JULY/AUGUST 2019 COVER STORY
A ROBOT
REVOLUTION
The traditional warehouse environment is changing,
replaced by a high-tech connected environment that
rivals the most state-of-the-art shopfloor. But does this
drive to automation risk neglecting the human workers?
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BY CHRIS BECK
obvious is customer demand,”
says Richard Seel, managing
director of supply chain
and logistics at consultancy
firm, delaware (inset). “They
want next-day delivery or, at
the very least, ever-shorter
delivery lead times. That
puts pressure on
manufacturers
who struggle
to muster the
resources
they need at
short notice
to satisfy
demand.
“Adding to
the pressure is
the fact that demand
often fluctuates over time,
due to seasonality, weather
conditions or unexpected
events that result in spikes
in interest in a particular
product line. It is difficult for
manufacturers to pull extra
people in for short periods,
and train them up quickly,
so that they can respond to
these demand spikes in a
timely manner.
“Warehouse automation
also helps manufacturers
leapfrog their competitors.
A smart automated warehouse
boosts efficiency, productivity
and helps accelerate the
entire supply chain, giving
manufacturers an edge over
their rivals.”
www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
At the Coventry factory of automotive
parts manufacturer Brose, a materials
handling revolution is taking place. A
team of Automated Guided Vehicles
(AGVs), moving at a steady one metre
per second, has been tasked with
undertaking the logistics operations at the site.
Over the course of a year, the AGVs will
collectively make 65,000 journeys,
travelling 67,000km – the equivalent
to circling the Earth 1.5 times.
This is an increasingly common
sight: on the south coast, Andover
is home to online grocery giant
Ocado’s 18-acre Customer
Fulfilment Centre, where orders
are fulfilled by a ‘swarm’ of 1,100
robots, working together to pick as
many as 65,000 orders per week.
It’s clear, then, that the warehouse as
we know it is changing. The traditional – and
largely manual – ‘shed’ is being replaced by a
fully connected building that integrates with
the shopfloor. Automated order processing,
robotic picking and driverless forklifts have
revolutionised warehouse – and overall
manufacturing – efficiency.
“Challenges to the supply of labour, the rise of
just-in-time deliveries and cost pressures mean
warehouses need to be smarter, leaner and more
agile than ever before,” says Ian Keilty, managing
director for retail & consumer at Wincanton.
“Automation is widely seen as a viable response
to a number of these challenges.”
Growing pressures require more flexibility
The benefits of automation are numerous – and,
in warehousing, are largely led by increasingly
demanding customers. “Though there are a
range of factors driving uptake of automation
in manufacturing warehouses today, the most
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