Page 15 - Logistics News - December 2021

R O B O TI CS

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Roboti cs are oboti cs are the way forwardthe way forward

With the global market for warehouse roboti cs expected to reach $22.4 billion by the end of 2021,
Yaskawa Nordic Sales Director Lee Moulder outlines the advantages of pairing of roboti cs with
intelligent warehouse soft ware to pack mixed pallets for shipping from warehouses.

n 2018, American companies spent approximately and brought to a depalletising station where they are
$1.5 trillion on logistical expenses. It’s a jaw- de-layered, depending on how much you require. From there,
Idropping number that underpins the importance of the items are picked/buff ered and then sent off to the mixed
supply chain management to businesses. At the heart of palletisers to prepare for shipment.
any logistics system is the warehouse.
Apart from reducing the complexity of the process
Th e food and beverage industry, for example, often and need for manual intervention, the use of robotics in
consists of mixed case warehouses. Th ese are the centres warehouses has other benefi ts too. First, it helps to reduce the
to distribute pallets to the diff erent stores, and they house number of items that stores order from a warehouse. In the
various products and items under the same roof. past, they would have to order complete layers or an entire
pallet, which would impact storage space on their end. Second,
Each store has its own unique set of requirements and the orders are packed more effi ciently. Th ere won’t be crushed
not all of them will order the exact same items from the or damaged items, reducing the need to send back the goods.
warehouse. As a result, the centres need to pack diff erent And fi nally, the accuracy of robots is unmatched. Th ere’s no
orders every day for the various stores. It’s a complex process, more guessing as you know exactly what went out, how much
especially when you consider the importance of kosher and when.
products being packed separately and even the specifi c
number of goods requested by each store. While the benefi ts are clear, many businesses fear that
introducing robotics into their operation will require a drastic
In the past, most of these warehouse tasks were overhaul of their current equipment and processes. But that
done manually by workers. As businesses demand more isn’t the case since robots are designed to integrate into other
effi ciency and accuracy, however, there’s been a shift towards systems. Th ey are even fl exible enough to adapt to existing
automating processes and uncovering smart solutions. warehouse spaces, fi tting in where needed.

Th anks to the pairing of robotics with intelligent What will be necessary, though, is training on two levels.
warehouse software, the process is now simplifi ed. It takes Th e fi rst is the standard maintenance training that’ll help
away the manual process of having to do everything by hand, identify potential faults before they happen. Th e second
which is not only laborious, but more vulnerable to human is operator training, which includes the basic principles of
error. robotics as well as on-site cell and application-specifi c training.

Using the combination of robotics and software like Seeing powerhouses like Alibaba and Google invest millions
IPS, you’ll be able to create the perfect pallet. For instance, a in robotic logistics is an eye-opener for every business. With the L O GI S T I CS NEWS
retail store requires wine, tinned food and chips. IPS groups global market for warehouse robotics expected to reach $22.4
the order and sends it to the warehouse control system. Th e billion by the end of 2021, it’s abundantly clear that there’s a
individual pallets containing the specifi c items are picked out new dawn in supply chain management processes. •

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