intralogistics


3. WHAT TECHNoLoGIES AND APPLICATIoNS ARE CURRENTLY SEEING MoST INTEREST?


At the moment there is huge interest in flexible tote handling systems using Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). When combined with pick-to-light technology, phenomenal pick-rates can be achieved with exceptionally high levels of accuracy. Importantly, SMEs have a great opportunity


to steal a march on larger retailers that may have committed to inflexible, fixed automated systems. By adopting intelligent software and advanced mobile robot technology, SMEs can leverage the flexibility, speed and performance of goods-to-person automation as a low-CapEx project. AMRs offer tremendous flexibility and,


importantly, scalability in traditional labour- intensive tasks such as order picking and put-away. AMR systems combined with pick-to-light technology can boost order picking performance from under 100 units per hour using traditional methods, to up to 600 picks per hour, with an RoI that can be as little as 12 months.


4. A NEW APPRoACH To AUToMATIoN


A new approach to automation comes from 3PL. Interestingly, 3PLs are beginning to explore a new approach to winning business. They are looking at putting automation in first and then approaching customers with a solution in place. The driving factor is, end customers want to see sites that offer automation as a ready-to-go solution. This emerging trend requires service


providers to speculatively invest in automation on the assumption that appropriate customers can be found. Their task will be to target industries that have a profile that matches the automation on site. Robotic systems are becoming easier to


deploy and can be simply expanded as required. A low-level, high SKU or high volume storage system may be adopted with a few robots and added to as more customers come on-stream – perfect for a multi-user facility. Importantly, the modus operandi of


logistics service providers will need to change from acquiring a customer and running a manual operation for a few months, before taking in robots, to adopting automation in advance and then finding appropriate customers. At present, a number of 3PLs are investigating this approach. With all the productivity gains that can be


achieved through the judicious application of robotics and AI, the future of warehouse automation looks bright.


Invar Group www.invargroup.com


UKManufacturing Winter 2022


Peak Performance: a survivor’s guide


D


epending on the line of trade, seasonal peaks crop up with the regularity of British Prime Ministers – from Diwali, Halloween/ Bonfire Night,


through ‘Black Friday/Cyber Monday’, all the way to Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, and Easter. The front end of this is rightly termed the ‘Golden Quarter’ – it is where most retailers make most of their sales. But the peak of peaks, is always Christmas – never easy, and this year likely to be more than usually complex and unpredictable. With the UK and world economies


teetering on recession, it is a safe bet that in volume terms, Christmas trade will be more subdued this year. Does this make coping with the seasonal peak any easier? Quite the contrary. Many consumers, exposed to inflation,


uncertain as to future income, and perhaps anticipating distress level pricing by retailers, will be postponing their purchasing to the last minute, exacerbating the ‘peak’. Meanwhile, retailers and distributors who have controlled or reduced headcount – or have failed to attract staff even for the ‘normal’ level of trade – will have fewer bodies they can call on for overtime or extra shifts. And more than ever, a sale lost because goods are not immediately available is a sale lost for good. This is true across channels. E-commerce


as a proportion of sales has fallen back a little, but at around 30 per cent is still well above pre-pandemic levels. However, resupply to physical stores this Christmas may be even more crucial – many consumers will not be buying for their Christmas events: ‘going shopping’ may be the Xmas treat. Moreover, we can expect a further peak in returns – not because the goods are in some way ‘wrong’ but because many consumers would rather have the cash value of the kindly-intended ‘gift’. With so much uncertainty, it may seem


counter-intuitive to suggest that investment in automation is an important part of the answer. Certainly, until a few years ago, ‘automation’ equated to ‘mechanisation with some intelligence’ and typically involved


serious civil and mechanical engineering, only justifiable for companies with high and predictable volumes of throughput. However, things have changed significantly. Intelligent automation is now both highly flexible and scalable, and is far simpler to install – no heavy engineering required. Far from the rigid, fixed conveyor systems


and heavily racked solutions of the recent past, Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) can navigate routes efficiently even if their geography has changed. And increasingly they can work safely alongside human co-workers, rather than having to be fenced off. Well established techniques such as pick-to-light, or pick-to-voice, coupled with appropriate automation, can offer workers far more rewarding, and error-free, conditions – improving staff retention and, perhaps, enabling wage enhancements. Using these new resources efficiently


depends on sophisticated, flexible Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) that can be easily tailored to individual applications and the simple integration of ‘best-of-breed’ hardware. Adaptability is key, for example, picking protocols, that can be incorporated and implemented centrally and ‘on the fly’ – no need to individually re- programme each machine. In addition, these solutions are more


often than not, easily scalable. It is quite a simple process to add, or subtract, AMRs and mobile shelving units, with the WMS being similarly adaptable. And increasingly, these elements are available on lease rather than outright purchase, offering businesses relatively risk-free avenues for meeting demand at peak. But perhaps, most importantly, automation


is not ‘just for Christmas’. The point is that it can be scaled and flexed to give benefits throughout the year, in both peak and slack seasons. Intelligently designed and flexibly integrated warehouse automation can bring a multitude of savings to an organisation challenged by labour shortages and a need to affordably hit peak volumes. Using automation wisely can enable a business to not just simply survive, but thrive.


Invar Group www.invargroup.com


29


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45