The Material Handling Blog

As pressure mounts, retailers are depending on automated facilities with material handling equipment for efficient processing of large volumes of orders. But aside from the equipment, software is taking center stage for ensuring order deadlines are met.

Introducing automation into a business can be a large and intimidating project. A good deal of time and money are generally invested up front in order make the project successful. However, there are several benefits automation can bring about that help justify these expenses.

There are 5 common inefficiencies and resource wasters STEALing from distribution operations everywhere, but today’s goods-to-person technologies can turn those losses into profit in as little as 2 years. Let’s look at these five wastes and how goods-to-person systems are overcoming them.

After comparing its warehousing operations to industry best practices, Roche Diagnostics Operations (RDO) revealed opportunities to improve processes by standardizing across all warehouses and implementing a more automated material handling system. In doing so, Roche was able to increase pack rates, reduce operating costs, and gain better visibility of carton-level details. Read: Conveyor System Best Practices in the Pharma Industry

To keep up with strong consumer demand, Monoprice, Inc. needed an order fulfillment automation system to help increase daily throughput from roughly 300 orders per hour up to 1,000 orders per hour.

A colleague wrote earlier about the ways of getting a grip on a product. He emphasized the importance of the robotic end of arm tool (EoAT) to the system even though it may seem like a small component. He also delved into the many ways the robotic EoAT can be used. I wanted to use this article to expand on his ideas and describe how this gripping action is accomplished. Read: Get a Grip on Your Product (part II)

One of the most important considerations when selecting an integrator to supply a material handling system should be the quality and engagement of the integrator’s project management. This is why in 2015, all robotics project managers will need to be PMP certified...

When it comes to manufacturing, schedules are constantly being shifted and moved around in order to accommodate projects in the most efficient way possible. In order to improve our productivity, we had to go against the traditional methods and adapt a dynamic cross-training method. Here are some tips to get your team started as well.

It’s always good, especially around the holiday season, to give thanks for all our good fortunes and blessings. In a professional setting, I especially like to give thanks to those who have made my job more fulfilling, challenging, and successful. At the forefront of those whom I am always most grateful for are my customers.

Robotic automation is becoming more commonplace in the manufacturing realm, with general industry and automotive parts suppliers leading the way. Modernizing factories throughout the Americas, the expected benefits have contributed to an increased number of robot installations, but the unexpected benefits have rapidly accelerated the pace of those installs.

Numbers are an extremely powerful tool. They can help us calculate, quantify, and analyze just about anything. But what makes them so important? In the ever changing world of industrial robotics, what can we learn from them? As it turns out, we can learn quite a bit.

The modern-day industrial robot is one of the most robust technologies and will generally last for years, even decades. However, as with all good things, they eventually move toward the end of their useful life. When this occurs, a robot-owner is presented with a few options...