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From the outset, what Fictiv and Xometry appear to do is no more than matchmaking. It’s the principle pioneered by tech disruptors such as Airbnb, applied to manufacturing. Airbnb matches those seeking short-term living accommodations with those who happen to have extra space that can accommodate travelers. Thus, a whole new ecommerce infrastructure was born to satisfy the backpackers and…
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Printed electronics developers have started launching the technology into the third dimension, throwing off the constraints of flat, 2D architectures to integrate electronics directly into a product’s geometry. Until recently, electronics companies designed and manufactured components, systems and layers in 2D. Then they finished off the lengthy process by performing steps like drilling, pressing and plating to connect the separate…
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The promise of the IIoT Distribution and fulfillment centers need to maximize the uptime of their material handling equipment and systems to meet growing customer demands. In recent years, distribution centers have been looking to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) with optimism as a way to solve many of their complex challenges. According to the Material Handling Institute’s annual…
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized Better Buildings Alliance partner REI for the energy productivity advances made in its Arizona distribution center located in Goodyear, Ariz. Supporting 40% of the co-op’s stores and employing more than 200 people, the center has achieved an annual energy savings of 18% and annual cost savings of $170,000 from the baseline in…
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RightHand Robotics (RHR), a leader in providing integrated robotic piece-picking solutions, has partnered with PALTAC Corp., Japan’s largest wholesaler of consumer packaged goods. The collaboration will introduce RightHand’s newest piece-picking solution to the Japanese market, with multiple workstations to be installed in PALTAC’s newest facility, RDC Saitama, opening later in 2019 in Sugito, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Japan represents a huge…
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Focused on developing fast, efficient fulfillment operations that meet the needs of today’s e-commerce customer, more companies are investing in robotic solutions that help them meet those demands. By providing an automated alternative to traditional picking and packing systems, robots are also helping companies offset a scarcity of skilled labor and an unemployment rate that’s hovering at historically low rates.…
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When it comes to software for maintenance in distribution centers, being integrated is not the same thing as being rigid. While the trend is toward adding more data and functionality into a single computerized maintenance management system 〈CMMS〉, insisting on having everything in one CMMS may not be the answer for every DC. On a practical level, many DCs have…
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Is Amazon In-Sourcing or Creating a New Service? You Already Know Amazon didn’t get to where it is today (hitting a market cap of $1 trillion in Sept. 2018) by resting on its laurels. At the time I wrote this, Amazon’s market cap is $777.8 billion. We can all rest assured that Amazon is looking to get back up to…
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If last year’s “Annual Warehouse and Distribution Center (DC) Equipment Survey” reflected the need to quickly ramp up on systems, this year’s survey still indicates a bullish outlook, albeit a more cautious one. With multiple years of strong economic growth, expanding e-commerce, and low unemployment, many DC organizations are weighing their next steps for keeping pace with flush economic times.…
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Automation and Artificial Intelligence The Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program released new research that analyzes the impacts of automation on the American workforce, examining data focused on the mix of industries, geographies, and demographic groups across the U.S. The report, titled Automation and Artificial Intelligence: How machines are affecting people and places, offers projections for how automation and artificial intelligence will…
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Robotics are making their way into warehouses and DCs around the world, but it’s not an end-all. It takes a complete end-to-end solution, which means investing in the right type of robotics combined with a holistic approach to integration into your operations. Focused on developing fast, efficient fulfillment operations that meet the needs of today’s e-commerce customer, more companies are…
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GEODIS Indianapolis, Ind. Size: 250,000 square feet Products: Apparel and fashion Stock Keeping Units: 30,000 Throughput: 20,000 units per day Shifts: 1 shift per day/7 days a week Read more about the GEODIS e-fulfillment center in the feature article from February 2019 Modern Material Handling Magazine. GEODIS is one of a handful of third-party logistics (3PLs) providers that have embraced…
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More than 6.5 million. That’s how many units GEODIS, the global third-party logistics (3PL) provider, had picked to a fleet of mobile collaborative robots (Locus Robotics, locusrobotics.com) as of mid-December 2018. 175 and counting. That’s the number of cobots GEODIS had deployed across its North American facilities as of that date. 2x. That’s the productivity improvements that GEODIS realized since…
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According to a new report from Tractica, a market intelligence firm that focuses on human interaction with technology, the demand for robots is at a tipping point that could lead to widespread adoption of robots in warehouses and logistics operations to assist and displace human workers. The report indicates a growing number of warehousing and logistics companies are incorporating robots…
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This month, the Supply Chain Group editorial team offers Logistics Management readers a preview of the latest warehouse and distribution center management equipment, automation and software products that will be introduced on this year’s trade show floor. Run two voice-directed picking solutions together The Lydia Voice Co-Exist Solution is targeted to Vocollect Voice customers who want to add Lydia Voice…
From geometry preparation to AI-assisted analysis, integrated CFD workflows…
Software-based GripperAI manages mixed picking through basic geometry
Safety, communication and motion control components enable smooth operation
North America’s largest robotics and automation event winds down
