The rapid growth of e-commerce as well as a shortage of labour in the warehouse is putting immense pressure on operations. The proliferation in SKUs, along with the demand from customers for products delivered quickly and accurately, is driving the move to warehouse automation. The shift from physical stores to online means more labour is needed in DCs and warehouses than ever. Automation of processes can deliver greater productivity, better use of labour, and fewer errors, all leading to reduced costs. Conventional conveyors are being replaced by mobile robots which are cheaper plug-and-play solutions, according to SCCG.
This article was first published in the November 1st 2022 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
About a hundred kilometres west of Stockholm, TGW is working on a flagship project for Sweden’s number one grocery retailer ICA Sweden and is scheduled to finish by January 2026. A 30-metre-high freezer warehouse for pallets will replenish a highly-dynamic shuttle system. The system’s various functional areas will be interconnected by energy-efficient pallet, carton and tote conveyors.
Kairos Conveyor have introduced their unique and patented design of powered belt curve conveyor, featuring an outer frame of vertical pillars and a rapid release guidance system which genuinely ensures rapid belt, pulley and bearing replacement. It also facilitates economic fabrication of spiral curves. The KF/KS130 Rapid Release Powered Belt Curve conveyor has been designed to be the optimum curve in terms of perfect geometry, material selection, cost of manufacturing, ease of assembly, rapid part change and full accessibility for maintenance purposes.
Interroll is launching its new Light Conveyor Platform, available as a Plug & Play Stand-Alone Conveyor with an integrated safety system controller, or as PLC solution. The conveyor is pre-assembled, cables are routed and the belt is pre-tensioned. Users simply need to mount the supports, plug-in the conveyor and start their production.
A new warehouse in Venlo, The Netherlands, features the European market’s largest installation to date of ADAPTO, Vanderlande’s shuttle-based automated storage and retrieval system. With its flexibility and lean infrastructure, Vanderlande’s ADAPTO is central to the operation. Fast runners are located at specific areas in the warehouse, and the ADAPTO fleet services several case heights throughout the facility, offering a smooth and rapid response to order demand.
It is excellent to see the developments in conveyors and sortation systems, helping goods flow through warehouses ever more efficiently.
George Simpson
Features Editor
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