From Manual to Robotic: The Rise of of Robotics in Mixed Case Palletizing (and How Daifuku Intralogistics Can Help)

If you're relying solely on manual processes in your warehouse or distribution center, you're falling behind your competition.

While certain manual processes still have their place in the warehouse, their advantages are increasingly overshadowed by automated,  robotic solutions that enhance productivity and profits. For instance, manual processes are slow and prone to human errors. Additionally, while the human element of such processes can offer a personal touch, warehouse managers are also challenged with labor shortages and staffing difficulties in these environments.

While there's an upfront investment in robotics technologies, the benefits often pay for themselves over time in increased productivity, better efficiency and accuracy, and the ability to scale robotic solutions to meet evolving needs. What's more, there's a significant safety element involved in robotic solutions, as they eliminate the need for human laborers to work in dangerous settings or manage hazardous tasks.

On this note, robotics is becoming increasingly common in warehouse settings. Mixed-case palletizing is just one application. Because creating pallets that contain a variety of SKUs can be time-consuming and laborious, warehouse managers are turning to robotic and more automated systems to handle their complexity. In this post, we'll explain the rise in robotics for mixed-case palletizing and how solutions from Daifuku Intralogistics can help take your operations to new heights. Read on to learn more or contact Daifuku today.

When Robotic Solutions Make Sense

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So when do robotic solutions make sense in the warehouse environment? As we said earlier, humans will never be completely replaced in these settings, but introducing robotics to manage certain tasks can have notable productivity benefits. Here's a look at some of the common scenarios where implementing robotics makes sense.

• Task complexity: Robotics can handle highly repetitive tasks with ease.

• Cost Savings: Increased efficiency and reduced errors can represent significant long-term savings. Robotics can also remove humans from certain tasks, freeing them up to work on other things they're perhaps better suited for.

• Scalability: Your warehouse's needs will likely fluctuate with seasonality. Rather than hiring seasonal staff, robotics can help operations scale up and scale down accordingly.

• Safety Concerns: As we said in the opening, robots are ideal for working in situations where human safety is at risk.

• Consistency and Quality: Once programmed to perform a task, robots can work consistently and uniformly, which helps improve quality and minimize the likelihood of errors. What's more, robots can work 24/7 without breaks, fatigue or the need for rest. In addition to consistency and quality improvements, there's faster throughput and better turnaround times.

• Offsetting labor shortages: Here's a well-documented labor shortage in today's warehouse and distribution environment. While humans will always have a place in these facilities, managers are increasingly tasked with innovative thinking and adopting new solutions to help offset these challenges. Robots represent a big possibility.

Considering all this, incorporating robotics into your warehouse for mixed-case palletizing has significant short- and long-term benefits. Their efficiency, accuracy, safety advantages and flexibility largely outweigh the upfront cost of acquiring and implementing them in the setting. Robotics is revolutionizing warehousing and logistics operations, and mixed-case palletizing is just one aspect of how they're doing it.

Mixed Case Robotic Palletizing: What You Need to Know

Unlike single-SKU case palletizing, which typically involves bulk shipment of identical products, mixed-case palletizing involves assembling pallets with a variety of SKUs. Also, mixed-case palletizing requires more advanced processes to handle the various shapes, sizes and weights of the products being processed. Mixed SKU palletizing can involve a combination of single SKU layer picks and mixed SKU case picks. This is where a solution with advanced automation including shuttles, sorters, and layer/case handling robotics can play a significant role.

Mixed-case robotic palletizing is also becoming increasingly essential in today's modern-day warehouses and distribution centers, underscoring the importance of incorporating such a capability into your facilities. Daifuku Intralogistics, a world leader in developing and manufacturing industry-leading materials handling solutions, is here to help bring robotic palletizing solutions to your operation.

Daifuku solutions consist of automated technology including case AS/RSs, sortation equipment, and case handling robots picking products from various inventory pallets and stacking them onto shipping pallets in mixed SKU configurations. Processes are guided by advanced software that calculates the optimal stacking pattern to ensure optimal stability and the most efficient use of space. Daifuku's robotic solutions can process up to 600 cases per hour, which can significantly increase productivity and operational efficiency when compared to a manual option.

Daifuku's robotic solutions are also highly flexible and can be configured and tailored to meet specific customer outbound requirements.  These automated solutions typically support both sequenced and destination-sorted loading, making complex order fulfillment simple and error-free.

Daifuku's solutions are as versatile as they are flexible, especially applicable in a variety of markets such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, electronics, retail, cold chain logistics, e-commerce and more.

Choosing to invest in robotic solutions simply makes sense for mixed-case palletizing. Strong financial and intangible benefits provide managers and engineers with a clear path to recommend mixed case robotic palletizing for their warehouses and distribution centers.

Incorporating AI and Other Advanced Solutions

Robotics continue to evolve and improve with time, and solutions from Daifuku are no exception. Today's solutions are outfitted with next-generation vision systems and automation capabilities to work smarter and better than previous solutions. Future initiatives and optimizations utilizing AI-driven software will help do more than just select the right products to place on the pallet; it can also optimize placement by considering the weight, size and shape of the product, reducing product damage and leading to more satisfied customers throughout the supply chain.

Robots for mixed-use palletizing can also seamlessly integrate with Warehouse Management Systems and other warehouse solutions to automate more than just one task and contribute to the automation of the entire facility. When you combine these capabilities with real-time data analytics and optimization, it all contributes to a smarter, better-operating facility overall. Managers have key insights at their fingertips on how to further enhance operations and lead their warehouses and distribution centers in smarter and more responsible ways.

Another Key Benefit: Sustainability

As consumers become more conscious of the impact their activities have on the environment, they are also looking to improve sustainability downstream. That's one other key benefit of automating mixed-case palletizing with robotics.

Robots are designed to optimize space utilization on pallets, which can reduce the number of pallets and shipments that are required. This can all positively impact the environment, resulting in fewer truckloads of product, which thereby leads to reduced emissions. Robotics can also help minimize waste thanks to the accuracy of their operations and how their actions work in a way that minimizes the chance of product damage.

Contact Daifuku Intralogistics Today

Contact us today for more information on the rise of robotics in mixed-use palletizing and how Daifuku's solutions are meeting the needs of modern-day warehouses and distribution centers. As a world leader in the development and manufacturing of material handling solutions, Daifuku is here to serve as your long-term partner on advanced solutions to streamline productivity and profit in the warehouse. Our line of advanced robotic solutions can help your facility enhance its operational efficiency and build a competitive advantage in mixed-use palletizing.

Contact us today for more information and to learn about the solutions that can take your facility's operations to new heights.

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