FEATURE WAREHOUSING & STORAGE
ROBOTICS TAKE INTRALOGISTICS to the next level in the warehouse
Perception-controlled, mobile robots are designed to navigate freely and dynamically among a human workforce. Magazino CEO Frederick Brantner talks to MHL about the technology
WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY BEHIND TORU? TORU is Magazino’s perception- controlled logistic robot driven by its own ROS (robot operating system) via onboard computer and runs on lithium ion batteries. Designed to navigate freely and dynamically among a human workforce TORU operates between regular shelves, picking a wide range of individual objects using laser sensors at the front and rear to navigate and detect obstacles or humans in its path. When it arrives at the right shelf TORU looks into the compartment by using its cross laser and camera. By analysing the laser lines on the item with the camera TORU can calculate the item’s dimensions, orientation and distance. With this information the movement of its gripper to retract the desired item from the shelf can be processed. TORU currently comes in three formats:
Cube, Box and Flex. While the first two focus on picking individual items from shelves using precision instruments designed to grip and carry box shaped items and other cuboid objects, TORU Flex uses three articulated digits to grip less standard shaped items that do not otherwise come in boxes. As such, the technology involved is considerably more complicated than Box and Cube.
WHAT ARE ADVANTAGES OVER AUTOMATED SYSTEMS? Most importantly, we provide an automated solution for picking individual items. We enable item specific picking which up to now has been difficult to execute. Current warehouse picking
for humans, complementing the regular workforce and able to operate in and around environments with high levels of uncertainty. Its inherent flexibility allows it to adapt to novel objects, tasks and any warehouse in which it is placed. Their self-contained nature makes
them easily scalable from one unit to as many as are required. TORU’s inbuilt task editor, database connectivity and incorporation of cloud infrastructure makes it easy to adapt to new environments and changing needs.
systems are typically units operating on rails. They use standardised carriers and complete recurring tasks set within very precise parameters. Highly structured, they operate in static environments with absolutely minimised uncertainty in regard to how items are stacked and where they need to be placed. The obvious downside of such systems is their inflexibility to changing needs as well as the high upfront cost for owners. As the processes for picking in these systems are highly prescribed and predetermined, should there be failure of any one step then the whole chain is broken and picking stops. Humans are unable to directly work alongside these systems as they would create too many variables for the highly structured environments needed which in the worst cases can lead to industrial accidents. By contrast TORU is designed to
navigate freely between shelves designed
Designed to navigate freely and dynamically among a human workforce TORU operates between regular shelves
WHICH SECTORS BENEFIT MOST? Our tests cases to date have been primarily in intralogistics, everywhere where batch size 1 is required, particularly in ecommerce and at fulfillment providers. Current customers include DHL and Sigloch (a major book distributor in Germany).
HOW DOES COST COMPARE WITH SIMILAR SYSTEMS? Compared with other automation systems TORU is less expensive because of its much lower upfront costs. Customers can start with one or two robots and then extend the fleet according to requirements. Compared to the overall labour costs of a human pickers on a cost per pick basis TORU pays for itself in about three years; working double shifts the robot pays off in around two.
Magazino T: +49 89 215524150
www.magazino.eu
DEHUMIDIFIERS CONTROL EXCESS MOISTURE WITHIN STORAGE FACILITY
When leading aerospace component manufacturer Preci-Spark invested in a new 600m3 storage facility Calorex specified and supplied two DH150 ducted dehumidifiers to maintain humidity levels. “With the wide variety and large number of components we manufacture
there is a multitude of associated tooling for the jobs,” explains Will Jones. “This requires storage at the right humidity levels. We have been installing Calorex equipment since 2007 and found their products to be a reliable and effective way of controlling humidity in our storage areas.” Calorex DH150 dehumidifiers at the Preci-Spark facility provide a reliable and efficient method of solving problems of excess moisture and condensation that can cause damage and deterioration. Drying by traditional heating involves continuously warming a stream of
outside air on a constant ‘in and out’ cycle equivalent to eight times the volume of the room every hour. Dehumidification is much more
S8 JULY/AUGUST 2016 | MATERIALS HANDLING & LOGISTICS
sophisticated; it recirculates the same air and physically removes moisture from it. Typically, for every unit of energy that a Calorex dehumidifier consumers it will convert 2.5 times this amount to useable heat. The potential energy savings are huge; compared to traditional heat and ventilation energy cost savings of 500% are not unusual. “There has been some ongoing challenges with combing the right
amount of heating to the storage areas combined with the dehumidification but I am overall happy with the performance of the DH150s. We will be returning to Calorex for any future requirements.” The DH150, 300 and 600 high performance dehumidifiers from Calorex
are versatile floor standing units that are suitable for applications including Industrial agricultural, warehousing/equipment stores, metals storage.
Calorex Heat Pumps T: 01621 856611
www.calorex.com
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