Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.13
…the pandemic. Which sectors can benefit most from newer automation—consumer packaged goods, pharmaceuticals, or something else? Georgiev: Three core categories can benefit from these systems. The first is the cost of labor. Is the technology reducing the amount of labor required to operate? Distribution and fulfillment centers are good candidates for automation because they're labor-intensive. As Amazon has been growing, the number of its employees has grown alongside that of robots because of the growth in online ordering. The second is where there's a lack of qualified workers, such as in skilled trades for manufacturing. Robots are good candidates for…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.10
…us scale.” Industry interest intensifies “We've received interest from consumer packaged goods and electronics businesses, as well as in logistics and distribution-center applications,” said Sobalvarro. “For example, big robots for picking and loading pallets from conveyors can have quick recovery and be safer. Some food packaging and online retail customers already use industrial robots for speed.” “Veo's ADK [application development kit] confirmed interest—every company that got it has ordered the final version of FreeMove,” he claimed. “We never sold one to a university lab or a CTO [chief technology officer] demo lab, which can be a distraction.” “FreeMove can even…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.08
While consumer demand fluctuates, the need for more efficient supply chains continues to grow, as does demand for automation. Yale Materials Handling works closely with customers to maximize the value of its automated lift trucks. The global market for autonomous lift trucks could experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 9.5% and expansion from $2 billion in 2021 to $4.65 billion by 2030, estimated Next Move Strategy Consulting. Similarly, Markets and Markets forecast a CAGR of 12.7% from $3.1 billion in 2021 to $6.4 billion in 2027. Fortune Business Insights predicted an automated forklift CAGR of 8.3%, from $416.7 million…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.07
…of new capabilities, and we typically use cobots in goods-to-person picking.” “We use AMRs for things like tramming, the guided movement of products and bins,” he added. “When it comes to industrial automation, we also deploy automated lifts for the movement of pallets. For automated storage and retrieval systems [ASRS], it depends on the size, shape, density, and weight of the product. We'd deploy it in the right place.” Interoperability and customer service As production and logistics environments start to use multiple types of robots from different vendors, interoperability and management have become concerns. Is GXO monitoring efforts by organizations…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.07
…such as Carrefour, Decathlon, Gap, and Uniqlo trust its goods-to-person robots to profitably navigate rapid shifts in business models and customer experiences. It said it combines hardware and software to drive operational efficiency, add resilience, and improve working conditions for warehouse operators. Exotec last year raised $335 million in Series D funding and last month marked the manufacture of its 4,000th robot. Exotec adds to Skypod road map “Since the beginning of Exotec, people wanted solutions—they're not buying robots; they want ways to improve productivity,” said Arthur Bellamy, chief revenue officer at Exotec. “That's our value proposition, and we had…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.92
The combination of high-density automated storage systems with goods-to-person picking has brought new efficiencies to distribution, especially e-commerce fulfillment. Quite simply, order selectors who can stand in one place to pick can fill more orders than those who have to walk through a facility to do their work. In Mindelheim, Germany, Grob-Werke GmbH & Co. KG, a family-owned manufacturer of machines and assembly systems for manufacturing operations, turned to that same combination to streamline the way it picks and kits materials in a new logistics center to replenish assembly stations in its adjacent manufacturing plant. After all, if you think…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.87
…also looking at food and beverage, as well as consumer packaged goods,” he said. “The majority of our customers have no robots or were burned in the past. They don't have the expertise or margins for big investments.” “If the robot works really well, we’ll use it a lot,” Bob Albert told Reuters. His family owns Polar Hardware Manufacturing, a metal stamping factory in Chicago that uses Formic's services. “We're helping to make everything from incense to traffic cones,” Farid said. “We're starting in an area 200 to 300 miles around Chicago, plus South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. We expect…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.80
…satisfaction. For example, Paltac Corp., a major wholesaler of consumer packaged goods in Japan, has streamlined its picking processes with the help of RightHand Robotics. 2. AI manages mobile robot fleets As manufacturers and supply chains adopt automation, they need to control and manage their growing fleets of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Fleet management systems (FMS) from the robot vendors or third-party software providers can help. An FMS allows users or operators to centrally supervise numerous mobile robots from multiple devices via standard communication protocols. They can use devices incuding laptops, tablets, or smartphones to access the robots from anywhere,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.77
…and integrators can't meet, he noted. “For example, a consumer packaged goods customer may want to replicate a workcell around the world,” explained Bubnikovich. “For that, we might go direct to provide more value than just the robot.” ABB is “building competence” in the EV space, but there are also opportunities in electronics, pharmaceuticals, and general industry, he said. “We see a ton of opportunities for SMEs with collaborative applications,” Bubnikovich added. “It's all about the ease of integration, not people handing parts to a welding robot, and there's a huge shortage of skilled labor like welders.” “Modern applications incorporate…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.47
…or shifts per day,” Allen added. “Locus robots are good for higher SKU count for CPG [consumer packaged goods], while autonomous forklifts are a better option for moving pallets.” “We serve automotive, aerospace, healthcare, food, retail, and oil and gas,” he said. “About 20% of our 400 warehouses have some automation, and we manage a total of 50 million to 60 million sq. ft. We've developed our own modeling tools based on automation category.” Ryder acquired omnichannel provider Whiplash last year and is developing its own integrated warehouse systems so that it has control over the data it sends customers.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.89
…workers in more valuable and rewarding tasks than manual goods transportation. Those advantages continue to push AMR deployments into increasingly challenging applications, from automotive and electronics manufacturing to third-party logistics (3PL) and consumer packaged goods (CPGs) providers. To address the challenges of these sophisticated new applications, AMR vendors are constantly innovating to improve their robots’ performance and ease of use, allowing more robots to move efficiently and safely through complex traffic situations. Five rapidly changing technologies are worth watching as they drive advancements and deployments of AMRs. 1. AI goes beyond the buzz to make AMRs smarter, safer “Artificial intelligence”…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.63
…said its MP1000R autonomous mobile robot (AMR) can move goods to target locations without human intervention. It uses laser simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology to note paths and traffic lanes. The MP1000R's navigation software enables it to change its map and improve over time as the user’s needs warrant. In Bosch Rexroth's booth, the AMR simulated the transport of assembled materials at the end of line from a workstation to a custom pallet rack. Both were assembled with various components from the company’s aluminum framing portfolio. In addition, the Bosch Rexroth ctrlX AUTOMATION Cube showcased the company’s ctrlX CORE…