6 Different Types of Warehouse Robots for Your Warehouse

Customer demands are evolving in parallel to technological innovations and advancements. As a result,  the need for efficient and accurate order fulfillment continues to undergo exponential growth, resulting in increased labor costs. It is not easy for companies to recruit, train, and retain workers. That is why warehouse robotic solutions become an attractive option for the businesses as it helps to increase productivity and decrease cost. 

Robots play a vital role in warehouse management automation. Warehouse workers can use robotic solutions for the different aspects of fulfillment, such as picking, packing, product transportation between staging areas for replenishment or put away of inventory. 

Robotic Arms 

The manufacturing industry has been using robotic arms for decades. Technological innovations and advancements in end effector (gripper) and vision systems are now permitting better piece picking applications. Robotic arms are helpful for pick and put operations in goods-to-person (GTP) workstations. Experts predict that we will notice more implementation of robotic arms in the next 2 to 3 years. 

Collaborative Robots (cobots)

One of the most reliable automated material handling solutions, collaborative robots (cobots), reduces the travel of pickers and works with them collaboratively. Moreover, these robots reduce some of the walking that reduces productivity. Collaborative robots are categorized into two major categories: Meet-me bots and follow-me bots. 

Mobile Rack Goods-to-Person (GTP) AMR

Mobile rack goods-to-person(GTP) autonomous mobile robots (AMRS) bring inventory through mobile rack systems. 

Here are some of the critical challenges associated with these robots: 

• First, these robots utilize building blocks poorly. 

• Second, the goods-to-person workstations in a mobile rack system offer a lower productivity rate than other GTP technologies.  

Roaming shuttle Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRS)

Warehouse workers use roaming shuttle autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to transport and store products in high-density storage or retrieval environments, typically part of goods-to-person (GTP) stations.   

Unit Load Transport Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRS) 

The agenda of developing unit load transport autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) is to address two fundamental limitations of the automated guided vehicles (AGVs). The first is the restriction of AGVs to be used in areas where AGVs can be given priority safely. The second is the cost of AGVs. Thus, AMRs are less expensive and more flexible. 

Bot Sorter Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRS) 

It is the most widely used automated material handling equipment because it eliminates traditional, fixed-in-place sorters. Also, bot sorter AMRS provides excellent flexibility. Moreover, they can pick products and perform many to many sorts from several warehouse areas. 

Conclusion

Warehouse robots indeed require a hefty amount of initial investment in comparison to analogous human human-based solutions. Moreover, no matter how advanced the technology gets, robots will still lack critical thinking and decision-making like human beings. However, warehouses of the present era should mandatorily acquire robots for WMS automation to streamline warehouse operations. 

McCombs-Wall Inc. Engineering provides ideal material handling solutions and systems among all the existing material handling automation companies. It is a single-source provider that designs and implements forward-thinking solutions. Such solutions play a pivotal role in enhancing profit. They offer carousel storage systems, conveyor systems, sortation systems, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), end of line automation, mobile robots, goods-to-person carousels, vertical lift modules, order fulfillment, etc. They also offer a robust and reliable warehouse control system (WCS). 

Here are the partner companies to which MWI resells and installs its controls: Lightning Pack, Knapp, Kindred, SI Systems A-Frames, Hannibal, Hanel, Modsort(Regal Beloit), ID technologies, Intralox, TGW, Interroll, Intelligrated Honeywell, Effimat, OPEX, Gray Orange, and Hytrol. Not only this, here are the partner companies to which technology companies they often integrate with but don’t resell: SICK, Beckhoff, FANUC, Cognex, BestPack, and Rockwell Automation.