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“There’s something happening here, What it is ain’t exactly clear”….Stephen Stills A few weeks ago I published Robotics at a tipping point. The piece focused on how 3PLs like DHL, GEODIS and Quiet Logistics are deploying mobile collaborative robots in their e-commerce fulfillment operations. One of the things that struck me is that while the implementations we’re seeing are small,…
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“There’s something happening here, What it is ain’t exactly clear”….Stephen Stills Over the years, I’ve watched the adoption of any number of new technologies, from WMS to voice recognition systems to shuttle systems. In all three examples, technologies that we take for granted today were, in reality, fairly slow to become part of what Jim Rice at MIT calls “the…
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MonarchFx, a Tompkins International company, has partnered with leading supply chain solutions provider NFI to select the first Rapid Deployment MonarchFx Center (RDMC), located in Chino, Calif. The RDMC is embedded within the NFI distribution center campus, having the capacity to provide 19 million consumers with same-day delivery, 22 million with one-day delivery, and 51 million with two-day delivery. Executives…
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According to a new report from IDC, digital transformation (DX) is the key overriding theme in IDC’s worldwide supply chain top 10 predictions for 2018, including the impact for supply chain planning, supply chain execution/fulfillment, and procurement and supply chain security. The report, IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Supply Chain 2018 Predictions, indicates that although the predictions largely focus on the near…
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Autonomous Mobile Robots One of the technology trends addressing these issues in the market is autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). As the name suggests, these robots move autonomously through a warehouse or fulfillment center, navigating their way with a digital map, sensors, cameras, and safety mechanisms while continuously updating the map of their environment. Should an obstacle be in their way,…
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BALYO SA, which designs and develops robotic trucks for materials handling, yesterday said it has opened its own logistics center in Moissy-Cramayel, France, southeast of Paris. FM Logistic will operate the distribution center, which will be part of a Prologis property and enable BALYO to demonstrate its technological innovations at scale and meet with clients and partners. “We are very…
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DHL Supply Chain today announced that it plans to acquire up to 2,000 mobile robots from Locus Robotics Corp. as part of its wider Accelerated Digitalization Strategy. The global logistics company is expanding its four-year-old relationship with Locus in its largest deployment to date. “It is particularly important for us to be able to consistently optimize our supply chains—assisted picking…
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If ever a time was ripe for robotic lift truck sales to take off, right now might be it. With the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating e-commerce demand for many types of goods, factories and fulfillment centers need to move a high volume of pallets to keep stores stocked and e-commerce order-picking systems or manual pick locations topped off with goods. Vendors…
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Fetch Robotics Inc. today announced that its entire portfolio of autonomous mobile robots conforms with ANSI/RIA R15.08, the new safety standard for industrial mobile robots. The San Jose, Calif.-based company said this means its robots are safe in all current use cases throughout warehouses, factories, distribution centers, and fulfillment centers. Fetch said its Fetch Cloud Robotics Platform combines autonomous mobile…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Honeywell International Inc. today announced a new automated storage and retrieval system that it said uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to allow warehouse and distribution center operators to better keep up with unprecedented e-commerce growth. The Charlotte, N.C.-based company said its next-generation automated storage and retrieval system 〈ASRS〉 is designed to help warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing sites receive,…
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Supply chain automation provider Berkshire Grey Inc. today announced that it recently secured new orders of $36 million. That amount included $25 million in repeat orders from an anchor customer and $11 million from new customers such as retailer Bealls Inc. The Bedford, Mass.-based company said its total orders to date have reached $184 million and its backlog has increased…
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
