FEATURE AUTOMATION
DELIVERING FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL SENSE
facility, enabling them to self-locate and navigate in real-time without the need for any physical infrastructure. “This innovative technology allows the
equipment to find the most efficient routes, and adapt to changing inventories and workflows while virtually eliminating the ongoing structural maintenance associated with wires, reflectors and magnets,” explains Farr.
REDUCED TURNOVER & TRAINING High turnover rates for warehouse workers and the cost of filling newly vacant positions places operations under pressure. And while training periods for new employees vary, one thing remains constant – training inexperienced or unskilled employees is costly. Implementing robotic equipment does
It’s an age-old question in materials handling: how do operations increase productivity while driving down costs? For many logistics applications, the introduction of robotics offers a return on investment
“
Industry 4.0 is evolving quickly, and so is the technology to support it.
Yale robotic materials handling equipment can operate without any added infrastructure and is unrestricted by fixed routes, offering great strides forward in terms of flexibility, ease of use and productivity”, said Ron Farr, warehouse solutions manager for Yale.
INCREASED UPTIME & PRODUCTIVITY Supply chain operations are under increasing pressure to get more done in less time with fewer resources. SKU proliferation and the desire for faster delivery times have defined a new ‘normal’, with services that were once considered perks, such as free two-day shipping, now an expectation for every order. In this environment, businesses have zero tolerance for downtime, and even minor interruptions can have a severe impact. “Automation is a reliable solution to
minimise the risk of downtime and unexpected delays. A robotic truck works relentlessly 24/7, only stopping for battery charging. Robotic trucks can be fitted with Lithium Titanate Oxide batteries, which can be charged very quickly and one charger can serve up to five trucks. “Yale robotic solutions follow speed
limits and respond to unexpected obstructions quickly and easily, reducing
14 MAY 2019 | MATERIALS HANDLING & LOGISTICS
the potential for downtime resulting from impacts or interruptions and ultimately improving equipment longevity,” adds Farr.
ROUTE PLANNING & ADJUSTMENT Automated materials handling equipment in warehouses has historically been bespoke, complex and inevitably expensive to both purchase and install, resulting in an inflexible solution that is unable to adapt to expansion or reconfiguration. Industry-leading Balyo geoguidance navigation technology is at the heart of the Yale solution, setting Yale robotic trucks apart from traditional automated guided vehicles on offer. With no dedicated infrastructure required, the trucks can operate autonomously without the need for any wires, magnets or reflectors. The Yale solution is fully connected to the customer environment and can be integrated into current processes quickly and easily. “After consulting with our clients, we
recognised that a major hurdle to introducing robotics in warehouses and production lines is the installation of dedicated infrastructure. Deploying Yale robotic solutions starts with walking the truck through the warehouse to build a map and learn the main routes, locate storage aisles and other characteristics. This allows them to build a map of the
The Yale solution is fully connected to the customer environment and can be integrated into current processes quickly and easily
not take high-value jobs away from operators. Instead, using automated solutions can help managers address the labour shortage and help curb turnover by freeing up employees to advance to more engaging, meaningful positions. “Robotic trucks allow logistics
operations to perform repetitive tasks, such as moving pallets and loading and unloading, in a more cost-effective way – saving valuable time and money,” adds Farr.
REAL-TIME TRUCK MANAGEMENT Whether used to plan labour, optimise fleet usage and maintenance or create ideal inventory flow, data can lead the way to cost savings and tremendous competitive advantages. Combined with telematics systems, such as Yale Vision, robotic materials handling equipment offers unparalleled visibility into overall processes and individual units, enabling adjustment and ongoing optimisation based on usage, congestion, maintenance and other data. Yale robotic trucks fully integrate with
Yale
www.yale.com T: +44 (0) 1276 538 520
existing Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, connecting data points and allowing real-time adjustments to be made. It’s possible to control traffic, assign orders to individual trucks and interface with equipment, such as automatic doors and conveyors. All Yale robotic trucks also have dual mode capability, meaning they can be switched to manual mode at the touch of a button, allowing operators to complete non- automated tasks without the need for separate equipment.
/ MATERIALSHANDLINGLOGISTICS
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