Automation Drives Breakthroughs in Material Handling Efficiency

Decision-makers in the processing and manufacturing industries frequently invest in automated material handling equipment, realizing it can help them improve productivity, enhance worker safety and boost output. How have companies used this specialized equipment, and what should people consider before adopting it?

Supporting Regulatory Requirements

Automated material handling equipment is particularly attractive to people in tightly regulated industries. It reduces the manual tasks that create inconsistencies or lead to mistakes that cause waste or product recalls.

In one example, executives at a protein bar manufacturer explored practical ways to respond to heightened customer demand. They purchased a tube chain conveyor that significantly shortened the preparation and transfer times associated with bulk powders and specific ingredients, such as cookie pieces and soy crisps.

The leaders were also interested in reducing cross-contamination risks and making equipment sanitation more efficient. The selected conveyor has an enclosed self-cleaning system that protects ingredients from atmospheric and airborne contamination. Real-world usage in the factory revealed automation made the sanitation process 90% faster than the previous manual approach.

Factory managers said sanitizing the equipment occurs in about an hour, rather than across multiple shifts. Effectiveness verification also happens through allergen swab testing. The setup can move foods from 300-1,100 cubic feet per hour, depending on capacity. Additionally, the conveyor handles goods at all stages of receiving, processing or packaging, making this equipment ideal for decision-makers who want versatile options.

This food production facility has the conveyor set to transport materials at 54 feet per minute — a rate that optimizes process time requirements for several ingredients. Executives also opted to run it at 80% capacity, realizing this strategy would allow anticipating future requirements.

Since the conveyor system has the sanitation capabilities to reduce cross-contamination issues, factory managers can rest assured that it aligns with other quality control measures that maintain consistency and keep customers loyal. Conveyors are the most basic kind of material handling automation, but this example shows how leaders can get excellent results after applying them thoughtfully.

Enabling Current and Future Growth

Numerous things can compel industrial leaders to become interested in material handling automation. However, those parties will enjoy the most meaningful outcomes when they determine clear reasons for using automated equipment. Then, they can select products from vendors with specialized options and who have worked with clients in similar situations.

Coming up with a list of essential features is an excellent way to narrow the possibilities and make confident choices. It is also important for those involved to consider individual components, such as the bearings that impact radial load support, horsepower and other important characteristics. Using bearings of durable materials such as 99.98% VIM-VAR steel improves the bearing life span by reducing strain.

A future-oriented mindset will help executives stay focused on how the chosen automated handling equipment will allow them to meet goals and remain competitive. The leaders of a pet product production facility believed automation could significantly improve operating efficiency regarding the handling of numerous plastic injection-molded products, such as litter boxes, feeders and carriers. The inclusion of automated technology came about when leaders hoped to double their sales within the next five years.

The brand installed five twin-mast stacker cranes to move items throughout a storage system’s aisles while a conveyor system moves items to the manufacturing and picking areas. This setup accommodates 12,560 pallet positions and aligns with the goal of using energy-efficient production and storage systems.

Leaders have also integrated production lines with a warehouse management system, giving end-to-end raw materials traceability. Together, these changes have resulted in safer, more eco-friendly operations that support the consistency the business needs to meet its growth goals.

Solving Problems With Automated Material Handling

The enterprises offering automated material handling products for customers must create solutions that address known problems. Paying attention to pain points increases the chances of decision-makers developing options that resonate with people enough to make them want to purchase.

That was the approach of a robotics researcher who listened as his friend detailed the challenges of moving pallet carts quickly and accurately through his warehouse and asked for help. Dealing with the problem also required understanding what other technologies offer and how they fall short.

For example, an examination of the options showed many automated guided vehicles (AGVs) designed for cart handling lift the load from below, and it sometimes takes several minutes for the robot to get in the correct position first. Additionally, cart misalignments forced the AGVs to stop and reset, taking even more time. Weight restrictions limited the robots’ lifting potential, and risks also existed of the machines falling over after moving the cart.

The robotics researcher eventually determined the best alternative was an AGV that could tow carts rather than lift them and included a robotic arm for a docking mechanism for any cart type. An accompanying robotics platform and navigation stack allow the AGVs to avoid obstacles and park carts automatically.

The first design was an AGV that could pull carts weighing up to 400 kilograms at a rate of 1 meter per second. After testing that model and receiving relevant feedback, development began on an updated option that could handle twice the weight of the earliest model.

Some carts travel up to 20 kilometers daily or get used in environments where work happens around the clock. However, they feature durable characteristics that make them capable of handling such conditions, bringing the reliability customers expect.

Automated Material Handling Supports Business Efficiency

Finding the most suitable automated material handling technologies takes time. However, these examples show how the efforts can pay off by making firms run more efficiently. Anyone considering using them for the first time or investing in additional automation products should determine what they want to achieve, their budget and the desired implementation timeline.

Those details will make matching commercial products with a company’s needs easier, enabling executives to choose options that meet or exceed expectations. They should also track metrics before, during and after automation installations to measure how the technology changes operations. Such statistics could encourage decision-makers to increase existing budgets for automated equipment.