FEATURE Automated Warehousing
Warehouse 4.0 – the future of logistics is automated
Nigel Platt, Lead Business Manager, UK and Ireland – Robotics And Discrete Automation, discusses how logistics and distribution centres are dealing with the growing pressures from trends in consumer behaviour
Robotic automation presents the ideal solution for logistics operators looking for ways to handle both a greater variety of parcels and increasing volumes
E
very day, logistics centres are faced with extraordinary tasks, such as the fast and effi cient sorting, forwarding and
commissioning of products. Problems arise when logistics centres can no longer cope with the demands for products and rapid volumes growth, resulting in delivery diffi culties and delays.
The logistics industry has been under
increasing pressure for years, which is closely related to our behaviour. Trends such as growing e-commerce, 24-hour deliveries and increasing degree of personalisation make the tasks for distribution centres increasingly complex. This is contrasted by the quantity of goods and deliveries being handled and their increasing complexity. Automation solutions remove manual
and repetitive tasks, leaving workers to perform more complex and demanding tasks. In addition, automation signifi cantly speeds up goods handling and clearance. However, robots have so far mainly been used to process large standard orders. In growth markets such as e-commerce, on the other hand, they are not yet very widespread, as they require the handling of individual small deliveries and robots
14 February 2021 | Automation
have to master a high degree of complexity and task variance.
Automation of tasks Logistics centres are increasingly reaching their capacity limits. The work in logistics is usually repetitive and tiring, making it diffi cult to get good qualifi ed personnel. So, on the one hand, the automation of these areas means a relief and better use of employees, on the other, it is also the only chance to fully meet demand. Here ABB provides solutions for various tasks that relieve the burden on the employee: • Depalletising: Automated unloading and sorting of pallets or boxes/bundles of diff erent sizes by a robot using AI and image processing (3D vision). • Sequencing: To make perfect use of capacities and avoid downtime, robots forward goods in a targeted manner or store them temporarily. • Order picking: Using image
processing, robots stack articles and crates in such a way that they are packed as compactly as possible and can be shipped. • Order picking “goods to robot”: Robots pack the ordered goods into packages. Thanks to AI-based technology, they can grip products of diff erent sizes and weights.
• Separation and sorting induction: AI-based technology supports the robot when gripping and sorting small items of diff erent sizes. • Consolidation of outgoing orders and
goods: Automated solutions sort products and packages on pallets or transport systems, for example, in such a way that the available space is used perfectly. Eff ective order processing in the logistics centre also means a further step towards sustainable production. Rapid provisioning is what makes production ‘on demand’ possible and can thus prevent overproduction and reduce storage costs.
Flexibility, simplification and modularity
But how do manufacturers of automation solutions meet the requirements of logistics? ABB relies on expertise from other markets, coupled with new technologies that enable not only the Warehouse 4.0 but end-to-end automation of the entire value chain. ABB sees logistics as one of the largest potential growth markets: The prerequisite for the targeted use of robots is a more systematic structure of logistics centres, which has only become established in recent years.
automationmagazine.co.uk
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