DC Velocity - May 2018

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AGV sensors: Sensor, machine vision, and automatic identification (auto ID) product manufacturer Sick has introduced applications for its platforms in the area of automated guided carts (AGCs) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs). The company offers an optical line sensor (OLS), magnetic line sensor (MLS), and grid localization sensor (GLS) that can help robotic vehicles navigate the warehouse, and a MicroScan 3 laser sensor and TiM361S LIDAR sensor that can help them avoid obstacles and improve safety.

At the Modex 2018 show in April, the company also previewed its Telematic Data Collector (TDC) system, a blue box the size of a pack of playing cards that serves as a gateway for collecting sensor data and transmitting it for cloud processing or edge computing. Set to reach the U.S. market in June, the device will allow users to produce Internet of Things (Io T) data for applications in real-time asset tracking, monitoring and alerting, and predictive maintenance alerts. (Sick, www.sick.com)

Robot navigation software: Warehouse automation specialist Locus Robotics Inc. has enhanced its mobile robots’ navigation capability with an upgrade that enables its LocusBots to quickly adapt to changes in their environment, in real time, by sharing mapping information with each other as they drive. The upgrade, known as Locus Robotics Advanced Navigation 3.0 (LRAN3)— code-named “Puffin”—allows the autonomous collaborative robots to adapt to the constantly changing conditions of e-commerce fulfillment warehouses, the company says.

The robots communicate with each through a form of machine learning “light,” trading data 10 to 20 times per second so they can learn together as any one of them detects new obstacles in the ever-changing warehouse. The new capability also allows users to quickly expand operations by adding extra robots “out of the box” with an instantaneous configuration, according to the manufacturer. (Locus Robotics Inc., www.locusrobotics.com)

Extra-tall reach truck: Raymond Corp. says its newly introduced high-capacity reach truck goes higher than any other reach truck currently in the market. The new Raymond High-capacity Reach-Fork truck can reach up to 542 feet and carry loads of up to 4,500 pounds. It is also more productive and lifts faster than Raymond’s existing reach trucks, the manufacturer says.

Raymond says it designed the new truck in response to the trend among companies to build warehouses and DCs up instead of out in an effort to make more efficient use of their space.

The new reach truck is equipped with the Raymond Vantage Point system, which helps operators more accurately position the forks at great lift heights. The camera, which is positioned between the forks, has a high dynamic range (HDR) image sensor, which helps it function in both low and high light. The camera is wired to a display that provides the operator with intelligence and telematics.

At the Modex 2018 show in April, Raymond also introduced its virtual reality training simulator and its Pick2Pallet LED light system for a low-level order picker. The Pick2Pallet incorporates pick-to-light technology onto the forks of the order picker in order to help operators pick multiple orders onto the same picker at the same time. An LED light on the fork illuminates under the correct pallet for the product being picked. (Raymond Corp., www.raymondcorp.com)

Robotic picking system: Material handling equipment supplier SI Systems’ robotic A-Frame system is designed to automatically pick up to 4,200 orders per hour to totes, shipping containers, or a conveyor belt.

The picking equipment can handle anything from a ChapStick tube to an item that weighs two pounds, and provides 99.9 percent accuracy, the company says. Products—generally small items like pharmaceuticals or cosmetics—drop down the A-frame’s chute, typically into a tote traveling on a conveyor belt that runs down the middle of the machine. (SI Systems, www.sihs.com)

Label applicator: Weber Packaging Solutions has announced the release of its newest label applicator: the Alpha HSM. Featuring modular construction, this high-speed labeling system can be configured in a variety of models that can handle multiple speeds and label sizes.

Every packaging line is different, so Weber engineered the modular Alpha HSM so that it can be ordered in 10

different versions to fit just about any labeling application. Available in right- or left-hand versions, the Alpha HSM comes in 5.3-inch (135mm), 7.8-inch (200mm), 9.8- inch (250mm), and 12.6-inch (320mm) label-width models. The HSM can keep up with line speeds of up to 500 feet per minute.

The standard mechanical label unwinder and rewinder can be upgraded to a motorized servo-controlled system for higher speeds. Application modules for the HSM include a fixed peeler plate, a swiveling peeler plate, a pneumatic peeler plate, an adjustable peeler plate, and a pneumatic applicator. Label sensors can handle standard and transparent labels. (Weber Packaging Solutions, www.weberpackaging.com)

Robots with cameras: Mobile robot vendor Fetch Robotics Inc.

has updated its medium- and large-capacity robots with extra cameras that allow them to operate with improved efficiency in crowded warehouse environments.

The company’s Freight500 and Freight1500 units, named for their payloads in kilograms, now come equipped with eight 3-D cameras apiece, up from the original two. The added vision helps them illuminate blind spots in corners, avoid obstacles like pallet tines, and travel in confined spaces while collaborating with human employees, the company says.

At the Modex 2018 show in April, Fetch Robotics also introduced its TagSurveyor unit, a mobile robot that uses three sensors to scan radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags on racks up to 25 feet high. (Fetch Robotics Inc., www.fetchrobotics.com)

Bar-code readers: Machine vision systems specialist Cognex Corp. has unveiled its DataMan 470 series of fixed-mount bar-code readers, an addition to the firm’s product line that provides increased speed, resolution, and depth of field for complex high-throughput manufacturing and logistics applications.

Whether mounted on a shelf or a scan tunnel, the readers offer high dynamic range (HDR) imaging technology that generates the high-resolution images that enable algorithms to analyze scans of logos and graphics as well as bar codes.

The company has also introduced its DataMan 72 scanner, a zone-routing product that can be connected through daisy chain cabling. (Cognex Corp., www.cognex.com)