Coverage of issues relating to automation, labor management, material handling, inventory shrinkage, and labor issues for industrial facilities and the people who operate them.
October Insights: The “Robot Tax”, Worker Concerns with Automation
October 26, 2023
by Scott Stone
Tags: Automation, Manufacturing, labor, Robotics, Inventory Management
Posted in Industry Insights|
Drum Handling Options – Applications Matter
October 19, 2023
While not every facility moves or uses drums for storage, those that do have a necessity to keep them safe. Whether they contain hazardous material or not, the effort to keep barrels upright and from spilling never ends, because who wants lost product or an unsafe work environment?
To ensure your workers keep drums handled correctly, there are multiple solutions available.
Posted in Material Handling|
Automation: Starting with a Clean Slate
October 10, 2023
by Scott Stone
How should your next automation project be evaluated? In many cases, companies try to replicate a manual processes through automation: if a person once rotated a tote, then picked from it and placed the contents into a container, that’s what the automation does. This kind of solution can provide excellent results, but may not be the optimal solution. What if you began with operational goals in mind that imagine a solution without the manual process?
Tags: ROI, Process Management
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|
Buffers, Conveyors, Robotics and Automation: What Works, What Doesn’t
October 3, 2023
by Scott Stone
Most every manufacturing or distribution facility builds in storage and handling buffers – and for good reason. Buffers hold product or processes when work flow isn’t balanced. For instance, a conveyor buffer may exist between picking and packing operations. This allows picking to continue even if the packing, quality control or shipping departments are backed up. Buffers maintain balance between functions and ensure continuity.
Tags: Space Optimization, order fulfillment, ROI, conveyor design
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|