/logistics market is facing, and an excellent solution deserves a team of excellent people to support it. This is the kind of team we are building up in Europe, and in Italy in particular.

“We aim to create a local network of system integrator, installation and service partners, so that any user of ACR systems can expect rapid and high-quality service wherever they are in Italy.”

The second-largest manufacturing country in Europe, Italy has strong curiosity for automation, including automating warehouses and distribution centres, as the government is pushing forward to develop Industry 4.0, Tuzi said.

As the EU’s third-largest economy, Italy registers solid growth in e-commerce, catalysed by Covid-19 lockdown. The country is the 14th-largest market for eCommerce with a revenue of US$26bn in 2021, according to Statista Digital Market Outlook.

Also, as fewer people want to do hard manual labour, the lack of enough qualified workers is another driver for warehouses in Italy to turn their eyes on automation, Tuzi said, noting robots will improve the work environment in warehouses.

HAI ROBOTICS‘ ACR systems, using HAIPICK robots doing picking and sorting, offer a warehousing efficiency of three to four times faster than manual work and allow maximum space utilisation. The HAIPICK A42 robot can reach as high as 8m and carry eight loads of totes/cartons in one movement to continuously feed Goods-to-Person stations. The robot, supported by AI algorithms and equipped with high-precision cameras, boasts 99.99% picking and sorting accuracy, thus eliminating the risk of returns due to errors.

The ACR systems can be implemented in a very short time and are easily scalable. Clients can scale the project according to their growth curves with little disruption to operation. Hence, they are ideal for existing warehouses.

The systems have been implemented in more than 500 projects around the world, including leading brands of e-commerce, 3PL, manufacturing and apparels, many of which have faced strong seasonal peaks.

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Honeywell and Hai Robotics Collaborate

 

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