Obtaining enough physical labor to equip and operate a large warehouse is a daunting task, even more so in the face of labor shortages. A pharmaceutical distributor was looking for a solution to robotically automate warehousing and distribution processes. Essentially, our customers need an improved, automated way to track, track, and retrieve inventory systems.
The key to palletizing robots.
In an ice-free environment, an automated random access palletizer is not the right choice, as most automated random access palletizers use compressed air pipes that freeze in the cold storage. Compared to automated palletizers, palletizing robots are more compact, which is especially important because space in the freezer warehouse is at a premium.
AS RS buffer system.
The Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS RS) is designed for robots to place and recover stored items and has been in use since the 60s of the 20th century. They are most commonly used in environments where part of the product inventory is located in relatively small or confined spaces. These systems are especially valuable when the retrieval accuracy of mixed SKUs is critical.
For example, pharmaceutical manufacturing, the frozen food industry utilizes automated storage and retrieval systems to mitigate the potential hazards of overexposure of employees to sub-freezing environments. With AS RS, sub-zero refrigerated items can be selected and retrieved while keeping employees safe. These systems are also used to help comply with strict tracking and traceability regulations. While frequent handling and human exposure to drugs can put them at risk of contamination and other errors, automating processes can improve consistency and reliability. In addition, the AS RS system provides immediate quality control information without the need for additional material handling.
This automation system includes an AS RS buffer system, a conveyor system, a layer picking robot and a pallet picking robot. This automated system will receive inbound source stock pallets that are manually opened by operators and separate the items in the pallets to fulfill the customer's order. These orders will be palletized by the robot and, once completed, transferred to the staging area.
By choosing the Modbus-to-Profinet gateway for system communication, the customer maximizes throughput and minimizes the need for expensive manual labor. With this system, our customers are able to set up orders faster and more efficiently, resulting in increased operational throughput. With a layer picking cycle time of 30 seconds and an AS RS pallet movement time of 45 seconds, MWES provided the solution for this customer with unmatched throughput.
The Modbus to Profinet gateway is essential in the construction of palletizing and depalletizing systems for robot arms, increasing palletizing throughput and ensuring the safe operation of the system. #modbus#