Warehouse robotics defined
Before we proceed, let’s define robotic warehouse systems. Put simply, the term refers to the use of machines and robots to automate tasks in a warehouse or distribution centre.
Robots perform tasks that are often physically taxing, time-consuming, and/or repetitive for workers, like picking and packing items or moving stock throughout the warehouse. They can perform these tasks with phenomenal accuracy and speed, improving warehouse safety while taking away the strain from staff.
The five types of warehouse robotics
So, what types of modern warehouse robots are today’s warehouses using to boost productivity and worker safety? Let's look at five varieties that are transforming order fulfilment operations.
Automated Guided Vehicles
Guided by tracks or laser sensors, Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) move across the warehouse floor carrying stock between different zones or locations, without the need for a driver.
Types of AGVs include an automated guided forklift that can move a single or multiple pallets, a tugger AGV that can pull trolleys or a unit load, and an AGV that can carry a pallet, box, container or other form of single unit.
AGVs are guided in multiple ways, including by a wire fitted to the warehouse floor, optical sensors that detect light from a reflector strip, or a laser device that scans the environment.
Advantages
As they typically have fixed routes, AVGs help ensure the consistent movement of goods between two points in warehouse logistics, and they can operate 24 hours per day. They also ensure safety as they can easily navigate via routes that avoid interaction with workers.
Over time, AVGs will work out to be more economical than purchasing forklifts and hiring and training staff to man them.
Disadvantages
While AVGs' predictable routes make them reliable and safe, they also limit their movement. AVGs require dedicated space to operate, which means that they are not typically suitable for high-density warehouses.
While they are more economical than forklifts as time passes, AVGs will incur a higher initial cost.
Mobile warehouse automation robots
Like AVGs, Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) move across the warehouse floor to pick up items and carry them without a driver.
However, they are far more flexible as they can create their own routes, choosing those that are most optimal via advanced sensors, onboard cameras or artificial intelligence. They can even navigate around obstacles.
AMRs are pick and place robots, able to lift an entire rack of products and carry them to the picking station. They can also follow a worker as they walk around the warehouse, taking items from shelves and placing them in the robot, which then transports them to the packaging area.
Advantages
As mentioned earlier, AMRs are highly flexible because they can create their own routes and adapt to changes in the surrounding environment while travelling through a warehouse. This also means that there is no need to set pre-defined routes, which makes it easier to implement AMRs than AVGs.
Their flexibility also makes it easy for AMRs to learn new tasks, and they are highly scalable, too; to achieve economies of scale, you simply need to buy more units and put them to work.
Disadvantages
Among the cons of AMRs are their load size limitations. While some are capable of heavy lifting, they are generally a poor choice for carrying goods that would typically be handled with forklifts.
Given their sophisticated technology, the cost of AMRs may be prohibitive. However, since their primary value is to boost productivity via shortened travel time, if you want a return on investment, your warehouse should be medium—to large-sized with a high quantity of stock. The more stock your AMR can handle, the better your return.
Robotic Arms
A robotic arm is easy to picture from its name, consisting of an arm and hand that mimics those of a human to pick, pack or move items as well as load and unload pallets. They are pre-programmed and fully automated, with the ability to lift heavy items at a faster speed than humans without, of course, experiencing fatigue.
Robotic arms can either be fixed to the floor or movable via a wheeled platform, with the hand taking the form of a suction cup, claw or gripper.
Advantages
This is a highly flexible and efficient solution for performing repetitive warehouse tasks. Robotic arms can carry out the same task for as long as required with great accuracy, allowing workers to avoid the strain of repetitive tasks.
Their efficiency and productivity will also increase as time passes thanks to their ability to learn and enhance their processes. Plus, they can be easily paired with other systems like a conveyor belt. It is also simple to reprogram an arm to process new items or different pallet shapes.
Disadvantages
A robotic arm has a narrow scope of capabilities and because it is fixed in place, you may need to reorganise your processes to integrate the arm into your warehouse.
Warehouse aerial drones
Aerial drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, are a type of robot that can fly autonomously at high speed throughout a warehouse or distribution centre to identify and count inventory items.
They utilise remote sensors for navigation and on-board cameras to capture data inside the warehouse, which is then stored virtually to update an inventory management system.
Advantages
Drones can make cycle counts and inventory audits easier, leading to more frequently updated inventory data. They can work autonomously or be controlled by a human, and their small size allows them to reach areas that workers can't.
Disadvantages
If stock is disorganised and labels are not facing drones, it could lead to inaccurate stock counts. The limited battery supply of drones also means that they can only work for a finite period. However, this can be overcome by operating multiple drones at once.
Automated Storage and Retrieval System
An Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) involves fully automated and programmable robots that move along a fixed track to receive stock, process orders, dispatch goods and transfer goods.
Featuring a crane or lifter, these storage robots move through a warehouse to retrieve items or containers from shelves, or the entire shelf itself.
Advantages
An ASRS allows for the efficient use of storage space as they can swiftly retrieve items on low and high shelves, which means you can make the most of vertical space. Another advantage is the wide range of tasks an ASRS can be programmed to perform.
Disadvantages
To implement this form of robot, you may need to adapt the layout and structure of your warehouse, which can incur substantial costs.
Top 5 benefits of warehouse robots
Now that you have a good idea of the world of warehouse robotics, as well as their pros and cons, let’s summarise the key benefits they can offer your fulfilment operation:
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Increased efficiency: Robots perform repetitive tasks with high speed and precision, while also working around the clock, leading to less downtime and greater warehouse productivity for key processes like picking and packing, sorting, counting inventory, replenishing goods and more.
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Cost savings: While the initial cost of implementing robots is often expensive, automating warehouse tasks ensures they are performed faster and more accurately, which, over the long run, will deliver a positive return on investment.
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Faster, more accurate fulfilment: Robots eliminate human error, which results in far fewer incorrectly packaged orders thanks to packing robots, inaccurate inventory counts, and damaged goods. They also perform tasks far faster than humans, which ultimately leads to shorter delivery times and happier customers.
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Storage space optimisation: Robots can work in compact spaces or those that are generally out of reach for humans, like tall shelves. This means that goods can be packed closer together or higher, allowing you to better use warehouse space. Robots also do not require as much space as workers, which means the width of aisles can be reduced.
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Enhanced worker safety: By removing the need for humans to retrieve items from high shelves, perform repetitive tasks for hours on end, or lift heavy items, robots reduce the risk of short and long-term injuries.
What to consider before investing in warehouse robotic systems
While warehouse robots offer myriad cost and time efficiencies, they are not suited for every fulfilment operation. The more stock robots can handle, the higher your return on investment. Therefore, you want to make sure you have a sufficient volume of stock to make robots economically viable.
You also need to consider whether implementing robots will require restructuring your warehouse's layout and infrastructure. Remember that you may need to incur the costs of this, as well as those to acquire the robots, in addition to ongoing maintenance costs.
The disruption caused by an implementation also needs to be factored into your thinking—and not just to your warehouse infrastructure. Robots will likely affect the way warehouse staff perform their roles, which could require you to change embedded processes and offer training.
How you can automate your warehouse with Access Mintsoft
Warehouse automation is not only a benefit offered by robots. Another way you can automate manual tasks is with a cloud-based warehouse management system like Access Mintsoft.
Designed by fulfilment industry experts, the solution offers advanced automation capabilities to achieve up to 100 percent picking accuracy, optimise warehouse space and staff utilisation, and get orders out quicker.
From automating time-intensive tasks, tracking customer orders and inventory levels, generating shipping labels, and simplifying client invoicing, Access Mintsoft offers the efficiencies and data-driven insights needed to future-proof your business.
With 175+ pre-built integrations with couriers, multi-carriers and marketplaces such as Shopify, DHL and Amazon, Access Mintsoft is trusted by over 600 leading businesses worldwide to streamline warehouse management.