material handling: technology on the forefront · unit sorter systems used with a conveyor to sort...

Material Handling: Technology on the Forefront

Presented by:

Tony Del CidDirector - Applications Engineering & Site Management

Trigger Points to Consider Automation

Looks really cool!

Introduction

Growth Increase

Productivity

Drop in Cost of

Technology

Reduce Dependency on

Labor

Fulfillment / Distribution Centers

Storage / putaway processing

Picking and order fulfillment

Order processing and transportation

Transportation to packing and value added services

Outbound sortation and shipments

Where to Automate

Automation Options

Robotics and Automation is Becoming:

Smarter

Safer

Faster

More accurate

Less expensive

Able to Perform “Human” Traits Such as:

Sensing

Dexterity

Memory and learning

Performing simple repetitive material handling tasks

Separation between man and machine is disappearing

Robotics & Automation Driverless Vehicles and Drones:

Rapidly advancing technology

Flexible and scalable

Movement of material and product across a

facility, real time inventory accuracy, and last

mile delivery

Wearable and Mobile Technology:

Provide convenient and immediate access to

information

Provide data about the wearer and the

environment

Step by step instructions can reduce training

Smart AGV’s & Autonomous Vehicles

Lift Truck & Conveyor AlternativeTransport materials between work areasMove loads from receiving to staging or directly to putawayDeliver goods to pack stations or shippingLoads per hour: 30% – 50% more efficient than traditional lift trucks

Advantages:

Flexible travel paths which can be reconfigured

Can be configured to handle various load types

Can work in a variety of conditions (refrigerator/cooler)

Large capacity

No labor required

Operate continuously

Ability to load/unload racking in some instances

Increased accuracy & safety

Disadvantages:

Higher initial investment

Less flexibility compared to a traditional lift truck fleet

Slower travel speeds

Robotics & Automation

AS/RS

Unit-load AS/RSSystem stores and retrieves pallets to be picked and transported to pick and pack stationOrders can also be sent to shippingLoads per hour (dual cycle): 100 – 150

Advantages:

Very narrow aisle (4’-5’)

Lift height capacity to 160’

High load weight capacity (up to 12,000 lbs.)

Very high lift speeds (200 fpm)

Very high travel speeds (700 fpm)

Excellent item security

Reduces building expansions

Disadvantages:

Very high investment cost per vehicle

Requires very good storage system install

Limits pallet throughput

Pallet size integrity

Requires quality pallets


Autonomous Picking Pallet Jacks

Lift Truck & Conveyor AlternativeAssists pick operators picking to a pallet to remain hands free by allowing the pallet jack to follow the operator via a sync’d remote or glove Loads per hour: 25% – 40% more efficient than traditional picking to pallet jacks

Advantages:

Flexible travel paths, simply follows the operator in a

fixed straight line

Can handle heavy case pick loads

Still able to operate in manual mode, as well as allows

operator to override while in auto mode to enable

pallets to be lifted for more ergonomic picking

Reduces unproductive movements and steps from

manual process of driving lift down the aisle

Increased ergonomics & safety

Disadvantages:

Higher initial investment


Automated Material Movement Vehicles

Goods-to-Person Picking AlternativeBots move shelving units (typically) to pick or pack areasCan also be utilized as a mobile pick or put to light shelf and transported to VAS or packingPicks per hour: 300 – 600

Advantages:

Shelving unit highly configurable to accommodate units, totes or cases

Typically can handle up to 1,000 lbs.

Quickly installed and implemented

Ergonomic workstations

Reduces amount of conveyor required

Simpler maintenance

Disadvantages:

Upfront investment

Ties-up floor space or requires expensive mezzanines to make best use

of building cube

Requires reconfigurations for changes in paths or functions


Automated Storage to Pick Station

High Density Shuttle SystemsSystem feeds totes or cartons to pick and pack stationsCan also be used as a flow buffer or sequencing systemLoads per hour (dual cycle): 350 – 700

Advantages:

Higher picking productivity & accuracy

Efficient space utilization (36” aisle, 40‘ high)

Restocking can occur while picking

Very good inventory & location control

Can repair or PM shuttles while system is running

Greatly reduces putaway & replenishment labor

Product can be stored in original cartons

Disadvantages:

High investment cost per system

High control system requirements

Lower flexibility/ease of reconfiguration

Storage location size fixed

Cartons/totes must be conveyable

Typically does not work well for high velocity SKU’s


Opex – Perfect Pick


Automated Storage to Pick Station

High Density Cube Storage/Retrieval SystemsSystem feeds totes or cartons to pick and pack stationsCan also be used as a flow buffer or sequencing systemLoads per hour: 50 – 100 (in) or 150 – 200 (out)

Advantages:


Highest storage density of all automated options

Restocking can occur while picking


Can repair or PM bots while system is running

Can easily expand system

Disadvantages:

High investment cost per system


Storage location size fixed

Limited to totes

Does not work well for profiles where demand is evenly spread across

SKU’s

Typically does not work well for high velocity SKU’s


Hatteland Group – AutoStore


Broken Case Goods-to-Person

Goods-to-Person Picking SystemsStation presents captive master tote with product for pick and put to order tote/cartonLines per hour: 500 – 1,000

Advantages:


Reduces wasted touches & movements

Can be set-up in a variety of configurations

Ergonomically superior to other picking methods reducing employee injuries

and lost time

Typically can easily be added to an existing system

More efficient use of space, especially when combined with an automated

storage system

Robotic arms could also be utilized to perform picks in these stations as well

Disadvantages:

Higher investment cost per station

Limited to totes

Single point of failure (if stations are down, picking is down)


Broken Case Goods-to-Person

Autobag Packing SystemsBatch pick or discrete orders can be automatically bagged at customized workstationsBags per hour: 1,200 – 3,000

Advantages:

Operational efficiencies gained in picking as well as

automating the pack process

Reduction of material waste and reduces use on expensive

corrugated boxes for certain shipments

Higher packing throughputs to deal with volume growth

Autobaggers can feed to an automated bag sorter system

Disadvantages:

Higher investment cost per station

Baggers are sized to products, so specific models have a

relatively fixed product range

May require multiple models to handle wide product mix

requiring order sortation to specific bagger stations


Picking Robots

Robotic Picking SystemsUtilizes robotic acquisition arms to physically perform the pick processRobots can also be utilized as autonomous pick cartsLines per hour: 200 – 400

Advantages:


Reduces wasted touches & movements

Easily implemented & deployed

Allows pickers to be task interleaved

Highly configurable & scalable (pick cart solution)

Makes new employee on-boarding and training simpler & faster

Maintain your existing layout (works in traditional pick shelving)

Disadvantages:

Higher initial investment cost (robotic arm solution)

Significant investment in additional bots/carts for any peaks or

demand variations

Maintenance skillset required for robotics systems very different

from traditional maintenance skillset


6 River Systems – Chuck


Unit Sortation

A FrameAutomatically dispenses product on a central belt, or directly to a tote or t-Sort botOrders can be consolidated to be sent to shippingLines per hour: 300 – 3,600

Advantages:

High Productivity

Excellent item security

Very good inventory and location control

Ok accommodating sterile packaging

Mobile solutions now available to allow for greater

configuration of overall system

Disadvantages:

Complexity

High investment cost

High maintenance cost


Low flexibility/ease of reconfiguration (with fixed units)


Unit Sortation

Unit Sorter SystemsUsed with a conveyor to sort units for order consolidation for pack outUnits per hour: 7,500 – 20,000+

Advantages:

Reduce manual movement of SKU’s

Allows for batch picking

Maximize cube of building

Reduces material handling equipment requirements

Provides sorting of individual units for order consolidation

High degree of order accuracy

Capably of extremely high sort rates

Disadvantages:

Cost

Product size restrictions

Complexity and maintenance

Not applicable for significant demand variations

Dedicated floor space

Scannable barcode for each item, tote or carton


Sortation Types

Tilt tray

Cross Belt

Bombay

Linear Belt

Unit and Parcel Sorter Robots

t-Sort by Tompkins RoboticsSorts batch picked units for order consolidation for pack outUnits per hour: 4,500 – 35,000+

Advantages:

Allows for batch picking

Reduces space requirement by 50% compared to tilt tray

Lower investment cost vs. tilt tray or cross belt

Modular design allows expansion as capacity required

Provides sorting of individual units for order consolidation

3-5 month lead time

No single point of failure

Low maintenance cost

Significantly lower energy consumption compared to tilt tray

Can be integrated with other automation

Disadvantages:

Current maximum weight capacity 11 lbs & 66 lbs

Current product size restrictions 16”x24”, 18”x16” & 19”x40”

Scannable barcode or RFID tag required for each item, tote or

carton to be sorted


Tompkins Robotics – t-Sort


Automated Each Picking

Fully Automated Each Picking SolutionPallets are automatically delayered, cases broken into totes, stored in a shuttle type system. Then shuttles feed totes to induction robots who induct to a unit sorter, completed orders are transported via AGV type bot to pack stations, packed and conveyed to shipping.

Advantages:

High levels of accuracy and storage utilization


Huge reductions in labor, only staffing required is at inbound case to tote

conversion, packing, trailer unload/load and maintenance staff


High levels of throughput capacity


Relative flexibility in adding additional storage or various task bots

Disadvantages:

Extremely high investment cost per system



Cartons must be broken open and stored in totes (limited automation potential of

this process depending on product types)


Fully Automated Case Handling

Fully Automated Case Handling SolutionPallets are automatically delayered, singulated, sent to shuttle system and then picked, palletized and wrapped for shipping

Advantages:

High levels of accuracy and storage utilization


Virtual “lights out” facility, only labor required is trailer unload/load

and maintenance staff


High levels of throughput capacity


Relative flexibility in adding additional storage or

palletizing/depalletizing robots

Product can be stored in original cartons

Disadvantages:

Extremely high investment cost per system



Cartons must be conveyable


Payload Drones


Mobile and Wearable Equipment

Wearable Computers

Android & iPhone Attachment Scanners

Voice Activated Technology

Glass & Visual Pick Direction


Questions & Discussion

Contact Us:

Tony Del [email protected]

material handling: technology on the forefront · unit sorter systems used with a conveyor to sort...

Documents