Growth in Material Handling Automation evident at ABCO-CEO confirms
An industry report released last month that forecasts a nine percent increase by 2029 in automated material handling systems accurately reflects trends recently seen at ABCO Systems, according to CEO Seth Weisberg. The report from Exactitude Consultancy projected the automated material handling equipment market will reach $51.7 billion by 2029. ABCO Systems is a provider of warehouse automation and design, and its systems help increase efficiency for material-handling businesses across the nation. “In the past few years especially, we have seen steady increases in the number of businesses who are looking for automated solutions,’’ Weisberg said. “The pandemic helped usher in a wave towards more automation in material handling, and in subsequent years we’ve continued to see sustained growth.” Automated solutions reduce downtime and labor costs and improve production, safety, and quality control. Automation also allows employees to focus on more pressing tasks. There are also tax benefits associated with investing in warehouse automation. “Automating warehouse distribution is a great way to maximize efficiency and reduce costs,’’ Weisberg said. “With the increasing demand for faster delivery, automated processes are essential for streamlining operations and keeping up with customer expectations.” The report said the automated material handling market will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 9.1 percent. The market reached $23.6 billion in 2022, according to the report, which also said a surge in the e-commerce industry has generated an increase in online shopping. “Notably, there has been a surge in online sales of pharmaceuticals, household goods, and food,” according to the report. As more businesses embrace automation, they are also finding there is a range of options that can improve their processes. While some systems are expensive, some less costly solutions can also can provide important benefits. “The range of solutions is quite wide, and ABCO can plan, design and install a system that can benefit any customer,’’ Weisberg said. “With the way the industry is evolving, now is a great time to improve automation processes. It’s important to maintain pace with competitors, and the best way to do that – or even pull ahead – is through automation advancements.”
Unlocking the Power of Employee Ownership: Hargrove Controls & Automation’s Karen Griffin shares insights with ESOPs at 2023 CSIA Conference Panel
Vice President of Hargrove Controls & Automation Karen Griffin will be participating in a panel discussion on “Succession Planning to Developing a Culture of Ownership” at the 2023 Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) Executive Conference in New Orleans, LA Hargrove Controls & Automation, an industrial automation system integrator and a subsidiary of global EPC firm Hargrove Engineers & Constructors, will be represented by Karen Griffin P.E., vice president of Hargrove Controls & Automation, on the panel “Succession Planning to Developing a Culture of Ownership” at the 2023 Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) Executive Conference May 15-19, 2023 in New Orleans, LA. Griffin will participate in a panel of professionals, alongside Ray Brown, Dan Markowitz, and Joe DeJong, who are experienced in Employee Stock Ownership Programs (ESOP). The panel will dig into the pros and cons of the ESOP structure, how to successfully transition businesses to an ESOP, the impact the change has on company culture, and the effect it has on recruiting and employee retention. “I am thrilled to be a part of this panel of esteemed professionals sharing our firsthand experiences and insights on the benefits and challenges of transitioning to an Employee Stock Ownership Program,” said Griffin. “I look forward to sharing our valuable experience as well as learning from the other panelists about their experiences and successes on the impact of transitioning their companies to an ESOP.” The panel is part of “Track 3 – Company Culture and Emerging Leaders,” one of the sessions available for participants to attend. The panel will take place Thursday, May 18th, from 4:25 pm – 5:10 pm. The CSIA Executive Conference brings together system integration industry professionals to share business insights to tackle the challenges they face, learn about new industry opportunities, and network with peers.
150k Picking Robots to be installed by 2030… and we’re only scratching the surface
Substantial and accelerating growth is predicted for the robotic picking sector over the coming years, as labor costs rise, and the cost of robots fall. At Interact Analysis, we forecast there will be just over 150,000 picking robots installed by 2030, with annual shipments jumping from less than 2,000 in 2022 to just above 50,000 by the end of the decade. Demand for robotic picking is expected to pick up pace towards the end of the forecast period. However, this is just the beginning and we’re going to see a large increase in adoption over the coming years, which will speed up as the benefits of robotic picking become more apparent. The uptake will be driven by rising wage costs in warehouses, labor shortages, and the rapid development of AI and machine vision technology. The information in this insight provides a top-level summary of key industry trends and is taken from our upcoming Robotic Picking Report, which provides an in-depth look at the robotic picking market as a whole. Falling robot costs, rising wage bills Over time, the cost of warehouse labor is increasing, while the cost of robotic picking is gradually coming down. Picking tasks in warehouses is extremely repetitive, and companies across the world have struggled to recruit and retain warehouse operators for several years, driving up the cost of labor. At the same time, we expect the price of robotic picking to come down significantly over the coming years, largely driven by pricing pressures for robotic arms and machine vision software. By 2030, we expect the average price of picking robots will drop by 40%, while the cost of warehouse labor will increase by approximately 30% over the same period. Changing roles for warehouse employees The types of roles carried out within a warehouse are changing over time. Historically, most employees have been very mobile due to the nature of person-to-goods picking. However, the rise of automation is leading to the growth of static manipulation roles within warehouses. We estimate there will be around 7.5 million global full-time equivalents (FTE) employees performing static manipulation tasks by 2030, which is more than double that of 2022. The growth of static manipulation roles is expected to be a large driver for the adoption of robotic picking. AI technology improvements driving the market Improvements to AI machine vision technology increase the range of items that can be manipulated by robots and boost the success rate of each pick. We currently assume that for every 3-5 robots, there will be a full-time equivalent (FTE) employee supervising them. However, we expect this will increase to one FTE per 7-10 robots by 2030, improving the unit economics. What’s more, improved AI machine vision and path-planning increase the speed of robotic picking, further improving ROI. For example, we spoke with a representative of one of the leading robotic picking vendors at ProMat 2023, who mentioned the pick rate of their robotic picking system has increased by 17% year-on-year. Barriers to Entry There are, however, several barriers that the industry must first overcome. Firstly, the cost of robotic picking is still prohibitively high in many scenarios, particularly for one-shift operations. It’s often mentioned that the industrial robots on the market today – which are designed for the automotive industry – are largely over-spec for logistics applications. They include expensive proprietary path-planning motion control software (which is often overwritten by the robotic picking vendors), along with extreme precision capabilities that are not required for warehouse picking operations. As a result, there’s significant demand for cheaper industrial robots that don’t include all the ‘bells and whistles’ found in robots currently on the market. Furthermore, we hear that the programming of robots is still a challenge and requires the expertise of robotic engineers. There are currently 132k robotic engineers in the US and this will need to increase significantly to avoid labor becoming a major bottleneck to market growth. Increasing the labor pool of robotic engineers and reducing the complexity associated with programming industrial robots will be key to widespread adoption. Looking to the future of robotic picking Despite more than 150k picking robots expected to be installed by 2030, this represents just 2% of the number of FTEs forecast to be performing static manipulation tasks that year. As we’ve discussed, there is a convergence of factors that we believe will lead to widespread growth in the robotic picking segment over the next decade. About the Author: Irene joined Interact Analysis in 2022 as one of the warehouse automation industry analysts. She has seven years of experience in industry research and international M&A. Before joining Interact Analysis, Irene worked for a PE firm focusing on investing in global semiconductor companies. She holds a master’s degree in Applied Economics. Irene is based in the UK office. Email: irene.zhang@interactanalysis.com
Plus One Robotics appoints Ben Gines as Senior Project Manager
Plus One Robotics, a provider of advanced robot vision perception software and solutions for parcel handling systems performing over one million picks per day, has announced the hiring of Ben Gines as senior project manager. Gines is responsible for leading projects from initial customer engagement to robotic solution delivery. “Ben’s deep experience within the robotics industry has provided him an exceptional combination of automation and system integration expertise,” said Crystal Parrott, Chief Operating Officer at Plus One. “We know that he will energize our system engineering team and help us strengthen customer relationships by delivering solutions that exceed expectations.” Gines specializes in turnkey control system integration and has experience working with notable organizations like Fanuc America Corporation, ABB Robotics, and Yaskawa Motoman. Other areas of expertise include OEM product design, capital project management, vendor oversight, and end-user relationship management. Prior to joining Plus One Robotics, Gines was the innovation director at Automated and the robotics execution project manager at Dematic. Gines has a Bachelor of Science in electrical automation and robotic engineering from Utah Valley University and a Master of Engineering in engineering management from Ohio State University.
Motion AI opens new facility in Massachusetts
Motion Industries, Inc., a distributor of maintenance, repair, and operation replacement parts and premier provider of industrial technology solutions, has announced the newest Motion Ai facility, located at 71 Cherry Hill Drive, Beverly, Massachusetts, 01915. The new facility officially opened on December 1, 2022. Motion Ai was in need of additional manufacturing and inventory space to better meet overall customer demand and to strategically grow the business. With 33,000 sq. ft., the new facility complements two existing Motion Ai facilities nearby in Danvers (19,000 sq. ft.) and Woburn (10,000 sq. ft.), providing the company a total of 62,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space in the Boston area. Most of the production and quality operations among the three locations are housed in the new facility in Beverly, with features including manufacturing lab benches and a quality control testing area. Systems engineering and production solutions focus on motion control, robotics, and machine vision, with additional specialty areas of precision components, electro-mechanical assemblies, and fully engineered automation systems. “The expanded manufacturing space will allow us to meet growing customer needs while adding future opportunities across our entire automation and robotic platforms,” said Aurelio Banda, Motion’s Senior Vice President, Automation Intelligence. “This includes additional OEM business and the ability to accept larger orders in quantity and physical size. We expect this new facility to fuel economic growth for the region, contributing beneficial, long-term impact.” Randy Breaux, President of Motion, said, “We are excited about this investment and anticipate that it will enhance the customer experience even more. We believe it will also increase the employee experience—there is a lot of talent within Motion Ai, and this expansion will offer excellent opportunities for our employees.” Currently, Motion Ai has opportunities for experienced automation engineers, electromechanical assemblers, and quality technicians to join the team, and the company will continue to hire as the business grows.
Bison Gear sees production gains with robotic automation
Bison Gear & Engineering Corp., a provider in the power transmission industry and a high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) manufacturer, highlights production gains with robotic automation. Bison incrementally introduces automation solutions and targets specific steps in the production process where automation can have the greatest impact. This includes both fully automating certain processes and using systems to assist human operators where possible and practical. An example of Bison’s full automation includes its Fanuc robot, which turns slugs of steel into finished gear blanks without any human interaction. This process previously required two human operators, but it now can happen in a fully automated fashion. The Fanuc robot transforms raw materials into inspected finished parts. Bison also uses a Renishaw comparator, which automates the inspection process by continually monitoring system accuracy and performance, automatically adjusting parameters where needed. This spring marks five years since Bison’s robot was brought online. In that time more than 500,000 gears have been finished in this automated gear blanking cell saving thousands of man-hours.
BALYO
DESTACO introduces portfolio of Cobot Tooling Solutions
Simple Off-The-Shelf Tooling Solutions with Ease of installation highlight benefits for users in the growing robot market DESTACO has announced the availability of Cobot Tooling Solutions that are designed to simplify tool selection and eliminate integration design work for applications employing small payload robots or cobots in their operations. The wide variety of tooling solutions is designed for gripping, palletizing, machine tending, tool changing, and tool extension applications up to 10 kg payloads. “Small payload robots are commonly found in larger industrial-manufacturing facilities, but there has been significant growth recently in their use in small light industrial and commercial shops due to the low-cost entry into robotic automation,” said Gary Labadie, Global Product Director for DESTACO. “This low-cost entry into robotic automation is now a focus and a solution for both large and small facilities coping with the economic climate.” The fast growth in the cobot market is driven by a number of factors, including increases in inflation rates, labor costs, labor shortages, and excessive workforce turnover. The low startup costs for new entrants into the automation industry and a relatively compact return on investment (ROI) period for a cobot system, which can be as few as 8 to 12 months make DESTACO tooling solutions attractive to users. DESTACO has designed its cobot tooling solutions for simplicity and ease of use with off-the-shelf availability via kits that feature all of the end-user-selected accessories, along with the hardware and tools needed for installation, reducing the need to consult an application engineer. All of the tooling solutions are compatible with cobots that have an ISO 9409-1-50-4-M6 end-of-arm mounting pattern. Blank robot and tool plates are offered for those who wish to use their own mounting patterns. A standout feature in DESTACO’s suite of cobot tooling is the Microtool End Effectors that enable the cobot to perform palletizing functions. Users that know the length, width, and weight of the packages to be lifted and transferred can easily select the palletizing kit type and pre-determined vacuum cup size necessary for the application eliminating tool design work with off-the-shelf kits. Other cobot tooling solutions that DESTACO is now offering include: CB-200 Quick-Move Base: Allows the cobot to be moved from one workstation to another without the need to reprogram the robot. ARV-C Vacuum Gripper: Can pick up and move product via one air line with an auto-release vacuum generator; available in nine sizes and shapes MG Magnet Gripper: Available in two sizes, allows the picking of ferrous material or components with one pneumatically actuated air line MultiMount Tool Array: Mounts up to five different tools to the cobot wrist via various tool mounting plates and multiple extension lengths MultiMount Machine Tending: Can accommodate two grippers or two tools for use in work-piece exchange applications in CNC machining centers; features Blank, ISO-9409-50, and DirectConnect mounting plates MultiMount Tool Extension: Extends the reach of the cobot arm that the cobot’s standard wrist length and reach cannot. A variety of tool plates and multiple extension lengths are available MicroTool Palletizing: Off-the-shelf kits to handle boxes from 160 to 750 mm widths and 260 to 900 mm lengths weighing less than 10 kg. TC1 Manual Tool Changer: Allows the user to change cobot tools quickly and repeatably and offers electric and air pass-through capabilities Tool Storage Tree: Securely stores and organizes up to six cobot tools safely and securely; fully adjustable with three different tree heights
ForwardX Robotics offering a chance to win a free fleet of robots
ForwardX Robotics will give away a 10-AMR system to the winning US company ForwardX Robotics, a top supplier of AMR-based assisted picking solutions worldwide, announced at ProMat that it will giveaway a 10-AMR system to a lucky winner in the United States. The 10-AMR system will consist of ForwardX’s Flex autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) along with the appropriate accessories and its f(x) Fleet Manager. Flex AMRs are primarily used for piece picking or smaller case picking in 3PL, retail, and eCommerce warehouses. The ForwardX deep learning computer vision and sophisticated fleet management enable it to offer AMRs with higher payload capacity. Flex AMRs have a 661 lb payload capacity with a larger working surface area than their counterparts in the industry. For end users, this means fewer robots are needed to reach competitive productivity increases of 100%–200%. “We are thrilled to offer this giveaway as we expand our U.S. presence. We believe in our solutions and have seen what our AMRs can do for many customers around the globe. We are looking forward to letting one lucky company see the results,” says ForwardX’s Founder and CEO, Nicolas Chee. “Taking the leap into automation can be a difficult decision for many customers that haven’t been exposed to newer solutions like ours. We hope that by offering this giveaway, we can start to break the mold of traditional thinking around automation. Today, automation can be flexible, simple, and affordable for end users.” ForwardX’s customers benefit from significant increases in productivity and accuracy, reduced labor dependency, rapid deployment times, operational cost savings, and increased safety while keeping things flexible and easily scalable to demand fluctuation. Companies can visit forwardx.com/other/enter-for-a-chance-to-win to enter by April 30, 2023.
Hai Robotics wins Innovation Award for existing product at ProMat 2023
Hai Robotics, a provider of intelligent automated warehousing solutions, has won the MHI Innovation Award for Best Innovation of an Existing Product for their A42T Autonomous Case-handling Robot (ACR). This prestigious award was announced at ProMat 2023, held in Chicago, on Wednesday, March 22nd. The MHI Innovation Award recognizes Hai Robotics for their groundbreaking work in developing advanced equipment for automated storage and retrieval solutions (ASRS) and recognizes the company’s commitment to advancing their customer’s success with innovative and cutting-edge technology. The A42T ACR is the first goods-to-person equipment that extends upward, allowing facilities to store items up to 10m (32+ feet) high while remaining independent of any storage medium. It is highly intelligent, able to handle most totes or container sizes and types, even cardboard boxes, on standard industry shelving structures. Comparable systems often require unique and expensive custom precision structures with limited tote options to function, but the A42T ACR is a revolutionary robotic design, freeing facilities of the old rigid ASRS constructs. This robot provides maximum system flexibility typically seen with AMR or AGV technology while allowing facilities to obtain modern warehouse density with maximum use of vertical storage. This award is a testament to Hai Robotics’ dedication to excellence and its ability to deliver intelligent automation solutions that help businesses increase efficiency, reduce costs, reduce storage footprint, and improve overall productivity. “We are thrilled to have won the Innovation Award at ProMat 2023,” said Brian Zheng, CEO of Hai Robotics USA.” This award is a recognition of our team’s hard work, dedication, and commitment to driving innovation in the industry. We are proud to be at the forefront of intelligent warehouse automation and are committed to delivering advanced solutions that help our customers stay ahead of the game.” The ProMat 2023 event brought together many thousands of industry experts, professionals, and businesses from around the world to showcase the latest technologies, products, and solutions in the field of automation and material handling. The event is an excellent opportunity for attendees to explore new technologies. Visitors were able to witness the A42T ACR live where it demonstrated 32-foot-high tote picks from one of the tallest structures built at the event. “We are honored to have received this prestigious award, and we thank MHI for hosting such an exceptional event,” said Rebecca Lennartz, Director of Marketing for Hai Robotics USA, “We look forward to continuing to drive innovation in the industry and helping businesses achieve their automation goals.”
Applied Manufacturing Technologies achieves multiple FANUC Awards for outstanding sales
Applied Manufacturing Technologies (AMT), North America’s largest independent automation engineering company supporting manufacturers, robot companies, systems integrators, line builders, and users of robotic automation worldwide, has announced that the company has received FANUC America Corporation’s Sales Growth Award for the fourth time and was also presented with the Sales Leadership Award for FANUC Authorized System Integrators. AMT is not a stranger to receiving FANUC’s Sales Growth Award, having been recognized in 2015, 2018, and 2021. The award is announced annually at the FANUC Authorized System Integrator (ASI) conference, which was held in February of this year in Carlsbad, California. In addition to the Sales Growth Award, Applied Manufacturing Technologies has achieved another rare award for integrators: the FANUC Leadership Award. This award is given to integrators who have reached the milestone of selling more than 50 robots in one year. “We at AMT are honored to receive the Sales Leadership Award and to be once again recognized by FANUC with a premier Sales Growth Award and celebrating AMT’s strongest growth year in history,” said Craig Salvalaggio, chief operating officer at AMT. “We share a similar culture with FANUC and are proud of our strong, decades-long partnership with FANUC and will continue to deliver best-in-class manufacturing solutions to clients with them as a strategic partner.” During the award ceremony reception Fanuc’s Vice President Lou Finazzo spoke to AMT’s staff and praised the company for being an elite and reliable systems integrator and developing some of the best talent to support the industry. A FANUC Level V System Integrator and four-time winner of the FANUC Sales Growth Award, Applied Manufacturing Technologies offers full-service systems integration, specializing in end-of-line solutions, complex material handling systems, and engineering support such as turnkey industrial controls, robotic programming, and automation consulting. Bringing together best-in-class technologies and custom automation, AMT provides high-quality, cost-effective automation solutions. The company’s solutions have benefited manufacturers in automotive, aerospace, medical, alternative energy, fabricated metal, industrial machinery, rubber and plastics, food and beverage, and many other industries.
SVT Robotics and Kardex Solutions partner to enable complete End-to-End Pick and Pack Solution
The partnership enables Kardex Solutions customers to rapidly integrate and deploy AutoStore technology SVT Robotics, an enterprise software provider for the rapid integration of industrial robotics, and Kardex Solutions, a Global Business Partner of AutoStore™ and intralogistics solution provider of automated storage, retrieval, and material handling systems, today announced a strategic partnership. The partnership now enables Kardex Solutions customers to easily deploy and integrate AutoStore systems with additional automation technology by leveraging the power of the SVT Robotics SOFTBOT® Platform. Building upon its Kardex Control Center WES technology, Kardex Solutions has connected its software to the SOFTBOT Platform to enable a complete end-to-end pick-and-pack solution. Through this partnership, Kardex Solutions customers can quickly integrate and deploy an AutoStore system and Kardex Control Center with other warehouse functions, such as a WMS. “Agility is one of the greatest advantages that companies can leverage. When it comes to automation, it’s imperative that businesses can quickly deploy supply chain technologies as well as reconfigure them to meet their evolving needs,” said A.K. Schultz, CEO of SVT Robotics. “We’re excited to partner with Kardex Solutions to offer their customers a simple and effective method for rapid automation adoption.” “By coupling Kardex Control Center with the SOFTBOT Platform, we’re able to provide our customers with a true ‘easy button’ approach to automation,” said Mitch Hayes, President of Kardex Solutions. “What we’ve done is eliminate the complexities around warehouse automation by creating a pathway for AutoStore systems to easily integrate with technologies commonly found in distribution centers. We’re proud to offer this complete solution to our customers.”
SVT Robotics will run live Integrations of Warehouse Automation at ProMat 2023 booth
Production-level, end-to-end automation integration, and deployment demos, from WMS to robotics to pack out, will occur throughout the show SVT Robotics, an enterprise software provider for the rapid integration of industrial robotics, announced that it would operate live, end-to-end automation integrations and deployments at ProMat 2023 booth N7148, from March 20-23. The demos will allow attendees to interact directly with the SOFTBOT® Platform and connect numerous automation technologies. Guests at the SVT booth will see a variety of integrations, including robotic picking using several leading WMS platforms and IoT devices configured to trigger transport moves. The SOFTBOT Platform will fully integrate and deploy these warehouse automation technologies live, in just minutes – an experience no other company has previously offered at ProMat. In addition, to live integration demos, visitors to the SVT booth will have hands-on experience with SVT’s groundbreaking online guide to automation technologies and service providers. This first-of-its-kind AppDirectory further accelerates the path to simplified automation, allowing guests to explore, learn, and qualify technology solutions in a single location. “A significant challenge in the supply chain industry is knowing which automation technologies work with existing systems,” said A.K. Schultz, CEO of SVT Robotics. “Using our one-stop AppDirectory, ProMat attendees and exhibitors can easily explore hundreds of use cases and qualify the technologies they’re interested in. Our live demos will show how their company can accelerate the integration and deployment of those solutions faster than they ever thought possible.” SVT Robotics has continued to make significant advances with its SOFTBOT Platform, with several of its partners announcing collaborations with SVT, including Tecsys, Locus Robotics, and VERSES Technologies. The company also receives the 2022 Top Tech Startup award and the 2022 Top Software & Technology Providers award from Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive.
Roberta Nelson Shea, Universal Robots, and Jeff Burnstein, Association for Advancing Automation, selected for 2023 Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Awards
The robotics industry’s most prestigious award will be presented Wednesday, May 24, at Automate in Detroit The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) has announced two longtime industry leaders as the winners of the 2023 Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Awards, the world’s most prestigious robotics honor. Roberta Nelson Shea, Global Technical Compliance Officer, Universal Robots, was selected as the Application winner for her outstanding work over the course of her career in global robotics safety. Jeff Burnstein, President of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), was selected for Leadership, recognizing his four decades of commitment and vision at the global automation trade association. Nelson Shea and Burnstein are pillars in the robotics industry and were unanimously selected by the awards committee and past chairs of the Robotic Industries Association (RIA, now A3) to win the award this year. These awards are named after the late Joseph F. Engelberger, known throughout the world as the founding force behind industrial robotics. Since its inception in 1977, the Engelberger Awards have now been given to 136 robotics leaders from around the world for excellence in technology development, application, education, and leadership. The winners are recommended by a panel of industry leaders based on all present and past nominations from the industry and voted upon by the past chairs of RIA. A3 is the organization that administers the award, and each winner receives a $5,000 honorarium and a commemorative medallion. “Winning the Engelberger Robotics Award for Application in Safety is a tremendous honor,” said Nelson Shea. “I remember meeting Joe Engelberger at the first R15.06 safety meeting … so many years ago. I am amazed with this award! ” “Winning the Engelberger Robotics Award for Leadership is beyond any accomplishment I could have imagined when I started at the association 40 years ago,” said Burnstein. “The award has been described as the ‘Nobel Prize of Robotics’ for good reason as it is acknowledged globally as our industry’s pinnacle of success. As an English major with no technical background at all, I am living proof that there is a home for anyone in the robotics industry.” Roberta Nelson Shea Roberta Nelson Shea is the Global Technical Compliance Officer at Universal Robots, responsible for global product compliance and reducing barriers to acceptance of UR robots for collaborative applications. For over 45 years, she has been one of the central figures in the development of industrial robot safety standards in North America and around the world. As the convenor of the committee ISO/TC 299 WG3 (ISO/TC 184/SC2), she lead the introduction of ISO/TS 15066, which, as an extension of the established ISO 10218, is the first document defining standardized safety requirements within human-robot-collaboration. For more than 23 years, she’s served as chair of the committee that oversees the R15.06 robot safety standard. Nelson Shea’s commitment to safety is evident in her involvement with the NIOSH/OSHA/RIA Alliance, and past board of director member for ANSI and RIA. With too many honors to name, some of the most significant include being elected one of the Top Twenty Women Making Their Mark in Robotics and Automation by Smart Manufacturing; and one of the Top 100 Women in Safety by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE); and winning the 2022 Goddard Alumni Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement by Worcester Polytechnic Institute. “It has been my pleasure to work in safety standards, and at times this work has been my greatest challenge,” Nelson Shea said. “The robotics industry should be proud of our safety standards and the resulting low incident rate. Due to everyone’s contributions (robot manufacturers, integrators, and robot users), we have made robotics great for the market and the people associated with their use. Let’s celebrate all the ways that robotics improves the world!” Jeff Burnstein Burnstein is the President of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the largest robotics and automation trade group representing over 1,160 global companies involved in robotics, artificial intelligence, vision, motion control, and related automation technologies. Since joining the association in 1983 as manager of marketing & public relations, Burnstein has held a variety of senior positions, culminating in his promotion to President in 2007. He is a frequent commentator in the media, often discusses automation issues with policymakers, and regularly speaks at global conferences on issues such as the impact of automation on jobs and the future of automation beyond the factory floor. Burnstein also serves on the Executive Board of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). “I believe my most important role for the past four decades has been to tell the story of how robotics is making our world better by performing tasks that assist people — not replace them. Robots are enabling better, safer, and higher-paying jobs in every industry and helping solve our most difficult challenges. I hope my selection for this award will inspire others to pursue robotics-related careers in our increasingly automated future.” Awards Dinner The awards dinner at Automate will be held May 24 from 5:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom at the Huntington Place Convention Center. Tickets for the event, which includes a cocktail reception and dinner, may be purchased when registering for the Automate 2023 Show and Conference. Automate takes place May 22-25 in Detroit, and anyone who works with or is interested in automation can attend for free. This year will be the biggest yet, featuring 300,000 square feet of exhibit space, 600+ exhibitors, 25,000 attendees, and valuable learning and networking opportunities. Attendees will see the latest in cutting-edge robotics, vision, artificial intelligence, motion control, and more.
RightHand Robotics appoints Brian D. Owen as new CEO to drive the next level of growth for the company
RightHand Robotics, data-driven, autonomous robotic picking solutions for order fulfillment, has announced the appointment of tech industry veteran Brian D. Owen as Chief Executive Officer. With 30-plus years of experience and leadership in finance, technology, and commercial deployment, Owen will guide RightHand Robotics through its next phase of growth and lead the continued scale-up of its piece-picking business. “For eight years, the team and I built, hardened, and scaled our product, improving the technology every year, deploying the robots across the U.S., Europe, and Japan, and continuing to grow our customer base. Now is the time to build on these foundations by accelerating the scaling of customers and deployments. I’m very proud of this company and I look forward to working with Brian in my new role as chairman.” said Yaro Tenzer, co-founder, former CEO, and now Chairman of RightHand Robotics. Owen is a six-time public and private company CEO of global enterprise hardware and software companies with experience driving corporate strategy, mission, and purpose while fostering a culture of trust, responsibility, commitment, and innovation among employees, partners, and customers. He has served in numerous roles as an executive and non-executive, chairman, and director in more than 25 technology companies – two of which were public – overseeing multiple financings, IPOs, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, and more than 15 exits while working alongside top-tier private equity investors. Previously, Owen was the CEO and President of Cambridge Semantics Inc., a modern data management and enterprise analytics software company, where bookings grew 300 percent to $24 million during his leadership. He also served in senior roles at White Cup, SunGard, ORACLE Corporation, MapInfo and Computer Associates, among others. Owen earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science from Boston College and an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “I am thrilled to be joining RightHand Robotics as the next CEO and incredibly proud for the opportunity to build on eight years of progress that the team has accomplished,” said Owen. “The company’s piece-picking technology is in high demand in the market and I look forward to working with this amazing team to continue that momentum to grow the company worldwide. I’ve led six companies through various stages of growth and execution and have the scar tissue resulting from the many successes and lessons experienced along the way. I plan to apply that knowledge to this role and carry on the company’s mission and vision of ‘owning the pick in the supply chain so humans don’t have to.’” Tenzer will remain in the company as Chairman to work with the management team on GTM strategy and business development. Since the company’s RightHand Robotics has seen major developments in its business and made significant global moves. The company launched its Partner Integrator program, resulting in recent collaborations with leading players like Vanderlande and AutoStore™ integrator Asetec. RightHand Robotics also solidified its automated piece-picking leadership in the growing online pharmacy market with a new pharma customer, Apotea. See how the company’s RightPick™ 3 system is automating picking in multiple workflows for the customer in the video here.
Concentric introduces PowerHIVE® the industry’s first Automated Forklift Battery System
A faster and safer way to manage your power from the leader that invented GuaranteedPOWER® Concentric, an OnPoint Group Company, is launching PowerHIVE™, the industry’s first automated forklift battery and charger system, providing on-demand, sustainable, and scalable battery power whenever it is needed. Their newest innovation in equipment power management marries automation with forklift battery systems – eliminating the need to think about forklift charging or battery maintenance. An automated, three-minute battery reload is all that’s required to provide a safer, more cost-effective solution designed to support forklift operations in a way that’s easily scalable and flexible. PowerHIVE’s simple model doesn’t require any change to existing operations, ensuring an unlimited supply of power at whatever velocity is needed. “This is an exciting milestone for Concentric continuing our mission to deliver uninterruptible, guaranteed power to customers. PowerHIVE is a quantum leap forward. It provides plug-and-play, on-demand power that’s scalable to every piece of equipment you operate today and tomorrow. PowerHIVE unleashes your equipment to move at the productivity and velocity you require from day one until you retire the equipment,” said Concentric Chief Operating Officer, John Winter. “Customers experience cost savings with less equipment, no equipment issues due to lack of power, peak energy savings, and less headache for their forklift operators.” Distribution and manufacturing facilities face an array of challenges from labor shortages and productivity to worker safety and sustainability. PowerHIVE eases those challenges by providing a faster and safer equipment experience ensuring operators always have the battery power they need. Operators no longer have to handle the repercussions of downtime, safety risks, and failing equipment. “Forklift power is too often an afterthought, and facilities are numb to its negative impact on equipment and operator productivity, not to mention morale and safety,” said John Winter. “For facilities with multiple shifts, PowerHIVE delivers an automated and safe forklift power experience for every forklift type. The system eliminates the need to think about forklift charging or battery maintenance as operators receive a battery that’s ready to go in less than three minutes. Lithium and Hydrogen alone don’t solve your power issues as there are failure points in a one battery per forklift approach,” said Antonio Mendonca, Director of Engineering. To learn more about how PowerHIVE aligns with Concentric’s mission to provide intelligent power, while positively impacting People, Planet, and Profits, visit Concentricusa.com.
A Winner or a Loser?
I spend hours on a daily basis reading and listening to information regarding the equipment industries, rental industries, and the economy in general. Summing up all that has transpired and presented to me by various sources since the beginning of the year have provided me with enough to write a book about. But don’t worry, we will cover the major points in this month’s contribution to MHW. I decided on the Winner/Looser title after attending an online seminar presented by Nomi Prins via Rouge Economics. I really enjoy her almost daily emails and find them quite useful. In an event, Nomi started the presentation by stating that every time Congress passes a major spending bill both private and public companies will EITHER fall on the “WINNER” side or the “LOSER” side because of the changes in our laws or plans contained in the spending bill. Kind of makes sense. Nomi then went through a few examples, and it even made more sense. For example. As EV products increase the demand for the materials to produce batteries increases as do the prices for these materials. WINNER – Mining companies as well as EV parts suppliers. LOOSER- Car or vehicle manufacturers will have to increase the price of their products as well as lose future parts and service business. I also read an article in the European rental magazine and find that OEMs in Europe are selling more and more products direct to rental companies and end users. In another publication, I see that the demand for EV products is in high demand. Selling direct means dealers are being transformed into service providers, who are going to lose work because EVs require less maintenance and are made up of fewer parts. What do dealers do with their current fleets and how will the valuation of those units impact dealer sustainability and solvency? Another comment in the EU publication noted that there is a buying frenzy in terms of OEMs. If this takes place you have to believe that the consolidation of dealers is close behind. You get the drift…..The demand and requirements of conversion to EV are creating both “WINNERS AND LOSERS”, which can generate benefits if dealers plan to put themselves on the W side. Dealers with access to capital can do this. Hedge funds will jump on the bandwagon to assist as they have been with related industries. This consolidation may already be in the works. I work in Chicago and in the rental business and within the last five years the major public rental companies have bought out privately owned dealers and rental companies to the point where there are only a couple of independent rental companies in the market. As they say on TV….”What’s in your wallet? Some good news on the manufacturing front. The growth of annual reshoring and foreign direct job announcements increased from 6000/year in 2010 to 350,000 /year in 2022. Who will be the W or L regarding this change? All I know is after seeing the internal operation of the Tesla plant in Texas I did not see a lot of people or lift trucks moving materials through the process. Robots were doing most of the work. How will your company plan for this opportunity? Material handling dealers benefited from the expansion of distribution centers to bring completed products closer to end users. Do your products and services supplied on the distribution side carry over to the manufacturing side? Are OEMs addressing this opportunity to help you understand this new revised market? You have to assume that EVs will be a big part of the manufacturing question as well. I also listened in to the Davos meeting last week. They had Jamie Dimon from JP Morgan Chase on and asked him about his comments regarding a recession in the offing. He replied, “As CEO of JP Morgan Chase I have a responsibility to plan for any and every event they can think of”. A recession. Expansion. Interest rates. Inflation. Deflation. The length of the rate hikes. China coming back into the world economy. Energy costs. Customer exposure and so on. In short, do not stick to one program without having an “out” if you need it. Dimon said they are reviewing their risks three years out. Speaking of China, what happens this year in China will impact the war on inflation and the number of rate hikes. If China’s consumption rebounds, it could drive prices considerably higher. And the L could be manufacturers and distributors who find another round of price hikes to deal with. So where do material handling dealers fit into this crazy economic maze? Probably on the W side in some cases and the L side in terms of EV and solvency issues. What you can probably count on is the inflation battle will be longer with interest rates higher for some time, especially if China steps up economic activity. As part of your thought process, I would get a handle on what your company is worth. What you can do to improve that value. How you can blend in with the EV dynamo. How you can add value to current customers. How you can add value and provide needed services to manufacturers. And one last off-the-wall consideration is whether you have any children interested in the material handling business. I ask about the children because I work on a number of M&A projects and find that a well-run profitable business isn’t being passed down to the next generation. When I ask “why?”, I am told they are not interested. Unfortunately, I find this to be the case 80% of the time. Drives me nuts. A lot to think about. …..and plan for. About the Columnist: Garry Bartecki is a CPA MBA with GB Financial Services LLC and a Wholesaler columnist since August 1993. E-mail editorial@mhwmag.com to contact Garry.
Pacline Conveyors unveils robotic loading system at ProMat
Pacline Conveyors has announced the launch of its new Robotics and Automation division, which will focus on integrating Pacline conveyor systems and robotics to offer a greater scope of turnkey solutions for valued distributors, integrators, and end-users. The Robotics and Automation division has its own dedicated facility and will provide efficient conception, design engineering, project management, on-site support, and installation throughout North America. Pacline will continue to offer stand-alone conveyor products to distributors and integrators who supply robotics/automation themselves and for projects that do not require robotic integration. “We are excited to be launching our new Robotics and Automation department. With the increased demand for automation in the material handling industry, it was a natural progression to start designing turnkey automation solutions for our customers,” said Karl Scholz, President of Pacline Conveyors. In addition, the company will unveil its latest innovation at the upcoming ProMat Show in Chicago, IL, on March 20-23rd. Pacline Conveyors will showcase a robot loading and unloading system for empty cartons onto an overhead conveyor, designed to increase efficiency, reduce labor costs, and improve safety in warehouse and distribution center operations. The system will use the signature PAC-LINE™ enclosed track conveyor in conjunction with a cobot utilizing a vacuum generator and suction-cup-based end effector for loading and unloading empty cartons onto and from an overhead conveyor. Attendees of the ProMat Show will have the opportunity to see the robot loading and unloading system in action at booth S2495, meet the Pacline team, and learn more about automating operations.
Plus One Robotics demonstrates Parcel Handling Solution at ProMat 2023
Visitors can race against the robot in a VR experience At ProMat 2023 in booth N7921, Plus One Robotics will be demonstrating its parcel-handling robotics platform for warehouse and distribution centers including its Pick One Parcel induction solution and its “Human-In-The-Loop” (HITL) remote supervisor software. These demonstrations include the ability for booth visitors to partake in a Virtual Reality (VR) experience where via a VR headset they will be virtually transported to a warehouse facility to “race against the robot” in a pick-and-place process. The company’s PickOne solution employs 3D sensors and award-winning AI vision software in conjunction with Plus One’s patent-pending end-of-arm robot grippers to optimize the picking and placing of mixed parcels, bags, and products for high-volume e-commerce fulfillment and distribution centers. Plus One’s Human-In-The-Loop solution allows remotely located humans to supervise multiple robots from any location, guiding the robot in how to handle exceptions. The AI system learns from this intervention to further improve its capabilities if similar situations occur in the future, helping to minimize downtime and enabling 24/7 fulfillment. Plus One solutions perform over one million parcel picks each day in production and currently holds an industry-leading metric of half a billion parcel picks globally. Plus One Technical Seminar at Promat 2023 In addition to booth demonstrations, Plus One engineer Daniel Grollman will also present a seminar on Tuesday, March 31 at 10:15 am in the Robotics Theater titled More Parcels, More Problems – Mitigating Parcel Variability with a Symbiotic Human-AI Vision System. In this session, Dr. Grollman will the long-tailed and shifting distribution of parcels in fulfillment and distribution centers and how utilizing an adaptable, symbiotic human-ai vision system is the best way to approach the realities of volume and variability. Based on the assumption of change, rather than the anticipation of control, humans and AI working together can handle infinite variety as it occurs.