DC Velocity - July 2018

www.dcvelocity.com JULY 2018 DC VELOCITY 61 to soar as well, with revenues increasing 75 percent to more than $3 billion by 2022.

ROBOTS MOVE TO THE LOADING DOCK

One of the newest areas for robotics is the loading dock, a place that’s ripe for efficiency improvements and innovation, according to Joe Zoghzoghy, Ph.D., mobile robotics manager for material handling solutions provider Bastian Solutions. Bastian introduced its Ultra mobile robot for truck trailer loading and unloading at the Modex trade show in Atlanta this spring; the product is being used in pilot programs this summer, with a full commercial rollout expected to start in the first quarter of 2019.

Ultra robots are engineered for the
narrow space and high reach of trans-
port vehicles, ranging from extended vans to intermodal
containers. The robots drive directly into the trailer, picking
up as many as 20 cases per minute each, and can be inte-
grated with a company’s existing warehouse management
and warehouse control systems. Zoghzoghy says this type of
robotics solution directly addresses the many labor-related
challenges companies face on the loading dock, including
harsh temperatures and heavy lifting that leave workers
prone to injury and raise a host of safety concerns, includ-
ing repetitive stress injuries.
“It’s hard to hire people for this type of environment,”
Zoghzoghy says. “It makes sense that organizations seek to
solve some of these problems with automation.”
Labor-related cost pressures are another concern.
Increases in the minimum wage, over-
time, and seasonal demands can strain
budgets, giving organizations yet anoth-
er reason to consider automating cer-
tain warehouse and distribution center
tasks. A short payback period is cru-
cial to making the math work on such
investments, Zoghzoghy adds, noting
that companies should expect a one- to
two-year payback when implementing
any automated or robotics solution.
As technology advances and costs come down, he says,
more companies will be able to achieve that goal.

“In general, automation will be very helpful to improve efficiency, bring costs down, and create a safer environment for workers,” Zoghzoghy says. “Especially as the cost of technology comes down, you’ll see these solutions integrated even more.”

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