According to the German Parcel and Express Logistics Association (Bundesverband Paket und Expresslogistik e. V.), 4.15 billion courier, express, and parcel shipments were sent in Germany alone in 2022. Annual shipment growth to around 4.9 billion is realistic by 2027. Against this backdrop and the generally prevailing shortage of personnel, there is only one solution…

Industrial engineers spend a lot of time writing code for programs that will run machines in the plant, on the packaging line, or in a warehouse. The problem is, however, there’s no standard best practices for version control or disaster recovery. Copia Automation, a four-year-old start-up, is changing that by applying IT-based DevOps to the…

• ABB to celebrate 50 years of robotic innovation with new AI-powered technologies that help companies become faster, more flexible and resilient • Exhibit on Booth #2239 features the first AI-powered ABB AMR with Visual SLAM navigation, and the global launch of an expanded ABB large robot portfolio ABB Robotics will celebrate 50 years of…

NFI Industries, founded in 1932, is one of the oldest and largest privately held and family-owned 3PLs in North America. The company serves a variety of segments, including food and beverage, retail and e-commerce, manufacturing, and consumer packaged goods, offering everything from transportation, distribution, brokerage, port drayage, intermodal, global logistics, and real estate. To accommodate…

The flexibility of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), which use a wireless navigation system to guide them around a facility, is the reason these self-sufficient machines are so popular in warehouse environments. However, 50 AMRs on the floor will overload the traditional WiFi network. That leads to network latency and interrupts communication between AMRs and the…

What’s an AS/AR implementation project really like? This Q&A reveals tips and unexpected challenges when switching from manual to automated. Warehouse automation technology is gaining traction in the U.S. to strengthen supply chains, reduce reliance on labor, and manage peak seasons and unforeseen events more efficiently. However, companies are still relatively slow to adopt and…

Mobile robot technology is moving fast, and generative AI is pegged to transform AMR vision systems to enable more integrated solutions. Advanced machine learning and visual processing are major trends in automated mobile robot (AMR) development. According to Gartner’s Emerging Tech Impact Radar, advanced computer vision and AI acceleration will be among the most important…

Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can streamline material handling in manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and more, yet many facilities still primarily rely on conveyor systems. To serve as a flexible bridge between fixed conveyors and production lines, Interroll designed a light conveyor platform (LCP) to facilitate the handling of lightweight goods with AMRs from Mobile Industrial Robots…

Brightpick unveiled new details about the proprietary world-class machine vision and AI that are critical for the seamless operation of its Brightpick Autopicker robots. The technologies are used for everything from scanning totes (bins) to create 3D models for future picking of items, to determining ideal picking angles for both totes and individual items. The…

Workplace safety is a growing concern as more warehouses become automated. The new ANSI/A3 R15.08-2-2023 focuses on mobile robot systems integration. As the use of mobile robots continues to surge in industrial settings, the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) has unveiled the second installment of its flagship safety standard for industrial mobile robots. R15.08-2, the American…

TWK has been developing encoders and sensors since 1962. This past year, they’ve highlighted how such components impact safety in automated vehicles and robots. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and automated mobile robots (AMRs) require several measurements to operate safely. Otherwise, they and the entire fleet cannot navigate and move to target locations. The necessary measurements…

Rigid systems lose value (and workers) in dynamic markets. Andy Williams of Exotec North America explains how modular automation and human-centric systems give warehouses a competitive advantage. North America is behind the times in terms of warehouse automation. Most warehouses are entirely manual, and workers may walk 10 miles daily. People do the heavy lifting…

The sudden pandemic-related labor shortage was an eye-opener that forced companies to rethink operations and plan for more changes. As employee populations shift toward “digital natives,” companies can leverage such workers’ tech skills to increase efficiency and throughput. Before Siri or Alexa, there was Jennifer — a voice-directed technology that links humans and machines to…

After a successful pilot in Prague, Brightpick’s AI-powered warehouse robots will automate order picking, consolidation, and dispatch for Rohlik Group, one of Europe’s largest e-grocers. The human hand is said to have 27 degrees of freedom — and as any robot designer will tell you, that’s not an easy thing to replicate cost-effectively. “Replacing the…

At the recent Hannover Fair industrial trade show in Hannover, Germany, more than 130,000 attendees from across the globe came together to experience the latest technology and products over the five day event. Visitors to the huge Microsoft booth were able to explore four key areas for the future of manufacturing: empowering a connected workforce,…

Today in automation, predictive and preventive maintenance are constantly in the conversation. While the ideas may be clear, the implementation and advantages are not. Is this a fad that will fizzle out soon? By Gerry Paci, Marketing Manager — Material Handling ⋅ Pepperl+Fuchs For many years in the material handling industry, warehouse operators have strived…

Dynamic warehouses seek robots that can adapt to change with minimal human intervention. With localization and mapping software, AMRs can build facility maps, orient themselves, detect differences, and share changes with their fleet for uninterrupted and safer operations. When people were building warehouses 10 or 15 years ago in the U.S., few considered employing robots…

For the annual Design World Trends issue, dozens of industry experts shared their insights. Here is additional information from some of those experts on the design, manufacture, and distribution of consumer products. Especially since COVID, the manufacture and distribution of home appliances, consumer electronics, and have evolved with advanced automation technologies. MEET THE EXPERTS Abdullah […]

Beckhoff Automation LLC generated impressive results in 2022, growing revenue to $134 million in the U.S., a remarkable increase of 33.4% over the previous year. Beckhoff’s strategic growth goes beyond the impressive sales figures – it crossed over into company footprint expansions and growing the U.S. team to 218 employees. President Kevin Barker attributes the…

With Bosch Rexroth’s Rokit Locator software, mobile robots can independently determine their position. Users no longer need expert knowledge or additional infrastructure to commission a mobile robot. Locator allows mobile robots to determine their position and orientation in any environment, simplifying the automation of intralogistics tasks in industry and trade. Locator is compatible with various…

Gone are the days when inventory inaccuracy is just part of doing business. As new technology is increasingly affordable and pervasive, more third-party logistics (3PL) companies embrace innovation to improve their competitive advantage. Inventory accuracy is one of the most important KPIs for any 3PL or warehouse. The higher the accuracy, the faster orders can…

What was unthinkable in the past has become commonplace in modern warehouses. Robots and scalable automation are now must-haves for thriving during market fluctuations. Warehouse automation has been around a lot longer in the U.S. than people may assume. Though today we think of autonomous robots and software-driven machines operating continuously in human-free environments, automation…

The proliferation of new applications for power-off brakes demands fresh design approaches leveraging leading brake manufacturers’ accumulated design experience. Key to optimizing designs for life, cost, and performance is early collaboration with the brake manufacturer. By Brian Mather • Ogura Industrial Corp. Machine designers in the motion-control industry recognize power-off brakes by the following terms: […]

ITT Inc. has announced it acquired Clippard Instrument Laboratories’ product lines of durable, low maintenance, and cost-competitive interchangeable pneumatic cylinders. The product lines include stainless steel, brass and aluminum cylinders and volume tanks. These industry-leading components will expand ITT’s Compact Automation product offering of air cylinders, linear and rotary actuators used in applications such as robotics,…

Heilind Electronics introduces TE’s ERNI MiniBridge and MaxiBridge connectors. These rugged solutions combine highly compact designs with high current carrying capacity, making them an ideal choice for automotive LED lighting systems. TE’s ERNI MaxiBridge (2.54 mm pitch) and MiniBridge (1.27 mm pitch) cable connector families feature compact as well as electrically and mechanically sophisticated designs, […]