Changes in the way that we order and buy products have led to huge changes in the logistics industry and in the ways that global companies stay competitive. We order more online, for example, and both individual and retail customers expect orders to be delivered more quickly. There are a greater variety of goods being delivered and customers expect to be able to change their orders.
L’Oreal is one of the many global companies who have responded to these changes by introducing automation – namely, robotic layer slotting and picking software.
Robotic Layer Picking
L’Oreal introduced a robotic layer picking system that operates on an overhead gantry. It can move along three axes. This was partly in response to the increased customer demand for mixed pallets. Shampoo is heavy, so making up mixed pallets meant that employees were having to lift thousands of pounds in weight.
The solution requires little space, as the shipping pallet stays in one place and the robot brings the layers of product to it. This has the added advantage of allowing the warehouse to have narrower aisles, and therefore make more efficient use of storage space.
Where L’Oreal lead, others follow. Already, bin racks in Ireland and around the world, in all sorts of storage facilities, are being stacked and emptied by robots as well as by human operatives. This trend looks set to continue.
Slotting Software
Slotting software is software which calculates the best place for stock to be stored within a warehouse. It takes into account factors like which items are often ordered together, how often items are ordered, how many items are usually ordered and the weight and size of items.
Items can be packed together in different ways (by type, by group, by price, by repeated order), and for numerous firms like www.rackzone.ie/bin-racks and others, these solutions are already of great benefit.
The Benefits
L’Oreal have found a range of improvements since introducing automation. Health and safety is improved since workers no longer have to make mixed pallets by hand. Delivery times and picking times are now shorter. Travel time has also been reduced. For more information Modern Materials Handling go into greater depth about their solutions.
Automation – robotic pickers and computerised slotting – is an efficient and effective answer to the challenges posed by modern materials handling.
