Amid rapid advances and adoption of robotic technology in materials handling, it can be hard to keep up with all the tipping points. Grippers, vision systems, navigation solutions and software are combining to make once fantastical robotic applications all but inevitable. But, even as they offer solutions to age-old challenges, concepts like robotic piece picking are also bound to present sizable tests. When it comes to piece picking, humans have the advantage of highly dexterous manipulation, versatile product identification and intuitive decision-making. Robots offer consistency and predictability, but they will need greater speed and flexibility to keep up with the…
With recalls taking center stage in today’s media, manufacturers must closely evaluate the cost of poor quality (CoPQ) to their business. CoPQ is typically defined as the costs that would disappear if your manufacturing process was perfect. These costs include lost goodwill and expenses incurred from replacement, refund, rework, and scrapping. It has been estimated that CoPQ amounts to approximately 5% to 30% of a manufacturer’s gross sales. This means CoPQ is costing manufacturers millions per year and therefore every executive should recognize that quality must be addressed to remain competitive. In industries where the price of product is the…
