Automation is all the rage in warehouses across the country as logisticians tap into the advantages of precision, space optimisation and consistent results, which are on offer. But on my recent visits I’ve been amazed to find a huge range of different approaches.
One of the most high-tech facilities in the UK is the warehouse that GXO operates for Nestle on the Segro development near East Midlands Airport. Purpose-built to showcase a complex array of systems including a pallet monorail, ASRS and different robotic systems for layer-picking and case-picking, this integrated solution, dedicated to a single client, was made possible by a long-term partnership between GXO, their customer Nestle and the modular robotics company Swisslog, part of the KUKA Group.
Contrast that with the Howard Tenens warehouse at Ashby de la Zouche. In the 1960s, Action Man was stored here to fulfil an early example of viral marketing, fuelling demand for this fighting toy. These days the site is an efficient part of the supply-chain for a range of customers. Despite Tenens’ track record for low turnover of clients, they needed to maintain flexibility in their operations. A cobot solution has therefore been introduced into the existing facility, improving the safety and productivity of picking operations.
At other companies, I’ve been introduced to technologies as different as conveyors installed to make it easier and faster to assemble goalpost kits for consumers, forklifts being switched from lead acid batteries to lithium-ion and even 3D printing of complex bespoke robot parts!
With more than sixty visits still to go, undoubtedly there is more to see. What an exciting prospect, to experience more variations on the story of warehouse development all across the UK and Ireland.
But even after being shown around just a few sites, I’ve already been able to draw three conclusions. First, the technical features of a robot, an IT system or a forklift truck are meaningless in isolation – it’s all about what it can do for the customer. Second, far from becoming obsolete, the people who operate this machinery play a vital role in ensuring it is efficient. And finally, absolutely nobody has told me their automation journey is over: from the simplest machine to the most sophisticated solution, everyone is constantly learning how to make things even better.
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