Today, Smart Robotics, a global robotics leader in warehouse automation, launched its Smart Mixed Case Palletizer, an industrial robot pick and place station that eliminates one of the biggest bottlenecks in warehouse delivery processes - manual palletizing of mixed SKUs. By using warehouse automation, the robot enables another step towards touchless shipping and allows large distribution centers to pre-sort to multiple destinations without increasing shipping FTEs.
Since consumers are shopping more online, the retail and ECom sector has experienced a sharp influx of parcels moving through the respective warehouses. Many Operational and Logistics Managers need to optimize outbound shipping processes for same- or next-day delivery due to higher order volumes and digital customers' demand for frictionless shopping and shipping. By automatically stacking goods for delivery from the main warehouse to the respective receiving location, the Smart Mixed Case Palletizer improves warehouse capacity - without requiring warehouse workers to manually pick and place goods.
Smart Robotics' pick-and-place robots use advanced technology to make warehouse operations more efficient and reliable. The technology increases capacity and reduces labor shortages by automating physically demanding and monotonous tasks, such as sorting, packing, palletizing, and order picking.
The Smart Mixed Case Palletizer is the next-gen version of the Smart Palletizer and is capable of stacking mixed cases. The robot’s stacking behavior is not limited to packages that are of the same size or weight. This solution can predict its own stacking sequence, as if playing Tetris, whereas traditional palletizing solutions rely on predefined stacking patterns to palletize goods of the same size, weight, and shape. Unlike predetermined stacking patterns, the Smart Mixed Case Palletizer can regulate itself to sort and stack randomly mixed parcels efficiently.
“Customer demands are ever changing and with timely deliveries becoming an even greater factor in customer satisfaction, brands and retailers cannot afford delivery delays stemming from insufficient warehousing processes. By implementing the Smart Mixed Case Palletizer, item handling can be achieved with greater speed and accuracy at distribution centres, which better enables same day delivery,”
- outlines the CEO of Smart Robotics, Johan Jardevall
Preparations are currently underway for Smart Robotics' first customer installation. With a leading sports brand with warehouses in Europe, Smart Robotics is preparing to implement the first version of Smart Mixed Case Palletizers. The objective is to test touchless shipping and faster delivery times when a parcel moves from the warehouse to transport. As the Smart Mixed Case Palletizer is designed to reduce multiple steps in the warehouse and distribution network, this phase in the logistics process can be automated to create more efficient decentralized warehousing grids and reduce parcel travel times.
The Smart Mixed Case Palletizer can pre-sort mixed batches of items packaged in medium to large (up to 25kg) boxes, following a mixed SKU stacking pattern. Stacking accuracy and palletizing efficiency of the robot are key factors in the improvement of small load distribution.
