Warehouse Robotics | Des Moines

Imagine reducing your warehouse workforce costs by nearly half, adding 24 hour shifts that significantly boost your production capacity and having access to troves of live metrics on all aspects of your operation. Warehouse robotics systems can help you transform your business, reducing expenses, boosting production and strengthening profitability.

Types of Warehouse Robots

Although some types of warehouse robotics solutions have been in use for many years, others are bleeding edge engineering marvels that could possibly disrupt the distribution and warehousing business as we know it. The main categories of robotics system are:

Articulated Robotic Arms: Robotic arms with multiple joints can lift and move goods in a warehouse. They're commonly applied to receiving functions, like moving goods from pallets to racking, or in production environments, for picking, packing and shipping.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Unmanned aerial vehicles, conventionally referred to as drones, can provide instantaneous inventory data in a facility through the use of RFID technology.

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) : AS/RS can collect products from bins and return items to their designated storage locations. Examples of AS/RS solutions are cranes that retrieve goods between aisles, vertical or horizontal carousel systems and shuttle systems.

Goods-to-Person technology (G2P): In place of using human labor to pick items from racks and bins, G2P systems use robots to dispense products to picking stations, where workers are stationed to complete orders as products are delivered.

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) : AGVs, including self-driving carts, pallet jacks or forklifts, move goods between locations inside a warehouse. Cart based AGVs are commonly referred to as AGCs, or Automatic Guided Carts.

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) : Similar to AGVs and AGCs, AMRs can transport products throughout a facility autonomously. Unlike AGVs and AGCs, which travel stationary routes often directed by wire tracks or magnetic strips, AMRs make use of maps, cameras and sensors to negotiate more flexible routes by evaluating their surroundings.

Applications For Warehouse Robots

Until recently, robotic applications in warehouses were restricted to a small number of functions. As technology has evolved, robotic capabilities have exploded and they can now be used for nearly any function in a warehouse:

Loading and unloading: While complete automation of loading and unloading trucks is not yet a realistic possibility, automated systems like conveyors and AGVs can be employed to optimize your loading dock speed.

Palletizing and de-palletizing: Robotic systems are well suited for monotonous, recurrent work like palletizing. Palletizizing robots normally employ a dedicated End-of-Arm Tool to pick up items and place them on a pallet. They're often coupled with conveyor systems that transport items to the palletizing area.

Sorting: Robotic sortation systems must be able to pick up products, ID them and place them in an appropriate bin or storage slot. As goods move along a conveyor, these systems use cameras to recognize individual items and select them.

Picking: A considerable portion of the workforce expenses in a warehouse are a result of order picking functions, and robotic picking solutions have been around for decades to help address this problem. However, contemporary robotic picking solutions offer increased speed, improved accuracy, more efficiency and superior value as compared to systems of just a few years ago.

Packaging: Robotic solutions are perfect for repetitious and tedious jobs like packaging. They can also be used for more complex jobs like dimensioning, weighing and cartonizing.

Transportation: Robotic transportation systems are widely used in warehouses, from simple AGCs/AGVs to AMRs and conveyor systems that are integrated with AS/RS.

Storage: AS/RS systems include a variety of warehouse robots, including cranes, pallet shuttles and mini-load systems. AS/RS is also sometimes used in combination with mobile racking systems to make the most of space utilization.

Delivery: Leading e-com businesses are experimenting with autonomous delivery drones, self-driving trucks and other advanced options that will fundamentally change home and warehouse delivery options in the coming years.

Replenishment: Leveraging RFID to keep track of inventory, warehouse drones can scan barcode labels up to 50% faster than manual scanning and send inventory information back to the warehouse management system instantaneously.

Industrial Robotics Companies Near Me

If you're interested in learning more about industrial robotic solutions for your operation, speak with an automation expert at Associated today!

The Associated Des Moines service area includes Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Iowa City, Waterloo, Ames, West Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Ankeny, Dubuque, Urbandale, Cedar Falls, Marion, Bettendorf, Mason City and all surrounding areas.

Associated | Des Moines Material Handling Equipment Supplier

4421 NW Urbandale Dr
Urbandale, IA 50322
(515) 964-0162