Companies are investing in intralogistics robotics in droves. The reasons are clear. Persistent labor shortages. Continued growth in eCommerce. Always-changing consumer preferences. If you’re evaluating robotics for piece picking, here’s a guide to get you started.
- SYSTEM CHECKLIST
1. Steer clear from stand alone.
The preferred commercial model for robotics is buying an integrated system that includes hardware, software, support and maintenance. The already-integrated robotic system approach is favored because it can accelerate implementation timeframes, speed time-to-payback and increase performance.
- Look for a complete "all-in-one" solution
2. Don’t base decisions solely on a trade show demo.
A standalone robot cell picking “gripper-friendly” items will not give you an accurate picture of robot performance. Ask about computing time for grip point detection with a wide variety of SKUs. Ask how long it takes the system to handle new SKUs. Ask about stand times between storage and retrieval, picking and transport.
- Look for industrial-grade performance in live production environments
3. Insist on a quick study who shares.
Piece picking robots require a “brain.” Or, to be precise, an AI-enabled platform that gives them the ability to handle virtually any item and unstructured scenario. When new SKUs are introduced, the AI platform should be able to infer from past experiences, learn with every grip and share learnings with other robots via the cloud.
- Look for continuous improvement and collective learning
4. Make sure they’re precise and gentle.
For autonomous robotic picking, robots have to be able to “see,” so they know which gripper to use and how best to grasp individual items. Robots must also be able to calculate the perfect placing point, so they can gently and precisely place items for tight packing and “no air” shipping. AI placing algorithms make this possible.
- Look for robots with AI-powered picking and placing
5. Don’t forget the bigger picking picture.
If your piece picking robot can’t be fully integrated with shuttle, transport and warehouse management and control systems, performance will be degraded. Integration and orchestration are essential for meeting cut-off times and service levels. Make sure there is good logic, so the right orders are assigned to the right robots for fast and reliable picking around the clock.
- Look for dynamic orechestration between multiple systems
6. Select a product and a partner.
Don’t just pick a product. Pick a partner that can help you build logistics value over time. Make sure they have the intralogistics know-how to help mitigate labor shortages by minimizing manual touches. Discuss implementation and expertise in your industry. Make sure they have an extensive customer service network and that you will have a single point of contact.
- Look for a partner who wins when you win
