Robots in the Supply Chain |
Posted: July 15, 2019 |
At present, distribution center managers are struggling with being able to fill open positions as well as retain current. Fortunately for them, cobots (collaborative robots) are being used in applications throughout the supply chain, from material handling to assembly to order fulfillment. Additionally, collaborative robots can be used to perform quality control checks and even process returns. The beauty about modern cobots is that they are easier to implement especially since programming has never been that easier. Both industrial networking and simulation software also allows facilities to better plan and integrate robotics with their existing systems. One factor that makes collaborative robots attractive is their use of use which also lowers their total cost of ownership. Here is how a robot can be used in the supply chain. In ecommerce to scale with just-in-time fulfillmentCollaborative robots are now being used in e-commerce for the improvement of delivery times. Thanks to cobots, same-day delivery or even delivery within a few hours is now achievable. What happens is, distribution centers are using artificial intelligence to assist in predicting demand and be ready. Items can be prepackaged and ready to ship in order to fulfill quick delivery expectations. If orders are estimated however, the supply chain is now responsible for dealing with the resulting inefficiency. While the best method is just-in-time fulfillment, it is hard to scale it using manual labor. However, collaborative robots empower a distribution center to scale based on demands. This can simply be done through deploying the use of cobots every time they are needed thus letting the supply chain scale based on demand. Collaborative robots can moveModern-day mobile cobots are equipped with sensory awareness, intelligence and guidance. They are not only capable of independent self-navigation but can also work alongside humans. In that sense, collaborative robots have the ability of communicating with each other for the purpose of collecting shipping containers and delivering them to the required picking stations. This makes mobile cobot solutions easier to scale when compared to traditional equipment sch as conveyor belts. Such systems require less dedicated warehouse space and can also be used to store product. Therefore, smaller warehouse facilities can be used so that the collaborative robot has less square footage to navigate to complete each order, thus reducing the time needed to fulfill orders. Collaborative robots are sed to handle tasks efficientlyWhen it comes to order fulfillment that requires foods-to-person, it involves having the product moved directly to an operator who can pick what is needed to fill orders. Automation solutions for collaborative robots use less space, are scalable and ideal for ergonomics. Alongside end of arm tooling (EAOT), goods-to-robot picking uses 2D, 2.5D or 3D to create picking solutions. Such a robot is more efficiently able to identify and pick an item than a human performing the same task. Picked product at plenty of distribution centers are quality checked and inspected before they are packaged or shipped. The machine’s vision systems and weight check can automate these processes. Therefore, cobots are able to examine a percentage of packages that are passing by on a conveyor through scanning a barcode or taking an image of products to verify orders as well as ensure accuracy. A high amount of a distribution center’s labor is owed to product returns. Collaborative robots are capable of unloading containers of returned product and load items onto a conveyor which uses vision technology to sort the products. By using cobots to perfume these tasks, you are not only reducing labor hours but also the stuff required for the job. With that said collaborative robots offer a plethora of advantages to streamline processes throughout the supply chain thus facilitating faster, easily tracked and more responsive stocking, returns and fulfillment. With lower labor costs, increased efficiency, quality and productivity, the use of collaborative robots in a supply chain give SMEs a fair fighting chance in a competitive market.
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