Examples of automation in warehouses

The heart of many supply chains is a warehouse. The modern warehouse is more than just a building to store goods. It is a bustling hub of activity, advanced technology and many different types of warehouse automation. The industry has had to evolve rapidly to keep pace with the growth of e-commerce and increasing demand for warehousing and logistics services. Advanced warehouse automation technology is essential to meet the demand.

What is warehouse automation?

Warehouse automation is all about leveraging technology to achieve operational efficiency. This is achieved by reducing tasks that are repetitive, labor-intensive and/or prone to human error.

Warehouse automation offers tremendous benefits, including:

• Increased productivity
• Less human error
• Improved security
• Lower operating costs

By eliminating time-intensive, physically demanding and mundane tasks, employees can focus on more value-added work, such as customer service and quality control.

Some examples of warehouse automation

A number of OnLogic's customers are creating innovative solutions to improve warehouse processes, from palletizing to depalletizing and everything in between.

Efficient palletizing

Palletizing is placing products on a pallet for shipment or storage in a logistics supply chain. Careful stacking of products is critical. You want to maximize the amount of products on a pallet while keeping products and workers safe. Weight and size distribution must be ideal to prevent products from shifting or falling over. This is especially important with mixed pallets - pallets on which various products are stacked.

Using the technology for efficient and safe palletizing

SAT Technologies, based in the Netherlands, developed the Stack Assist Tool (SAT) to support the palletizing process. The solution provides workers with simple stacking instructions on the screen of a panel PC mounted directly on the forklift. In addition, it provides a laser that indicates exactly where and in what order products should be stacked. The solution provides a smooth process where order pickers can create stable pallets. The end result is increased productivity, fewer errors and a safer work environment.

Pallet dimensions

Obtaining pallet dimensions (pallet dimensions, or "dims") is a critical step in the supply chain to prepare the pallet for shipment or storage. Performing this task manually is time-consuming, error-prone and a safety risk.

GPC Systems, based in the United Kingdom, developed the Freight Measuring Solution. The goal of this measurement software is to provide accurate, fast and complete freight dimensions. They use Intel® RealSense cameras with stereo depth sensing to obtain 3D measurement data. The measurement process is fast and fully automated. The forklift operator doesn't even have to activate the dims. That means they can focus their attention on safe warehouse operations.

Barcode scanning system for warehouses

There are many questions that can keep a warehouse manager awake at night:

• What if a pallet is loaded onto the wrong truck?
• What if the employee forgets to scan the pallet?
• What if a receiving warehouse claims the pallet is damaged or missing?

Artemis Vision, based in Colorado, developed a barcode scanning solution called the RaPTr (Rapid Pallet Tracker) to track the movement of products and eliminate this concern. Their solution helps deliver products to the right destination at the right time in good condition. A camera takes a picture of the pallet and barcodes as they pass by. A panel PC displays relevant messages for immediate feedback. The photo of the pallet is stored as visual evidence of the pallet's condition and contents.

Depalletizing mixed pallets

Mixed pallets are often stacked unevenly. Removing the items, or depalletizing, is not a difficult task, but it is a demanding job. The repetitive and physical nature of the work is hard on the human body and mind. On the other hand, a robotic solution can handle the physical nature of the work, but becomes challenging when dealing with products of different sizes and different packaging.

Plus One Robotics, based in Texas, developed robotic software for their solution called the PickOne Depalletizing Solution. They use AI data to enable robot automation for removing items from a mixed pallet. The solution is used in e-commerce fulfillment and warehouse distribution centers. The solution is also suitable for exception handling. When a robot is not sure what to do with a package, a human manager is alerted.

Computers for an automated warehouse

Looking for a hardware platform for your smart warehouse innovation? Check out our blog Choosing the best PC for smart warehousing and logistics. We cover the three main considerations when examining hardware, including:

1. Placement
2. Connectivity
3. Software Requirements

Knowing all your requirements will help you find the best solution for your needs. To help you identify the exact hardware requirements of your project and variables that may affect the performance of your computer hardware, we have created a guide - download your copy of the Ultimate hardware guide and checklist!