In the warehousing industry, lack of safety is prominent. Of the 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2019, approximately 8% came from the warehousing industry, occurring at a rate of 4.8 for every 100 full-time workers, according to Freightwaves. Not only do those injuries directly impact the workers, but it is a financial issuet for companies as well.
Honeywell, which is a multinational conglomerate, is hoping to kill two birds with one stone with decreasing nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses as well as increase productivity. What is their plan you ask? Honeywell announced they are going to be unveiling robotic technology that can automatically unload pallets, which will reduce the potential of injury. One of the benefits of the Smart Flexible Depalletizer is the perception technology that acts as the eyes of the depalletizer’s robotic arm. This then allows it to pick from single or mixed SKU pallets that are fixed or ready to go.
Part of the speed and efficiency the robot provides is from the control logic it has when sensing the weight of the item being picked and then adjusts the arm’s grip automatically to ensure the case is secure. Better yet, the robot learns from each time it does that, which it essentially becomes more effective each time, reported by Freightwaves.
Are robots needed in warehouses?
Honeywell did a study asking companies if they had any interest in more automation in warehouses. Interestingly enough in the survey, more than half of the companies said they would be willing to invest in automation. There are a lot of positive with incorporating automation in warehouses including the speed of tasks, boosting productivity, and decreasing a high rate of injury rate.
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