Warehouse robots

The growth in demand for robotics is largely because of the warehouse industry. The warehouse industry is a great contributor to technology advances and growing robotic technology. This industry deploys different types of warehouse robots for different applications. 

Industries that spend on robotic technology gain clear benefits in boosting their business. Increasing efficiency and cutting expenses are the most obvious outcomes for the companies that are using robot technology. 

Warehouse robots are advanced in navigation technology and have functional capabilities, thus warehouse industries make use of such robots for different workflows. Take a look at the applications of warehouse robots. 

Loading and unloading

Loading and unloading processes are normally performed with the help of pallet trucks and forklifts. AGVs, automated forklifts help warehouses speed up these tasks. Some robotic solutions can carry out tasks such as detaching pallets from tractor-trailers and positioning them on conveyor belts for transport. 

Palletizing and depalletizing

Pallets are used in many warehouses to send and receive products, but the process of palletizing and depalletizing is difficult and fictitious. In such cases, robotic solutions and automated palletizing equipment play an important role by reducing the burden of human labor in palletizing and depalletizing. 

These solutions have an End-of-Arm Tool (EoAT) to grasp items and place them on a pallet. There are several types of robotic palletizing solutions which include bag palletizers, case palletizers, etc. Some can even manage brittle objects.

Sorting

Warehouse robots that are created for sorting products can grab objects, recognize and position them in an accurate bin or other mentioned storage area. Though sorting seems to be an easy task, it is a difficult one to automate.  Warehouse robots for sorting are paired with conveyor systems and they use robotic arms combined with a camera to pick up objects and recognize them. The robots use algorithms to differentiate objects from other objects.

Picking

Warehouse industries are eager to adopt robotic technologies that will assist human workers to perform tasks more effectively. 

Robotic picking solutions like 6 River Systems’ Chuck depend on LiDAR for easy navigation as well as machine learning and AI to decide the most coherent routes in real-time. Chuck allows workers to emphasize only picking by autonomously driving to and from active picking. Another benefit of this technology is reduced walking time.

Packaging

Automated packaging systems such as bagging machines help to speed up the packaging process. Cartonization software is another technology solution that enumerates the ideal carton size for orders based on weight, dimensions, and other data to lessen waste and cut down on labor costs by decreasing the need to repackage orders.

Robots in Transportation

Robotic technology helps in product transformation from one place to another. The warehouse robots are designed for customized load handling. This helps in transporting goods, containers, pallets from one source to a destination throughout the warehouse. For example, it transfers goods from loading docks to sorting areas or from picking sources to packaging areas. 

Storage

Automated storage includes several types of warehouse robots like pallet shuttles, mini-load systems, and cranes. These technology solutions are sometimes used along with mobile racking systems to make effective utilization of space. Typically rail-bound systems, AS/RS solutions are created to work in compact spaces such as narrow passages and great heights.

Delivery

Autonomous vehicles and drones are possible innovations for delivery. Warehouse robots have not yet transformed delivery processes but it is expected to transform very soon.