WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION
Why Warehouse Automation?
Warehouse automation can take many forms, including robotic arms, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), automated palletizing, sortation, software, and more. When the technology works together, it makes your warehouse processes efficient, safe, and accurate. Modern automation turns nearly impossible tasks into possible ones. It can also make your warehouse operations more profitable.
SELECT AN AUTOMATION SOLUTION:
ASRS | Automated Palletizing | Robotics | Deep Lane Storage | Sortation Systems
ASRS - Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) optimize warehouse automation using equipment and technology to place and retrieve goods throughout a facility with accuracy and speed. Improvements in technology and lower costs for implementation make installing an AS/RS attainable by fulfillment operations of all sizes.
Using computer – or robot-aided systems, fulfillment teams use an AS/RS to speed up manufacturing and shipping tasks by programming systems to retrieve items or store them throughout the warehouse. Long-term benefits include:
- Decreased labor costs
- Boosted accuracy
- Increased efficiency
- Elimination of operator error
- Enhanced safety
- Save time from searching and picking
- Can utilize the storage racks as support for the roof and walls or can be free standing
- Each system is custom designed to meet your requirements
- Systems can exceed 100′ in height
Automated Palletizing
With rising costs of labor, a need for safe working environments, and maintaining operations with the latest cutting-edge technology, automated palletizing equipment and systems are smart options to increase accuracy, reliability, and efficiency. Palletizing equipment is available to suit a variety of pallet styles, product types, build patterns and applications, as well as multiple in-feed and discharge layouts to fit your requirements. Our engineers are experts in automating palletizing operations using both robotic and conventional palletizer systems. With the ability to provide highly customized strategies, implement advanced technologies, and take a consultative approach to working together, Summit Handling is your partner for palletizing solutions.
- High system reliability and superior up-time increases overall throughput
- Improves ergonomic conditions and reduces operating costs by handling heavy lifting and repetitive movements
- Seamless integration is flexible and scalable with business growth
- Interfaces with upstream and downstream equipment for fully automated operations
- Precise and safe handling for any array of products including cases, totes, bags, trays, tier sheets, buckets, bins, batteries, and oddly shaped or heavy items
Robotics
Combine industrial robotic systems with your operations to perform accurate repetitive material handling actions, increasing productivity and efficiency while lowering overall production costs. From computer simulations to installation, training, support and maintenance, our team of experts bring decades of robotic system design and installation experience. We’ll help you select the right solutions for your needs and test them thoroughly before, during and after installation. We’ll help you train everyone who operates the system, and we’ll be available for quick support and maintenance.
Autonomous Mobile Robots
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) represent a cutting-edge approach to goods storage and retrieval that offers increased flexibility. AMRs are essentially robots capable of autonomously picking and storing products within your facility, eliminating the need for extensive facility redesign. They rely on cameras and warehouse management software to determine the precise locations of requested goods within your facility and navigate to retrieve or store them efficiently. Depending on the type of goods, AMRs can pick up multiple items in the shortest path before returning to the designated discharge area. This technology allows for substantial labor cost savings and can seamlessly operate with multiple racking or shelf levels containing a large variety of SKUs.
AMRs are an excellent choice for facilities seeking to automate labor processes without the need for extensive facility overhauls. They are compatible with various traditional storage systems, making them a versatile solution for optimizing warehouse operations.
Deep Lane Storage
High Density Pallet Rack Storage
Deep lane storage systems, also known as high density storage, do away with aisles entirely, along with many of their issues. Pallets are introduced at one end of a continuous block of racks, and a pallet shuttle—also called a pallet mole—carries the pallet into the next open slot. This system increases the number of slots available per square foot and only requires forklifts at the input and output ends of the pallet racks. Deep lane storage offers many other benefits for warehouses as well.
- Maximizes density over 6-high and 50 pallet positions deep
- Increased pallet positions and throughput by up to 30%
- Allows for a truck to be loaded/unloaded in less than 30 minutes
- Ideal for both FIFO (First-In, First-Out) and LIFO (Last-In, First-Out) applications
- Optimizes labor efficiency
- Enhances accuracy of inventory control
Semi-Automated Shuttle
A pallet mole runs underneath the pallet loads on rails, delivering and extracting pallets within a deep lane rack system. Working in either FIFO or LIFO applications, the mole significantly improves throughput by indexing loads directly to the first pallet position at the aisle face. Using a RF controller or Wi-Fi compatible device, the operator can instruct the electro-mechanical platform to lift, lower, or shuttle pallets to the desired position; or program the system to run various predetermined functions. 4-wheel drive and an optimal battery life for cold storage make pallet moles adaptable to a variety of applications.
- Single and double wide options available
- High performance travel speed
- AC driven technology
- Pallet shuffle function
- Full two-way communication between pallet mole and controller device
- 4-wheel drive options
- Built-In positioning control
- Electromechanical, flat deck lifting system
- Dual spacing system
- Battery Low Function
Sortation Systems
Sortation solutions can be as simple or complex as you need. They reliably automate manual sifting, categorizing, separating, dividing and distribution tasks for greater efficiency in your distribution center operations, as well as establish flexibility for growth. Designed to meet growing order demand, increased shipping accuracy and more frequent shipments, there are a variety of options available.
Both robotic and conveyor sortation are ideal solutions for separating products from in-feed conveyor lines to shipping lanes, palletizing operations, and packing stations. Bastian Solutions consultants can perform a system analysis to determine the most appropriate technology for the job. Taking into consideration your facility floor plan, product specifications and year over year growth, our experts can identify if a portable automated system or a permanent conveyor sortation system for high-speed applications is more appropriate. Either solution can scale and integrate with larger order fulfillment systems and software solutions.
- Secure inventory routing and handling with inventory tracking and established routes that get products from point A to point B and can connect directly with order fulfillment operations like goods to person systems.
- Versatile accommodations for a wide range of product types, sizes and weights, whether you are sorting individual pieces or cartons.
- Scalable solutions provide the flexibility to add robots or conveyors for increased SKU volume, diverts for kitting or new processes, or in-line scanners for additional QA/QC considerations.
- Efficient and reliable sortation can be tracked through integrated warehouse execution system software that provides full transparency to your inventory for improved accuracy and allows for analysis of the most efficient routes.
These alternatives to manual sorting are fast to implement and require low capital costs. Through this increased efficiency you’ll see the success reflected in satisfied customers, lower return rates and reduced operating costs. But, first take into account:
- Facility layout and physical constraints
- Speed of product flow
- Order fulfillment pre-packing and routing complexity
- Special product handling needs
- In-line equipment needs – ID and weight scanners, print and apply applicators
