Hardly any other field of activity in intralogistics is as diverse as goods picking. The range of applications is wide and requires appropriate technologies. The requirements in order picking are diverse and so are the users’ needs for information. Is the picking to be done on the lowest shelf level or is it necessary to pick vertically – and if so, at what heights? In which industry will the picking be carried out? Which goods need to be picked – and are they rather large and bulky or small and heavy? Also important: What kind of warehouse is it? Does the vehicle have to be designed to manoeuvre mainly in narrow spaces? Is it to be used in narrow aisles or is a combined use in narrow and wide aisles intended? And last but not least: what degree of automation is necessary and/or desired?
This article was first published in the December 1st 2021 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
If market demands fluctuate, scalability and flexibility are crucial. That’s why Vanderlande’s smart automated solutions such as the CROSSORTER, ADAPTO and POSISORTER are modular to provide the necessary adaptability. In addition, the company promotes a ‘pull’ concept in which items are retrieved from storage only when required, further improving efficiency.
ek robotics is launching a brand-new, sharp and effective website. The new website’s simplified navigation provides customers with a clear, easy and productive way of meeting their order picking needs. This includes the variety of solutions and vast range of vehicles ek robotics offer, as well as the plethora of industries the company works across – from food and beverages to healthcare, aviation and transport and mechanical engineering.
Working alongside pickers, collaborative robots maximise picking efficiency and drive faster fulfilment. Driven by sophisticated fulfilment software and AI, collaborative robots, such as Chuck from 6 River Systems, learn and retain a digital map of the area they operate in – so they always know where they are going and why. Fulfilment software can enable the collaborative robots to take into account delivery times, congestion, the size of the products to be picked, the number of pickers available, and their location.
Linde Material Handling uses trucks with a modular design for its picking devices, in order to help to minimise physical strain on the driver and increase the efficiency of the picking process in any working environment. From the Linde V10 vertical order picker to the picker N20 C L, Linde is constantly developing its order pickers, aiming to make working conditions even safer and more ergonomic for the operator.
Order picking has become more sophisticated over the last decade and there are more advances to come as robotics evolves further.
George Simpson
Features Editor
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