Subscribe

Tag: warehouse automation

Horizontal packaging machine with emphasis on efficiency

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Microline is an Italian company specialising in the design and marketing of automatic machinery and line-automation solutions. The company possesses a high degree of technological expertise, specialising in Tissue product packaging. This is the target sector of the ECO Wrap 1050, Microline’s latest product: a horizontal packaging machine with the emphasis on efficiency.

Microline believes simplicity need not mean low quality. For years, its construction mantra has been the greatest possible simplification. It claims this means its machines are very sturdy and need less maintenance, without sacrificing any of the care that goes into designing and producing each individual component. The ECO Wrap was created in line with these principles, to meet a specific need voiced by the tissue market: low-speed units, whose key features are reliability and service economy.

ECO Wrap is a machine for wrapping AFH rolls or folded products using plastic film. It is able to use a wide range of packaging materials. The machine creates perfectly sealed bags, allowing a broad series of product configurations. This type of packaging is especially well-suited to pre-packaged paper rolls for industrial use and individually packed folded products. The packaging process does not generate any wrapping material scraps or rejects, which cuts out disposal costs and allows a significant saving of wrapping material.

The ECO Wrap works in accordance with an operating principle that is simultaneously simple and effective. Products coming from the saw or the wrapping machine are fed by a system of conveyors, oriented and taken into the machine in a single line by means of a system that arranges them in the desired configuration. The products are then placed in the lifting unit for layering, if required, and placed in a bag. The bag is closed at the next stage. This is done by overlapping and sealing the packaging material at the top of the bag, before the film is sealed crosswise by folding the flaps inside the bag. This machine can pack up to six bags per minute, in a wide range of configurations.

The ECO Wrap does not merely save packaging material, it also allows energy saving: the flow wrapper creates high-quality bags that are tight-fitting and do not necessarily require the use of a shrink tunnel. Lastly, the one-piece design allows fast commissioning of the machine, which can be very quickly installed. It can also be rapidly configured for start-up. This avoids prolonged line stoppages and improves production efficiency.

Intelligent conveying and sorting system empowers automation evolution

Posted on by David Priestman

With the continuous development of the express delivery industry, the demands and requirements of various platforms for automated logistics and transportation is also increasing. An intelligent sorting and conveying system has become rigid requirements for companies in various industries to enhance their competitiveness.

Normally, the efficiency of the current semi-automated sorters (taking the cross-belt sorter as an example) is more than three times that of manual, and the efficiency of an automated sorter is more than six times that of manual sorting. An  intelligent sorting and conveying system can fully reduce manual identification and manual operation. The accuracy is much higher than manual sorting, and it also greatly reduces the loss of goods. Especially when the processing capacity reaches tens of thousands of pieces per day, manual sorting takes up a large area, high errors, and efficiency drops.

According to Logistics IQ, by 2030, the global next-generation supply chain market will reach more than US$100bn. Under such circumstances, China’s automated sorting industry is actively promoting innovation, accelerating product optimisation and equipment iteration, and enhancing user experience.

According to statistics, from 2012 to 2019, China’s automated logistics equipment market has an average annual compound growth rate of 26.8%, and the market size in 2020 had reached RMB175bn, with a compound annual growth rate of more than 25%, of which the market size of automated sorting equipment is about RMB21.35bn, the annual growth rate is about 29%.

China is transforming to a strong country on manufacturing. The automation of the manufacturing industry is increasing, coupled with the rising cost of labour and the declining demographic dividend. It is expected that the scale of domestic automated logistics equipment demand will continue to grow rapidly in the next few years, and the domestic market for automated logistics equipment will reach RMB368bn until 2025.

Kengic, a professional smart logistics and intelligent manufacturing solutions provider, focuses on providing domestic and overseas customers with smart logistics and intelligent manufacturing system and products with R&D, design, manufacturing, sales and services. It has many mature and successful conveying and sorting cases around the world, saving labour costs, saving operation space and improving the operational efficiency for many customers.

Take the E-commerce Distribution Project in South Korea as an example. The project covers an area of about 8,500 sq m where 763.2m loop sorting lines, 636 carriers, 10 automatic inductions and 138 spiral chutes are provided. By applying cross-belt sorter system, belt conveyor system, and telescopic belt conveyor system, the project is fully automated from unloading to infeeding and sorting.

In India, Kengic is also involved in the e-commerce and logistics industries. The project combines customer requirements and actual conditions to provide a complete solution. The conveying speed is 2.1m/s, the sorting efficiency is as high as 25000pph, and the accuracy rate is as high as 99.9%.

In addition, it also has very mature experience in the design and implementation of unmanned warehouses, such as the RRS Logistics Unmanned Distribution Center project. Covering an area of 18,000 sq m, the total number of goods is 14,000 and the picking and shipping area is 10,000 sq m.

Relying on a series of interconnected and autonomously controlled intelligent facilities and equipment such as intelligent AS/RS, robots, and AGV, under the scheduling of business operation systems such as WMS, WCS, TMS, etc., the intelligent and efficient operation of various operations in warehousing, transportation and distribution is realised to assist intelligent unmanned transformation and upgrading of bulk logistics.

At present, Kengic’s customers now cover many industries such as express & logistics, e-commerce & new retail, home appliances, furniture, automobiles, communication electronics, equipment manufacturing, national defence and military, medicine and health, materials, energy and chemical industries, etc. It says it has provided stable, flexible and cost-effective solutions for its customers worldwide and that it is committed to building strong partnerships with them in long-term cooperation.

The Intelligent Conveying and Sorting system, comprising a conveying system and sorting system, is an important part of material handling systems. The main equipment selected varies among the goods conveyed. Kengic’s conveying and sorting system is able to accommodate the conveying and sorting needs for a broad range of applications. By designing reasonable routes, Kengic can help customers improve sorting efficiency and accuracy and reduce labour costs.

Kengic says in the future it will continue to adhere to the development concept of “Gathering industry elites, Creating a world brand”, committed to the innovation and development of smart logistics and intelligent manufacturing, insisting on intelligent technology as the driver, independent R&D and innovation as the orientation, and realising smart logistics and intelligent manufacturing for customers to upgrade the system and make every effort to promote the transformation and long-term development of industrial digital intelligence era.

Invar to offer HAI Robotics’ ACR systems

Posted on by David Priestman

Invar Group a leader in advanced warehouse automation, has entered into a partnership agreement with global robotic systems manufacturer HAI Robotics to include the manufacturer’s cutting-edge Autonomous Case-handling Robotic (ACR) systems as part of the Invar solutions suite for customers in the UK, Europe and the USA.

HAI Robotics is a global leader in the design and manufacture of ACRs used in order picking, put-away and dispatch operations, while Invar Group has a global network of high-profile customers in sectors such as ecommerce, retail, pharmaceuticals, FMCG and manufacturing. Invar Group is widely recognised for its highly versatile in-house developed warehouse management and control software suit, IWS, and its comprehensive design and integration capabilities for advanced automated warehouse solutions.

Craig Whitehouse, Managing Director of Invar Integration, says: “These are exciting times, robotics has transformed automation in the warehouse. Their flexibility, scalability and low-Capex appeal offers huge advantages over fixed solutions. HAI Robotics has a fantastic range of intelligent ACRs, well suited to the varied demands of fulfilment applications, and so we are delighted to include HAI Robotics’ advanced ACRs in our fast-expanding solutions suite.”

HAI Robotics launched its first ACR system, the HAIPICK, in 2015 and has since developed a family of mobile robots with the ability to carry cartons as well as individual totes, offering the capability to bring multiple cases to pickers or conveyors in one movement. The autonomous order-picking robots can pick and place totes or cartons on shelves up to 7m high and are able to carry up to eight loads at a time, offering a continuous feed for goods-to-person picking stations.

The HAIPICK solution can quickly transform the performance of a warehouse, increasing storage density by 80–130% and improving operational efficiency by over 300% compared with a manual process.

Kane Luo, Vice President of sales for HAI Robotics, says: “The partnership will be able to offer warehouse operators a unique and innovative solution that delivers higher fulfilment volumes, at lower operation costs and with better distribution efficiency.”

The HAI Pick system has been installed in applications across ecommerce, 3PL, apparel, electronics, energy, manufacturing, medicine and other industries. Over 2,000 HAIPICK robots have been deployed in more than 200 ongoing projects worldwide. The latest application of the technology at Australia’s largest online book retailer, Booktopia, has boosted picking and dispatch efficiency by 800% at the company’s 14,000 sq m distribution centre at Lidcombe, New South Wales.

Yodel invests £1m+ in own sortation system

Posted on by David Priestman

Independent UK parcel carrier Yodel has invested over £1m in a state-of-the-art new sortation system that is specially designed to handle delicate and irregular shaped parcels. The investment follows a record year of growth for the business, with it scaling up capability to handle a broad range of specialist items.

The new system, called Merlin2, will be located at Yodel’s Shaw sorting centre and is the business’ second automated out-of-gauge sortation facility, following the success of the original Merlin which was introduced in Wednesbury (West Midlands) in 2019.

The system, created by Yodel’s engineers in response to needs of the booming online retail sector, is capable of processing up to 2,900 one-metre-long items per hour and will work alongside the larger fully automated sort at its Shaw (Greater Manchester) depot. Merlin2 is capable of handling items up to 1.8m long and 0.9m wide and will significantly increase the speed and efficiency of the out-of-gauge parcel sorting process.

Merlin2’s automation will also ensure that clients and customers benefit from greater visibility and traceability of their parcels throughout the network. By linking directly with Yodel’s billing systems, the system also provides greater speed and accuracy for invoice processing. Items that previously had to be manually sorted will now be automatically scanned, weighed, volumised and photographed.

With more consumers switching to online shopping, parcel carriers are having to handle increasing volumes of irregular shaped items. By implementing the system in a second sort centre, Yodel can support the sorting of a larger volume of parcels every day, facilitating further growth and supporting the trend that saw Yodel move into profit for the first time in 2021.

Carl Moore, COO, Yodel, explained: “Increasing visibility across our sorting process reduces opportunities for parcels to be misplaced and means packages can travel from our clients and to consumers much faster, meeting the greater demand for a more seamless service. The system’s design also makes for a safer work environment for our colleagues by reducing the physical demands of the work at our sort centres and reducing the risk of strain and injury.”

Mike Hancox, CEO, Yodel, commented: “Yodel has seen dramatic growth alongside much of the sector in the last year and a half. Expanding the Merlin system to more sort centres allows us to continue responding to the demands of the growing online retail market. By increasing visibility across our sorting process, we can strengthen Yodel’s position as the parcel carrier of choice.”

Shaw is one of Yodel’s three central sort centres. Packages are sorted at Shaw before being sent on to one of Yodel’s depots around the UK, where they are passed on to final-mile drivers for delivery to customers.

HAI unveils new products at CeMAT Asia

Posted on by David Priestman

HAI Robotics, a global leader in Autonomous Case-handling Robotic (ACR) system for warehouse logistics, said it is pushing forward the frontier of automated warehousing technology as it unveiled three new products during the CeMAT Asia Expo in Shanghai on 26th October. The new products will help unblock the bottleneck in the intralogistics sector in the yearning for higher storage density and flexibility.

The company showcased at CeMAT Asia, the region’s biggest intralogistics fair, a whole product family of the HAIPICK ACR robots, including two new members: the HAIPICK A3 fork-lifting ACR, A42-FW flexible-width ACR; and the new-look A42T telescopic ACR, which refreshes storage height record in the industry at 10m.

The HAIPICK A3 robot, adopting a fork-lifting picking design, is created for wider storage scenarios in which goods are not necessarily placed inside a box. The design, a major difference from previous generations of HAIPICK robots that use clamping picking, granted larger storage possibilities and better rack space utilisation. Goods that don’t require a container, such as tyres, trays and boards that can be lifted by a fork from the bottom, would be easily handled at higher picking efficiency.

The A3 robot adopts SLAM navigation technology, enabling more man-machine mixed field operations. It is also a good match with environment that has strict control for dust, static and pollution.

The second new product of HAIPICK A42-FW robot targets higher storage density. With a fork that can flexibly adjust according to the size of goods, this robot allows picking and handling of different sizes of totes or cartons.

Warehouse space utilisation can never be too much emphasised, and HAI claims the A42-FW robot is an absolute champion in this regard. On the one hand, with its chassis measuring 900mm in width, narrower than standard aisles of 1000mm, the storage density can be boosted by 5%. On the other hand, its pick height of 190mm to the lowest means that the storage density can be elevated by another 6%. What’s more, the robot can dynamically adjust storage locations according to the size it perceives with the fork and in this way, the storage locations can be increased by 20%.

Along with the new HAIPICK robots, HAI Robotics also launched a new version of HAIQ – the intelligent brain that commands HAIPICK ACR’s operation. HAIQ nova allows seamless interaction with all kinds of equipment such as Kiva robot, slam robot, conveyor belts, etc. The latest HAIQ nova, armed with copious user data from successful projects in different industries, can ensure smooth and optimised warehouse operation.

“Since we initiated the world’s first ACR system in 2015, we have been constantly updating our product as well as solutions, centring on elevated picking height, flexible picking arms, slender robot body and better software system (HAIQ) – addressing the demands for higher storage density, mixed picking of totes and cartons, and more storage locations against the backdrop of surging e-commerce order-fulfilment strain,” Says Richie Chen, the founder and CEO of HAI Robotics.

With over 300 projects running across the globe, HAI Robotics has been constantly learning from successful deployment and is keen to update its ACR technology for better user experience. The birth of the three new products arises from its sharp market perception and from thinking out of the box.

 

AGV performance: a deep-dive into neural networks

Posted on by David Priestman

Machine Learning, Neural Networks – big terms in modern logistics, but what do they actually mean? What we need is an expert to tell us. Paul Hamblin, editor of Logistics Business magazine, meets one.

AGV and mobile robotics specialist Kollmorgen measures the performance and behaviour of AGV systems, both on a system level and on board individual AGVs. It collects information on motor drives, laser scanners, localisation, traffic, and obstacle interference, thus finding trends and patterns which help it to improve products and system configurations.

Highs and lows in productivity or daily utilisation trends might be measured, and the data used to optimise routes, increase throughput and calculate smarter resource utilisation. To the end-user, this translates into lower costs and higher revenue. The collected data can also give important clues to external processes that might disturb AGV performance. For example, pedestrians getting in the way of the AGVs, or manual forklifts driving in areas originally planned primarily for the AGVs.

How does it do all this, though? Samuel Alexandersson, Manager Product Management AGVs at Kollmorgen is our patient guide.

“An artificial neural network is a computational model that is loosely based on the structure of the human brain,” he begins. “Our brain cells, or neurons, are connected by an intricate network of nerves along which electrochemical signals travel. Simplified, we can say that if the weighted of input signals are strong enough, the neuron will fire, and the signal will continue on to the next set of cells the neuron is connected to.

“In this manner, the structure of the connections between all the different neurons in our brain will determine how a signal is propagated, and when we learn new things, what is really happening inside our brain, is that the connections are restructured.

“In an artificial neural network, the signals are digital instead of electrochemical, and the strengths of the connections are stored in weights. Initially, these weights will have random value, meaning when we feed an input to the network, it will just output random nonsense. But in the same way we humans learn from experience, we can let the model learn from experience in the form of data.

“Each datapoint will be an input and an expected output, so these pairs are examples to learn from. Using these so called Machine Learning algorithms to gradually adjust the weights, will bring the output from the model closer and closer to the expected output, so that it can learn to make predictions.

“For example, if we are to teach a machine to see the difference between a cat and a dog, we need to construct a dataset with images (inputs), where each image has a label indicating if it is a cat or a dog (the correct outputs). After training the neural network on the dataset, we may feed it with a new image, and even though this image has never been seen by the network before, it will tell us if it is a cat or a dog.”

 

Can he offer examples of how insights can be generated from data in a logistics context?

“Designing an AGV system can be a complex task that requires a lot of skill and experience,” he replies. “When designing the road network for example, there can be tens of thousands of individual road stretches that need to be configured correctly. Of course, it is easy to make a mistake and often such mistakes are not discovered until you run the system in a simulation.

“Therefore, we are currently developing tools that can analyze the road network directly, so that the user gets more immediate feedback. In internal AB-tests, we saw a 5x improvement in time it took users to find the root cause in a faulty configuration.

“A more anecdotal indication of the impact we can have with a data-driven approach, is a support case where something that an engineer had been debugging for several hours with conventional methods were resolved within 10 minutes using a prototype that automatically analyses the configuration data.”

So there we have it – as always, it’s all about cats and dogs.

Big Box provides expansion space for IPL Hull

Posted on by Keith McKinley

IPL Hull (formerly known as Straight Manufacturing), a long-established plastics manufacturer, is currently undergoing an ongoing development and investment programme, and Big Box Buildings (part of The Big Box Group) has been a part of that.

The significant growth of IPL’s business was putting increasing strain on storage space and the outside yard was fully used. Covered outdoor storage was desirable from a quality and auditing perspective and it required an L-shape format. Big Box was able to provide two steel-framed buildings joined together with a valley gutter.

The solution was both cost effective and efficient to build. It has a single-skin PVC roof which makes it economical and single-skin cladded steel walls, which also provides security.  A steel valley gutter runs down the middle and rainwater gutters/downpipes run along the sides.

Steel-framed buildings are considerably stronger than aluminium so have a much longer life expectancy. At larger sites and/or exposed windy locations, steel-frame buildings are often a great choice. Big Box Buildings’ steel-frame design can be retro-fitted to an existing concrete pad (or flat tarmac sometimes) without requiring costly groundworks.

Big Box Group has a long existing relationship with IPL Hull as a racking and safety goods supplier. In line with Big Box’s ‘turn-key’ solution approach, in addition to the building project, it also undertook ground works to an adjacent but unrelated area and supply of a small plant room.

 

WMS: what comes first – hardware or software?

Posted on by David Priestman

As the world still grapples with supply-chain issues brought on by the pandemic, companies are increasingly looking for ways to streamline their operations. One area that is increasingly receiving more attention is Warehouse Management Solutions (WMS). Andrey Kazachkov, Head of Warehouse Automation at premiere custom software development provider First Line Software, takes a look at some warehousing situations that determine whether to first invest in hardware or software when beginning the process of warehouse automation, and some notable exceptions to either case.

Andrey Kazachkov, Head of Warehouse Automation at premier custom software development provider First Line Software

In my recent article, Should My Warehouse Be Automated? we reviewed the basics of WMS and looked at the differences between a manually operated warehouse with people as the primary resource moving goods, as opposed to a fully or partially automated warehouse scenario. Once you’ve determined that your warehouse requires some level of automation, the next question is whether to initiate the conversion with hardware or software.

Not surprisingly, your company’s own business process will determine which comes first.

Most organisations looking to implement a WMS solution will likely have some existing hardware and equipment in place and wish to integrate this infrastructure with software to run it more efficiently, and we’ll take a look at that situation in a moment. But let’s start with a couple of scenarios where software takes precedence.

Where software comes first

Let’s begin with the premise that you’re creating an automated warehouse from the ground up. This includes raising a brand-new building or starting out with an existing empty shell.

Here, you may initially think that the answer is to first purchase the hardware needed for your particular needs and the software will likely come integrated with it or be added afterward. Normally this would be the preferred route to take when starting from scratch as we’ll see in a moment. However, exceptional, non-standard conditions are a great example of where the correct choice of software has to come first, primarily because software is easier to customise than hardware.

Situations include, but are not limited to:

  • Highly secure tracking requirements for products such as narcotics, controlled substances, hazardous materials, or extremely high-value goods.
  • When specific features need to be integrated such as Augmented Reality glasses, Pick By Voice commands, or highly specialised robotics.

Another common situation where software is the predecessor to hardware is when pre-existing hardware exists, and new hardware must be integrated into the system. This is often the case when speed and productivity need to be increased. Here, new software is the bridge to compatibility between the existing and new hardware.

Where hardware comes first

One of the main drivers in the decision to choose hardware before software is… you guessed it, cost. The price of warehouse management software in a common warehouse system is approximately 20% of the total budget. This is primarily driven by the fact that hardware is less flexible in terms of customisation. You buy the hardware knowing it can do the job required, while software can be continuously modified and updated to fit your equipment needs.

As I stated before, if you are building or starting a warehouse from scratch, initiating the construction with hardware would be the preferred route. There can be myriad reasons for this, but here are some of the main factors to highlight:

  • Knowing your hardware and equipment in advance allows you to most efficiently plan the layout of your warehouse, allocate workplaces, and choose hardware suppliers taking into account licensing agreements.
  • You can de-bug your process at an earlier stage before you implement the automation aspect of the software.
  • The type of hardware and equipment you purchase will be the determining factor in calculating the speed of your warehouse. Software created by experienced providers allows you to modulate your equipment’s load based on needs, but there is usually a speed-limit to most hardware.
  • The old adage, “Time is Money” is most applicable here since your warehouse will be up-and-running much faster if you start with the hardware and equipment first.

When hardware already exists

As mentioned earlier, most organisations looking to implement a WMS solution will likely have some existing hardware and equipment in place, and wish to integrate this infrastructure with software to either enhance or create some level of automation. As it turns out, this route can ultimately be far more expensive for a customer if they are not aware of some of the pitfalls when trying to merge existing equipment with new hardware and/or software.

There are more points here, but some are also applicable to the hardware vs. software question above:

  • The operational system of the new WMS needs to connect to operational system of the rest of the company as well. This is typically not a low-level integration.
  • You need to know the equipment standards that are applicable in your area or country. Equipment from the same manufacturer can be location specific, and in some cases may not be compatible with your existing hardware.
  • When choosing one equipment vendor over another, evaluate not only the initial cost of integration, but also the cost of future technical support and maintenance.
  • Integration with so-called basic equipment such as scales, scanners, or computer monitors, (not enough monitor resolution is an example) etc. should be a focus of attention. Overlooking the small stuff can get very expensive quickly.
  • When combining older or existing hardware with new hardware and software, simulators are usually created that imitate the legacy systems before they are deemed fully compatible with the new. This can cost tens of thousands of dollars or Euros.
  • There are off-the-shelf simulator solutions for the customer to DIY, however the process of getting system approvals and making them work can be time consuming.

When hardware and software both come first

Of course, as in all aspects of life, there are exceptions to every situation. Warehousing facilities that have extremely specific requirements and very demanding environmental situations will necessitate acquiring, and integrating hardware and software at the same time. This requires sourcing equipment that can handle such environmental extremes and concurrently developing the software that can integrate with the equipment to do the work that’s required.

Here’s a couple of examples:

  • A temperature-controlled warehouse for goods that need either extreme cold or hot storage and subsequent movement within, and in and out of the facility.
  • Special climate conditions such as reduced oxygen environments where the protection of assets from fire, moisture, and pests is paramount.

A real-world example of this last point is First Line Software’s partnership with viastore that automated the Archive and Logistics Centre of one of the largest banks in Europe which occupies 53,000 sq m. It was the largest warehousing automation project in Eastern Europe. The challenging fact is that the ALC employees have no physical access to the storage areas due to the reduced oxygen supply needed to protect the contents from fire, moisture, and pests.

This scenario necessitated that the entire process of archive operations be fully automated. Here the client’s process requirements dictated that the solution needs to have software, and the specialised hardware sourced together to execute the facilities demands.

Where does your WMS begin?

Amid all the pitfalls addressed above (and others not addressed for lack of space), do not despair! The good news is that it’s possible to integrate and update your existing warehouse at a reasonable cost, even using equipment from different manufacturers. The first step to achieving that goal is the responsibility of the customer.

Do your best to eliminate – or at least minimalise – the “middle man”. It is important for you to control the development process at all stages and review your requirements as early as possible. From there, you should expect to uphold a direct line of communication to your software and hardware implementer. Project Management should be kept in-house if possible.

The most critical decision you’re likely to make is choosing that all-important implementer. Not every developer or supplier can understand complex WMS processes. Here you should employ the “one vendor” concept: First Line Software’s partner, viastore can supply not only its own hardware, but equipment from other manufacturers as well; in addition to providing their state-of-the-art WMS software solutions.

Having a single vendor to work with and communicate directly has an obvious advantage aside from ease of further hardware servicing, and updating software systems; you are establishing an evolving partnership that will help fuel your company’s future successes.

Come meet us at the free online event of First Line Software on 18th November – How to assemble the WMS/MES/ERP puzzle to increase production efficiency.

RESERVE YOUR FREE PLACE HERE

 

Warehouse automation market set to boom

Posted on by David Priestman

Research from Interact Analysis shows that the global warehouse automation market will grow from $29.6bn in 2020 to $69bn in 2025. The information has been released in the latest edition of the company’s global warehouse automation report.

Fixed automation such as AS/RS, conveyors and conveyor-based sorters will remain the most common form of automation for the foreseeable future, but there is a rapidly growing trend for warehouses to adopt more flexible mobile automation solutions.

Owing to the pandemic, many companies saw a plateau in warehouse automation revenue, whilst order intake increased significantly. This was due to delays in project completion and supply chain limitations. As a result of this, Interact Analysis predicts that between 2021 and 2022 the warehouse automation market will endure a period of stabilization as the market re-equilibrates and catches up on the back log of orders. By 2022 the market will have returned to normal and will be facing a permanently accelerated rate of post-pandemic growth.

Dematic and Honeywell Intelligrated continue to retain the greatest market share. Dematic leads the way, with 10% of the market and impressive revenue growth of 31% in 2020 (compared to 14% in 2019). Meanwhile, Honeywell Intelligrated grew by 13% in 2020. Interestingly, Knapp’s order intake grew by 55% in 2020 while its revenues decreased by 1% due to project delays caused by the pandemic.

Driven by China and Japan, APAC retains its title of having the largest market share for warehouse automation with a market size of $11bn in 2020. A significant proportion of growth within the Americas and EMEA markets is predicted to come from the general merchandise and grocery sectors. Interestingly, these sectors are less prominent in APAC, where they together account for 29% of the warehouse automation market (compared to 42% and 45% of EMEA and the Americas respectively).

Rueben Scriven, Senior Analyst at Interact Analysis, said: “The general merchandise segment is the single largest segment in warehouse automation, and it is predicted to grow at a faster rate than the overall market, with revenues hitting $20bn by 2025. General merchandise is driven by companies such as JD.com, Amazon and Target, all of which have heavily benefited from the COVID-inspired e-commerce boost.

“By 2025, general merchandise will account for 28% of the market. However, the single fastest-growing vertical market is grocery, which is projected to grow from 12% of the market in 2020 to 16% in 2025.”

Aicobotix demos QiCHECK-2 at WOF Expo

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Slovakian start-up Aicobotix launched an upgraded version of its QiCHECK Solutions recognition system at the recent WOF Expo in Bratislava. QiCHECK-2 uses a camera for object recognition and the entire system learns on the spot based on the recognition of good samples.

In this way, the conformity of the product, assembly, type and quality can be checked by accurate comparison with good samples. If an incorrect sample is detected, the operator is informed immediately.

The camera sees the scene, recognises it then evaluates the category in which it is to be placed. The whole learning process is quick and can be handled by a normal operator, which is a good feature when production changes.

All recognition results are also available online via a standard web browser. Deployment does not require significant intervention in the existing line and the production data is processed in an easy-to-understand format. In addition, the entire solution can also be rented and its features tested.

At the WOF EXPO 2021, Aicobotix demonstrated stock recognition using QiCHECK-2 in this way. It recognised the categories ‘empty place’, ‘pallet in the right place’ and ‘pallet with sweets’. The categories were recognised by a camera placed above the test area and the system quickly interpreted the visual image of the virtual warehouse.

Here again, the company demonstrated how quickly QiCHECK-2 could learn what was good housekeeping when changing the desired behaviour.

The camera as a smart sensor represents a visual system with an extremely fast implementation. In doing so, the camera sensor identifies changes in the scene with the support of machine learning. The entire system is suitable for plants with conveyors and can inspect multiple parts at once. It only needs a moment to evaluate and no special knowledge is required to learn it on-site at the production site.

WATCH THIS VIDEO to learn more.

 

Subscribe

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