They used to be the characters from science fiction but now they are all around us. Robots change our lives in so many ways and they have been doing so for years. They record our shows, cook our food, play our music, and even run our cars. In recent years they also became a valuable addition to the warehouse workforce. Of course, some people face the major fear that robots and automation will replace people, despite work design principles that tell us - technology should be used as a tool to assist. The reason of this article is to get robots out of the negative fiction and to share with you qualities that have made them so valuable not inside Hollywood blockbusters but right now in the world of intralogistics.
While in Boston Dynamics they teach their Humanoid Robot to show off some gymnastic tricks and to do a backflip (check it out, it is actually pretty cool), we at SSI SCHÄFER make sure that robots are being used to help with warehouse solutions to work faster and smarter.
What makes robots such a valuable addition to the warehouse workforce is that they can:
Work 365 days 24/7 with some downtime for maintenance
Achieve high volumes and deliver high quality results
Perform almost error free
Do the same tasks without getting distracted and bored
Lift some very heavy loads
Work under bad conditions, in workplace with low temperature, poor lightening, toxic chemicals etc.
Order picking and tracking are only some of the warehouse processes that could be improved by robots. In particular, order picking is a labor-intensive operation requiring close to half the warehouse workforce in a manual operation. With the increase in manpower costs and the increasing difficulty in employing workers for the job which can be strenuous and monotonous, it is one area of the warehouse operation which can do with automation.
Yet, it is one of the most challenging tasks in the warehouse to automate, as it is difficult to replicate the human eye and human hand. With technology breakthroughs, the industry has overcome this challenge. Today we have available order picking robots that can achieve over 2,000 picks an hour. They can be integrated into existing warehouse infrastructure and put to work immediately without prior ‘training’. It is not necessary to program the individual articles beforehand or record their properties. With their capacity to work 24/7 with some time off for scheduled daily maintenance, they are ideal for the high of e-commerce with high demands for quick turnaround. For the health sector, where it is crucial not to make errors while picking orders, robots ensure efficient operation as well as precise identification and verification conformable to law of products in the course of tracking & tracing.
Stacking and unstacking are not only tedious but potentially damaging for the employees health. Carrying a carton of canned drinks once a day is easy, but doing it repeatedly throughout the day can cause back aches and repetitive-stress injuries. In the food and drinks industry, manual handling and lifting are estimated to cause some 30% of all acute injuries. Most countries have some guidance on manual lifting at work, but some have gone a step further to safeguard workers’ health and safety by specifying the maximum load that workers can be expected to lift, lower, pull, push or carry a day.
For companies operating in countries with stringent standards, automation is a necessity, and robots are seen to be a viable alternative more and more often. They can lift heavy loads of over 40 kgs day in, day out, without feeling the weight, even in challenging environment like loading docks which can be very hot or very cold. With some advancements robots can be put to work as a part of the bigger system to undertake a multitude of tasks such as retrieving boxes and placing them on conveyors or sorters, palletising and depalletising, and of course stacking and unstacking.
Modern-day robots have an ace over their predecessors - mobility. With vision technology they can ‘see’ the shape of something even in low light. With touch technology, they can sense irregularities or problems with items, prompting them to ‘adjust’ their behavior, automatically working their way around obstacles. These autonomous machines can be valuable helpmates cutting down on unnecessary walking. In our warehouses, they can be used to move products from shelves to order fulfillment zones. It an oversize distribution center in a largely manual operation, an order picker can walk as much as 10 kms a day. Imagine what that would mean for packers’ efficiency if robots can bring the products to the pick stations for picking.
It will be fair to say that today we are at the age of a new revolution when humans work alongside with robots. It makes things so much more efficient and flexible. With these increased capabilities, companies can advance their operation. But like most things, it is not suitable for everyone. The implementation of fully automated systems and robots is not necessary for all logistics centers without exception.
If you are planning to build a new warehouse or the extension of the existing facility, our experts at SSI SCHÄFER can help you weigh up your options and provide you with the warehouse solution that will suit your needs the best.
