Warehouse Automation
Automating intralogistics: A boost for productivity
In distribution centers, various process steps along the supply chain are automated – from the receipt of goods and storage in high-bay warehouses to picking and shipping. After all, automated processes enable companies to meet the increasing demands of the market: They can pick up speed while increasing their agility and quality at the same time.
By using automated systems throughout the material flow, processes can be sped up, which has a positive effect on productivity. Automation solutions are also an ideal way to carry out intralogistics tasks precisely and reliably. This reduces the burden on staff, requires less follow-up work and minimizes errors. Automated systems grow along with the tasks they perform: They can be expanded on a step-by-step basis and can easily be adapted to meet new requirements.
A typical scenario in a distribution center: When pallets arrive at the goods receiving area, they are usually unloaded manually from the truck and stored in the pallet warehouse. They are handled using forklift trucks and, increasingly, storage and retrieval machines or shuttles for pallets which store the pallets fully automatically. The pallets are then separated as part of a manual depalletizing process. After that, the small load carriers are generally stored temporarily in a picking warehouse. There, storage and retrieval machines or shuttle systems take over the fully automatic storage and retrieval of the load carriers. From there, the required goods are assembled into orders, packed and dispatched. This process can be manual or automated. Gantry and articulated robots are increasingly being used in the fully automatic picking process.
When it comes to automation in intralogistics, Bosch Rexroth offers complete solutions for all areas. For example a solution set for storage and retrieval machines with load handling devices for use in high-bay warehouses. This automation solution features the compact control system ctrlX CORE, the drive solution ctrlX DRIVE, the I/O portfolio ctrlX I/O, the safety solution ctrlX SAFETY and IndraDrive Mi, the decentralized solution for drives on the load handling devices. Using decentralized drive technology significantly reduces the cabling to the load handling devices, thus saving space in the main control cabinet. There are other advantages too: The latest motion control technology for the shortest cycle times with IoT integration, ctrlX DRIVE compact drives with recovery for energy efficient movements and ctrlX CORE as an IoT-capable, safe and open motion control system. Compact control cabinets also allow small approach dimensions.
Bosch Rexroth offers solution sets for gantry robots, shuttles, AGVs/AMRs and palletizing systems as well. These are scalable and can be expanded as necessary via app technology to offer functions for automation in intralogistics and warehousing.
Example applications for warehouse automation solutions
ctrlX AUTOMATION enables the automation of a wide variety of intralogistics systems: from palletizing solutions and stacker cranes to gantry robots and shuttles.
