FEATURE Robotics & Motion Control y
be processed and re-dispatched within 24 hours, with many being re-dispatched within an hour. Present volumes allow for 180 picks an hour from mixed sku locations, double that of the previous manual operation, however, with higher volumes, single sku bins will enable picks of around 300 items per hour, or more when taking multiples from the same bin. Other benefits from the robotic goods-to-
person system include: increased accuracy, reduced cost per pick, no major infrastructure changes, enhanced flexibility and scalability, as well as greater storage density, which has reduced warehouse space requirements. This spring, the Burton-upon-Trent site
sees the installation of 40 more Hikrobot robots in an expansion of the existing goods-to-person system. The enlarged operation will handle the entire picking and put-away of womenswear for retail, ecommerce and wholesale. Over 80,000 sq ft of the warehouse is being set out with 1000 transportable pick-wall modules and the area is being equipped with a total of twelve pick-to-light stations. The site is also being prepared for the 46-unit strong robot fleet by positioning QR codes on the floor for the robots to follow. The simplicity of the robot guidance
system allows for fast and flexible layout changes and the inherent flexibility of this modular approach facilitates easy expansion of the system. Should more robots be needed to boost capacity, they can be simply added. Menswear will follow later with an estimated requirement for 60 more
robots and expectations are for the further deployment of Hikrobot carriers in Belgium and the USA, as the project progresses. Gordon Knox, director of Logistics at
Superdry, explains the reasons behind the investment: “The adoption of robotics has come about through a requirement to cut operating costs and to reduce our reliance on labour. The headcount we needed to attract during peak periods was resulting in us having to adjust our pay structure beyond what we ideally wanted to pay.” He adds: “To increase outbound capacity,
it wasn’t just a matter of hiring 10 more pickers, it was a case of ramping up other activities, such as replenishment, to support those additional pickers.” Interestingly, the use of robots did not
feature in Superdry’s initial thinking when it came to the use of automation. A few years ago, faced with an issue of mounting returns from stores, the business considered investing in an automated storage and retrieval system. The project would have required a commitment to heavy equipment being bolted to the floor and so was not seen as being flexible enough for any future changes that may occur in the business. As it happens, it was the right decision – the business model changed and store returns were dramatically reduced. “This was a wake-up call on the level of
flexibility we required,” says Knox. “So when it came to looking at using automation to speed-up the processing of ecommerce returns – making them available for sale again quickly –
we looked at the huge flexibility robots could offer us in an automated goods- to-person system.” After a review of the robotic solutions
available on the market, Superdry partnered with UK based warehouse solutions provider, Invar – supplier of Hikrobot systems in Europe. Hikrobot is part of one of China’s largest technology companies, making a wide range of intelligent warehousing solutions centred on mobile robot systems. Invar Systems has decades of industry experience, developing and implementing warehouse management and control software that connects people with automation, and so was a natural fit for providing a full turnkey solution to Superdry. Importantly, as Invar is based in the
UK, and its software is developed and maintained locally, the company is able to respond quickly to any future system requirements – allowing for simple expansion of the solution by plugging-in hardware as needed, without any disruption to the operation. This phased introduction of technology, to match changing business needs, helps smooth Capex. “The more we looked at the capability
and flexibility of robotic systems the more we could see how they could be used within our operations,” says Knox. “So we decided to test the concept. In the Autumn of 2018 we brought in six Hikrobot robots, which we viewed as having just about enough capacity to deal with our UK ecommerce returns – getting them back and ready for resale as quickly as possible. “As the system involved putting stock
away and picking at various velocities and volumes, it was a great test-bed for multiple applications of the system. We found that inventory accuracy was significantly improved and the tests far exceeded our expectations on throughput and productivity.” “The installation of the Invar pick-to-
light system and the setting up of the Hikrobot carriers to follow the QR codes all went really well,” adds Knox. “It has been a real partnership experience working with Invar and Hikrobot, and we’ve certainly benefited from learning about the full capabilities of the robots and the flexibility of the system.” He concludes: “The proof of the success
of the relationship between Superdry, Invar and Hikrobot is that we have continued to expand the solution and have plans to further roll-out the system to our facility in the USA.”
CONTACT:
Invar Systems Web:
www.invarsystems.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
Automation | June 2020
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