FHS-MAY24-PG26+27_Layout 1 30/04/2024 12:02 Page 26
CONVEYORS
ROBOTS VS. CONVEYORS:
A SHOWDOWN IN WAREHOUSE LOGISTICS
Thankfully, the days of manually handling parcels in warehouse sorting operations are coming to an end. Conveyors have allowed high volumes of items to be moved almost effortlessly around a facility – but they are no panacea. When businesses experience rapid growth, space is limited or sortation becomes more complex, conveyors display clear limitations. In these scenarios, it is robots from automation experts such as Prime Vision that excel.
inflexible. This means they cannot really expand with a business unless costly renovations are carried out – a handicap in markets such as e-commerce where rapid growth is the norm. When specifying
S
ortation machines are still the go-to solution for moving incredibly high volumes of parcels, but if an operation does not have this throughput or acres of available space, conveyors make less sense.
Conveyors are inherently static and
conveyors, operators need to think years into the future regarding customer demand, as equipment can only be optimised once. Space is another consideration. Conveyors
are large, which when contending with limited real-estate, is not ideal. This problem is further exacerbated if there is a wide range of picking or sorting destinations. Moving parcels to all these areas with conveyors would result in a complex jumble of equipment that poses an obstacle to warehouse personnel during an emergency, hindering escape. The final problem is the disproportionate
effect conveyor downtime can have on a sorting operation. An unforeseen breakdown on any part of the system risks bringing the entire process to a grinding halt, resulting in late deliveries, lost revenue and dissatisfied customers.
A FUTURE ALTERNATIVE AVAILABLE TODAY Flexible and anything but static, robots are proving to be a new, versatile alternative to conveyors for a wide range of logistics operations. Take Prime Vision robots for an example.
Standing 1m high with an 80cm by 60cm loading surface for parcels, Prime Vision robots offer a 35 kg carrying capacity and the ability to detect items from 100 g. Consequently, they can handle most items encountered in the postal or e-commerce markets. Guidance is achieved with onboard light
detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems, which allow the robots to avoid obstacles and personnel. By mapping out the space that the robots will operate in beforehand, all units will seamlessly navigate within it. By scanning the barcode on a parcel, the robot will identify the intended destination and calculate the best route to it. An overarching fleet management system plots the position of each unit, then deviates any that might crossover with another, reducing delays. Therefore, any robot can efficiently travel to any picking or sorting destination independently, ensuring exceptional flexibility.
26 MAY 2024 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
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 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58
