The free, on-show-floor presentation explains ways to combine traditional material handling automation with collaborative robotic technologies for optimized order fulfillment
On Tuesday, March 10th, two experts from Matthews Automation Solutions will present a free, on-show-floor educational seminar, “Optimize Order Fulfillment with Collaborative Robotics” at MODEX 2020. The session runs from noon to 12:45 p.m. in Theater E and is hosted by Matthews Automation Solutions’ Austin Santich, System Design Manager, and Dr. Paul Rivers, Managing Director of Guidance Automation, part of Matthews Applied Technologies Group.
Rivers will draw on Guidance’s 25+ years of providing robotic technologies to introduce today’s state of the art autonomous solutions. This includes hardware and software advances designed to maximize intelligence, performance, safety and application flexibility.
“The front line of autonomous mobile robot (AMR) and automatic guided vehicle (AGV) development focuses on reducing operational errors, increasing throughput and maximizing efficiency while doing so on a scalable, adaptable platform that flexes with changing demand and requirements,” shares Rivers. “AMRs should further create opportunities to integrate and collaborate with proven material handling systems – and personnel – to optimize all resources.”
“Early adopter use cases of AMR installations in material handling applications are increasingly being shared, showing that these robotic solutions are proving their potential for alleviating the labor shortage while supporting and enhancing the productivity of the existing workforce,” adds Santich. “As a result, many operations — particularly those in DTC and omnichannel order fulfillment — are more interested than ever in determining where within their processes collaborative robots might best fit.”
Santich continues: “Our MODEX presentation will explain several ways in which the selective and incremental implementation of robotics, using a holistic systems approach, will improve throughput rates and labor productivity, with the resulting savings helping to provide a quick return on investment.”
Additionally, robotics can increase the agility and flexibility of an automated material handling operation, notes Rivers: “Combining AGVs, AMRs, and other robotic solutions allows a distribution center to more easily customize their system, yet accommodates future changes in fulfillment channels and requirements.”
The session will detail a range of application examples in which the addition of robotic solutions increases order fulfillment speed, accuracy, and agility, including:
- AMR-assisted, semi-automated, light-directed picking systems that travel alongside pickers or tow full and empty carts;
- Put walls fed by pick-carrying AMRs for fast and accurate e-commerce order consolidation and packout;
- Fixed conveyor systems integrated with AMRs sporting motor-driven roller (MDR) conveyor on their top decks for product movement through areas without conveyance;
- Loop sorters interfacing with AMRs to receive full totes for takeaway or bring more merchandise for induction;
- Finishing systems supplied by, or outputting to, AMRs;
- Complete integration of AMRs and other MHE systems with a facility’s overarching Warehouse Execution Software (WES) for end-to-end optimization and balanced, continuous workflow.
Matthews Automation Solutions’ material handling automation and robotic technologies experts will be available to discuss specific order fulfillment challenges in Booth 4013 throughout MHI-sponsored MODEX in Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center, March 9-12, 2020.
