From a technical perspective, machines can perform tasks more accurately and continuously, operating 24/7 without breaks. In our industry, many applications only require four to eight hours of operation per day, so round-the-clock availability is not always necessary. While operators cannot work continuously, they remain economically viable when working eight-hour shifts.
Nonetheless, there are increasing guidelines and regulations regarding occupational health and safety for handling heavy items. Robots contribute to a more ergonomic work environment by taking on the heavy lifting, making them an ideal option.
Although robots excel at repetitive tasks with great accuracy, they still lack the flexibility needed to handle exceptions. Operators are adept at managing unexpected situations and can easily perform unanticipated actions. As technology advances with smarter grippers, faster robots and artificial intelligence, the gap between machine and human capabilities is narrowing. However, for now, operators are still the preferred choice due to their flexibility and lower investment costs.
An AI-powered vision system detects parcels coming in on the dedicated smalls supply line. With its versatile suction gripper, the robot then starts to pick the items one by one. It can handle packages weighing between 20g and 5kg that have a variety of wrappings, as well as envelopes and flyers.
The vision system checks if the parcel has been properly singulated before it is sent to the infeed line for processing. Any unsorted items are sent to a forwarding line for a manual check.
Depending on parcel profile, Auto Induct can pick between 1,500 and 1,700 items per hour. In addition, we’ve harnessed our experience in design and system integration to ensure the robot cell works smoothly with the wider sorting infrastructure. It is also compatible with all of Vanderlande’s solutions.
Beyond regulatory changes, the industry faces several challenges, including rising parcel volumes and labour shortages in the supply chain. Auto Induct provides a number of benefits that can help address such topics and help businesses to remain competitive.
For example, a standard five-person manual induction zone can be redesigned with four robotic cells that require supervision by just one employee, who is working in the infeed area. This solution also ensures full operational capacity throughout every shift so that fluctuating parcel volumes can be dealt with effectively.
Additionally, those people who had to stand on the induction line – doing a particularly repetitive and boring job – can be reallocated to other tasks. And with less people required for singulation, there is scope to reduce labour costs. Finally, the fact that Auto Induct can be seamlessly integrated helps to ensure that the entire sorting system meets capacity and its KPI targets.
Through a pilot project, we integrated Auto Induct into the sorting process at the DHL Express Madrid Hub. The solution performed impressively in initial tests and is now fully operational at the airport facility, playing an important role in managing the smalls flow. Feedback from the DHL team indicates that the company is happy with performance.
This solution is a perfect fit for new and existing facilities, helping them to overcome the logistical challenge of dealing with small items. If you’re ready to explore how automated solutions like Auto Induct can help your business adapt to regulatory changes, improve worker wellbeing and deliver operational excellence, please get in touch.
Every parcel company and market are different. This is reflected by the various layouts of depots and sortation centres. Our experts are available to offer help and advice in every respect.