FEATURE u Warehousing & Materials Handling
ELECTRIFICATION IN WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION
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By Daniel Walldorf, Strategy and Business Development Manager, TE Connectivity Additionally, electrification limits the carbon
s the world continues to grapple with the ongoing effects of COVID-19, one trend has become incredibly clear:
consumers prefer to shop online. Ecommerce and online grocery shopping have skyrocketed. A Coresight Research US online grocery survey found that online grocery sales surged from 22% in 2019 to 40% in 2020 – a trend that is not likely to go away soon. As consumers have become accustomed to
ordering groceries and necessities from their living-room sofas, the expectation to receive these products within only a few days has become the norm. The demand for goods to be delivered quickly and efficiently has never been so high. However, warehouses responsible for
producing and delivering on these consumer expectations face severe labour shortages and high employee turnover rates. For example, the Seattle Times found that Amazon’s employee turnover rate from March 1 to September 19, 2020, was 111%. Warehouse manufacturing and logistics is a labour-intensive field – from physically picking line items to managing grocery items that require cold storage. Between increasing pressure to deliver
goods faster and a decreasing labour pool from which to meet these demands, one solution becomes clear: Warehousing must move toward automation – and it must do so quickly!
TOWARD AUTOMATION Warehouse managers that are exploring additional paths to automation must first ask where they are and where they want to go. There are various levels of automation, ranging from systems that increase labour efficiency
20 July/August 2021 Irish Manufacturing
over semi-automated to fully-automated solutions. The majority of warehouses today operate with a hybrid model where parts of the operation are automated and other parts are performed manually. Doing so allows companies to more easily address labour shortages, as hybrid automation technology is designed to ease employee workload. In addition, hybrid automation systems improve and optimise warehouse operations to help meet increasing demand faster. Beyond enhancing speed and capacity of operation, warehouse automation also improves storage. This is especially important in the grocery storage space, where people prefer to let machines work in colder temperatures and conditions, improving the work environment for employees. Automated guided vehicles can perform the required labour in cold storage spaces, reducing the need for individuals to work in these uncomfortable conditions.
ELECTRIFICATION AS AN ENABLER A major enabler for advancing automation in warehouses is electrification. Battery and electric drive technology are essential to enable highly-automated solutions like the use of autonomous vehicles and automated storage systems. Additionally, this technology also improves the efficiency of forklifts and manual pallet trucks. Because material- handling vehicles play such a pivotal role in the warehouse by lifting and moving heavy loads, improving their overall performance is essential to enhancing operations. Electrification of these vehicles reduces downtime needed for maintenance and oil changes, which increases productivity and cost savings.
footprint of warehouses while simultaneously reducing noise pollution. As companies seek to adopt more sustainable practices and comply with ever-changing government regulations, adopting more environmental solutions is no longer optional. Because electric-powered equipment produces no direct emissions, over 20,000 pounds of carbon is removed from the environment for every 2,000 hours of electric forklift operation. Today, 65-70% of forklifts are electric –
a promising percentage. However, major advancements in lithium-ion batteries over recent years have enabled opportunistic charging capabilities of electric technologies. This type of charging often means smaller batteries, less downtime and lower costs. Enhanced battery systems lower the threshold of adoption for electric technology and optimise overall warehouse efficiency. At TE Connectivity, we recognise the immense potential in the relationship between electrification and warehouse automation. Our solutions connect controllers to sensors and actuators, providing the smart connectivity essential for operating autonomous technology and managing battery systems. From motors to batteries to chargers, our warehouse automation product portfolio is designed with electrification in mind.
As the global population continues to shift
toward e-commerce and online grocery, it is imperative that warehouses shift toward automation to meet these demands. Only then can promises of quick delivery times be met.
TE Connectivity
www.te.com
www.irish-manufacturing.com
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