Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.18
How does 6 River Systems improve training time? 6 River Systems’ solution uses a system-directed workflow that self-trains an associate as they complete their picking, replenishment, or various other tasks in the warehouse. Our collaborative robot “Chuck” will guide associates to locations following a pre-planned path that can change dynamically, so they don’t have to know where products are stored or the fastest way to get there. Once at the location, Chuck offers simple and clear instructions on how to perform their picking work. Associates don’t need to learn complex WMS RF terminal sequences or, worse, fuss around with a…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.75
Robots are hot in warehouses right now, with strong double-digit growth projected by most analysts over the next few years. There’s a big difference, however, between knowing that robotics has market momentum, and knowing how to properly scope an automation solution. The dilemma with scoping robotics for a distribution center (DC) is that plenty of “it depends” are involved in finding a good fit. It depends on what warehouse workflow you want to automate. It depends on order mix and volume, product dimensions, layout and labor considerations. That said, if you back up from these parameters, some best practices emerge…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 34.10
Whether it’s a 15-month ROI, $8.5M in savings, or a projected net present value (NPV) of $7.1M, our customers shared exciting feedback that we couldn’t keep to ourselves. Gordon Mackenzie, VP of Technology, CSAT Solutions: “6 River Systems is helping us improve productivity, accuracy and our time to fulfillment.” You know the drill. To get a job done, you can balance three variables: speed, accuracy and cost. If you’re pushing your team to pick and pack faster, you’re likely going to sacrifice some accuracy. However, when Gordon Mackenzie of CSAT Solutions brought Chucks into his operation, his team met SLAs…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.48
The Kroger Co. last week said it is launching its Customer Fulfillment Center in Monroe, Ohio, the first of its kind in the U.S. to combine “vertical integration, machine learning, and robotics with affordable, friendly, and fast delivery service for fresh food.” The company will be using technology from Ocado Group PLC under a partnership that began in 2018. Cincinnati-based Kroger was founded in 1883 and has close to 500,000 associates serving 60 million households annually. Hatflield, U.K.-based Ocado has been developing robots, artificial intelligence, and automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) for online grocers such as Ocado Retail Ltd.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.10
There are pros and cons for each of the warehouse picking methodologies chosen for fulfillment operations. Zone picking is ideal for very large operations where pickers must travel long distances to complete an order or for smaller sites with very high order volume where congestion is an issue. A common challenge associated with zone picking is predicting where your associates will need to be based on inventory slotting and the order pool for the day. Incorrectly predicting zones results in overworking some associates while others wait around with nothing to do. Armed with knowledge of this challenge, we tackled the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.16
Warehouses, distribution centers, and loading docks are chaotic places. Unloading messy trailers and getting billions of e-commerce orders delivered on time involves backbreaking, repetitive work. These tasks are ideal for automation, but solving this challenge has been a holy grail of logistics, according to Pickle Robot Co. The Somerville, Mass.-based startup said it has done so in only 18 months and with limited funding by focusing on human ingenuity and problem solving. “At Pickle, we think of our robots less like Terminators and more like sled dogs. No one expects a team of dogs to run the Iditarod on their…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.61
Both system-directed, and swarm robots, are types of collaborative mobile robots, ones that work closely alongside your associates. These types of systems attempt to increase productivity rates compared to manual cart picking by reducing unnecessary walking and manual labor, speeding up workflows and reducing training time. Both approaches can provide benefits over cart-based picking, but there are significant differences as well. Before comparing and contrasting methodologies, let’s define each robotic approach. System-directed picking robots At its simplest, an associate meets a robot and is directed from pick to pick. This can be broken into traditional zones or utilize a more…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.53
ProMat DX this week included exhibits, keynotes, and educational sessions for manufacturing and supply chain professionals from over 140 countries. Among them were numerous discussions around robotics and automation. This year's ProMat was different from previous conferences and trade shows. The materials handling event had been co-located with Automate at McCormick Place in Chicago for several years, but after the last in-person event in 2019, the organizers of the two events decided to go their separate ways. ProMat 2021 was also virtual, but organizers said they expect to return to Atlanta for Modex 2022 (the events alternate years). Here are…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.40
Robotics, artificial intelligence, and, increasingly, integration with other enterprise systems are helping warehouse operators to meet increased demand, according to inVia Robotics Inc. The Los Angeles-based company provides mobile robots and software driven by artificial intelligence to improve fulfillment center efficiency. The COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated e-commerce demand, but scarce labor has persisted as a driver of automation, said Lior Elazary, co-founder and CEO of inVia Robotics, which promoted its software at ProMat DX this week. “The uptick started in May of last year, and some customers have seen the largest volumes than they've ever seen,” he told Robotics…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.68
Advanced Handling Systems LLC yesterday announced that it is partnering with Caja Robotics to optimize a Midwest distribution facility for an unnamed major retailer. The companies said they will combine Advanced Handling Systems' experience in warehouse automation with Caja's goods-to-person technology on their first project together. For more than 45 years, Advanced Handling Systems (AHS) has supplied integrated fulfillment and distribution systems within the supply chain. The Erlanger, Ky.-based company said it uses its six-step DesignBuild process to understand a customer's “current state.” AHS provides automation, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and other equipment to improve productivity, order cycle times, and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.40
Geekplus Technology Co. today announced that it has collaborated with Asda Logistics Services and AMH Material Handling to launch an automated sorting system Asda's distribution center in South Elmsall, U.K. The partners said the system will enable Asda to continue growing its parcel collection and returns business. “We're pleased to be one of the first retailers in the U.K. to pioneer the Geek+ S20C robots in our National Sortation Centre working in collaboration with partners at Geek+ and AMH,” stated Jon Parry, vice president of Asda Logistics Services (ALS). “The robots work alongside our colleagues, enabling us to drive greater…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 25.28
…environment for associates, they added. They added that their micro-fulfillment solution can match the productivity of an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) with faster startup and less infrastructure. “This partnership demonstrates that Tompkins Robotics and GreyOrange are expanding to deliver the leadership and expertise their clients need to transform their businesses for the future,” said Mike Futch, president and CEO of Tompkins Robotics. “From solution detailing to implementation and collaboration on specific projects, the GreyOrange and Tompkins Robotics teams work to provide their partners with business, technical, sales and marketing resources to enable them to grow their business and…