As companies emerge from the recession and reassess their supply chain models in an attempt to maximise efficiency, warehouse automation is back on the agenda – but the agenda has changed, says Steve Richmond, general manager of Jungheinrich UK Ltd’s systems and projects division.
Before the impact of the recession started to be felt, the automated handling market had been enjoying a period of steady growth. Critics of the technology who had been clinging on to outdated theories about automation being inflexible and costly with a long pay-back period had, by and large, been won over and some degree of automation was increasingly specified for operations serving a diverse range of industries.
However, as the downturn hit and major capital expenditure projects were put on hold, demand for automated storage systems fell significantly – arguably more so than for conventional forklift trucks.
But now automation is back on the agenda. “Companies are emerging from the recession and re-assessing their supply chain models,” says Steve Richmond, general manager of Jungheinrich UK Ltd’s systems and projects division. “And they want to know how modern automated handling systems can help maximise supply chain efficiency.”
Despite the economic uncertainty, manufacturers and suppliers of automated handling equipment such as Jungheinrich have continued to invest in the development of higher quality equipment and systems and Steve Richmond believes that this ongoing evolution in product quality combined with the introduction of far more robust software solutions than were previously available is driving up confidence and will underpin future growth automated handling systems.
The profile of the typical user of automation has evolved in line with developments in automated handling technology, as Steve Richmond explains: “Increasingly a more diverse range and size of business now recognise the advantages that modern automated handling technology can offer. While there are still some very large projects around, there is more significant growth in the number of small and medium sized automated projects.
“For instance, we are experiencing increased demand in the area of mini load cranes for handling cartons and totes etc. In the right application, high performance mini load systems can deliver products to picking and packing stations at tremendous speeds, outperforming many conventional, alternative systems. The increase in demand for the mini load product is one I expect to see increase significantly in the next few years.”
According to Steve Richmond, the current interest in automation is also being driven by a shift in the size and scope of modern systems.
“Many users now employ partial automation – hybrid systems that are part-automated and part-manual,” he says.
“In the past some companies shied away from automation because they felt that a move to an automated system would mean that every aspect of the operation would have to be automated,” he continues. “This is simply not the case. Automation no longer means that every aspect of the warehouse or distribution centre has to be automated – just the parts of it that will benefit most from automation.
He continues: “For instance, in many applications a strong case can often be made for automating the ‘bulk pallet’ operation and then designing the ‘picking operation’ to be as flexible as possible. This is a model that we at Jungheinrich have developed over a number of years and it lends itself to the phased development of a facility, that can also take into account changes in customer demand and product profile.
Indeed, this ability to phase the introduction of automation within a distribution centre or warehouse is highly attractive to many companies, Steve Richmond says. He explains: “Consider an operation where the initial volumes dictate a low level manual forward picking area, (using conventional equipment) supported by an automated bulk store. As volumes grow, the picking area can be developed by increasing the number of pick faces and levels and then utilising high level order picking equipment. Up to this point there has been no need for the customer to invest heavily in the order picking areas due to the employment of conventional equipment and techniques. However, should there be stepped changes in volumes or product profile, automated picking or sortation technology can be introduced.”
“In applications where automated handlling systems are phased in, payback can be calculated for the individual phases of the project to provide the most effective utilisation of capital for the organisation,” he adds.
Steve Richmond contends that it is becoming easier to ‘sell’ the automation concept because the knowledge of customers and end users is growing all the time.
“In recent years,” he says “the knowledge base of our customers and end users has increased significantly. This is apparent not only in terms of their understanding of the products and solutions that are available in the marketplace, but how these often complex systems interact with other parts of the supply chain. This is without doubt a significant factor in the growing trend towards automation.”
Jungheinrich UK Ltd
Craig Johnson
Tel: 01908 363100
Email: craigj@jungheinrich.co.uk
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