Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.51
November 18, 2016
…on the roads in Munich and Leipzig, making local deliveries. The initial aim is to get to better know the different drive technologies and gain experience. Over the long term, the BMW Group is striving for cost-efficient use of alternative drive technologies. “Logistics is the heart of the BMW production system - and the use of innovative and digital technologies will become a key factor in our complex logistics processes,” according to Jürgen Maidl, head of Logistics for the BMW Group production network. “At the same time, sustainable, resource-efficient solutions are also important to us. We are already testing the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.53
November 08, 2016
…established routes. The containers were right-sized so that a delivery occurred every 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the route. “A lot of work went into creating the kitting operation and establishing the routes to deliver just what we needed before we could even think of automation,” Keppler says. Once the manual process was in place, the next step was to look for a technology that could take operators out of the process by automating delivery. Keppler says that labor is always a consideration, but that in this instance, safety and throughput were the key drivers. “We have a commitment…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.38
November 08, 2016
…the company has automated many kilometers of production floor deliveries, allowing workers to remain productive and producing a return on investment within one year. Previously, an employee had to push a trolley from place to place throughout the facility, a monotonous chore for highly paid manual laborers. “It is costly when internal transport costs man-hours,” says René Hannibaldsen, production manager at Scan A/S. “It challenges a company like ours because we are based in a country with high labor costs. Automation of internal transport is therefore an obvious way for us to improve throughput and boost our competitiveness.” Capable of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.92
October 23, 2016
Last-mile delivery, especially of parcels, has recently received lots of attention in the media and from investors. The cost of global parcel delivery, excluding pickup, line-haul, and sorting, amounts to about €70 billion, with China, Germany, and the United States accounting for more than 40 percent of the market. And not only is the market large, but it’s also highly dynamic, with growth rates in 2015 of between 7 and 10 percent in mature markets (such as Germany and the United States) and more than 100 percent in developing markets. The biggest driver of this growth, not surprisingly, is e-commerce,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 31.50
October 21, 2016
…U.S. is set to double by 2025, with Same-day delivery and instant delivery to accounting for one-fifth of the demand. Furthermore, a new study reveals that one in two customers is willing to pay extra for faster delivery. These are the research findings contained in “Parcel delivery. The Future of Last Mile.” The analyses surveyed over 4,700 consumers in the U.S., Germany, and China. As the trend toward buying goods online increases, so too does the desire to receive the ordered products as soon as possible. The market for same-day and instant delivery will account for around 20 percent of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 29.19
October 21, 2016
…U.S. is set to double by 2025, with Same-day delivery and instant delivery to accounting for one-fifth of the demand. Furthermore, a new study reveals that one in two customers is willing to pay extra for faster delivery. These are the research findings contained in “Parcel delivery. The Future of Last Mile.” The analyses surveyed over 4,700 consumers in the U.S., Germany, and China. As the trend toward buying goods online increases, so too does the desire to receive the ordered products as soon as possible. The market for same-day and instant delivery will account for around 20 percent of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.00
October 13, 2016
…half, requiring only 16 days from production start to delivery, compared to 30 days in 2012. Elos has also succeeded in “growing out of the risk” of terminating employees as a result of automation investments, as its total manageable staff has risen from 116 to 145 employees over two years. Along with automation to improve productivity, new jobs have been created within the highly specialized manual assembly, in R&D and in administration. “We want to grow without adding more people than what is actually dictated by growth,” says Henrik Andersen, head of R&D at Elos. “Automation is a strategic focus…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.52
October 06, 2016
…customers to reduce our lead times and improve our delivery times because they are running leaner inventories.” Those customer challenges are happening against the backdrop of increasing competition for labor and a mandate to drive continuous improvements in safety and ergonomics. “In just about every major city where we have distribution centers, there is real competition for labor,” says Rodriguez. Put them together—the need for speed, quality, service and labor shortages—and “automation becomes a way to operate successfully within the context of these competing demands,” says Rodriguez. In fact, new demands may be changing the rules for justifying automation, at…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 16.53
October 04, 2016
…estimates a $400 billion-plus market opportunity for Amazon in delivery, freight forwarding, and contract logistics. All of this serves as a backdrop for what may or may not happen next. And it was spelled out to a degree in a Wall Street Journal report published last week, which explained how Amazon is “laying the groundwork for its own shipping business in a brazen challenge to America’s freight titans” (i.e. UPS and FedEx. Citing unnamed current and former Amazon managers and business partners, the report explained that while Amazon has publicly said having a delivery presence is a logical way to…
Found in Robotics Companies & Businesses, with a score of 10.18
September 08, 2016
For more than 30 years, FlexLink has been a leading, global provider of production logistics solutions to manufacturing industries. FlexLink supplies a wide range of conveyor systems, handling functions and software enhancing efficiency in assembly, filling, machining and packaging lines. Over the years, FlexLink’s solutions have earned recognition for being efficient, compact, flexible and durable. Common effects of FlexLink’s solutions are increased throughput, reduced throughput time and a predictable delivery of the products in process. Engineering and field services are part of our long term commitment to customers.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.55
August 30, 2016
…increasingly adopting automated material handling equipment to shorten the delivery time of products to the customers and for storing goods in warehouses to ensure the quick delivery of the products. Moreover, automated material handling is gaining popularity in the aviation industry as it offers ease for manufacturing and assembling the aircraft. The systems are used for storing parts of aircraft, picking and handling of components during assembly of aircraft, and organizing aircraft parts efficiently. The Asia-Pacific region (APAC) is expected to be the leading and fastest-growing market for automated material handling equipment during the forecast period. The increase in production…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.00
June 15, 2016
…aim is to develop a prototype of a self-driving delivery cart that can autonomously accompany staff during last mile delivery. The submitted prototypes need to be able to traverse typical urban and rural landscapes at walking-speed while at the same time carrying parcels. “Our colleagues have to deal with an ever-increasing number of parcels that need to be delivered,” Meahl continued. “As our couriers are currently required to manually push this volume through the streets, we encourage concepts that support our employees.” After submission, entries will be reviewed in a pre-selection process based on their functionality, potential to solve the…
