In some operations like cross-docking or manufacturing, pallets that are delivered to an inbound staging area need to moved throughout the facility to different quality control or staging areas. The pallets are placed in staging lanes and need to be scanned and delivered to an appropriate area.
In order to automate these workflows a myriad of solutions are available to your operation. These can range from setting up workflows with a robotic fork truck to bring pallet sized loads from point A to point B. Other solutions can be case or tote sized loads under 330 lbs that can be placed on carts to be brought to different quality control areas.
Carts or pallets can be staged at their final destination for associates to work through and then moved to different areas for pick up or return.
Solutions: WMS Integration, Staging Lanes
Trucks to Use: Hyster Robotic Lift Truck, OTTO Lifter, OTTO 1500, OTTO 100
WMS Integration
The robotic system can be fully integrated into a WMS system. The integration process is nearly as involved as installing the physical trucks. ELT and their partners will work with the customer’s IT team to come up with a fully customizable solution to allow the tracking of multiple variables. Some of these variables include dynamic drop locations and the ability to track inventory by the robot software signaling the WMS when a pick and drop have been made from and to specific locations.
After integration, the WMS will be able to assign missions to the robot software and create a fully automated process for any material handling application. The software integration is considered a custom software package.
Staging Lanes
Robotic lift trucks can pick out of staging lanes and move product to drop into other staging lanes. For example, manual operators can offload trucks on the inbound side and stage product nearby. The robotic lift truck can then pick from those lanes and bring those pallets to a central staging area where they are broken down, sorted and the pallets are rebuilt for outbound transport.
Why Automation Provides An Advantage.
The availability of a steady labor force in logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing facilities, continues to shrink. With finding labor becoming an issue, robotic lift trucks offer a solution for any operation that requires simple repetitive movement that allow management to move existing labor to more skilled positions.
With the proper applications, a robotic material handling equipment can provide a fast Return on Investment by reducing an operations labor costs. There are other potential realizations of cost savings include: increased productivity from increased cycle efficiency and solving poor attendance as well as the damage reduction of products and equipment.
Why ELT Systems Group
Support Across North America
ELT Systems Group is part of Eastern Lift Truck Company that is staffed with hundreds of qualified service people. The Systems division is equipped with engineers along with their OEM partners to bring you 24/7 support and the ability to travel any where across North America to support your operation.
No Infrastructure
ELT Systems Group’s robotic solutions require no additional infrastructure to navigate in your facility. This means no reflectors, no magnets or wires in the ground. This technology allows the robots to navigate and drive within an existing facility without any other considerations outside of safety.
Dual Mode
The robotic Tugger and Lifter solution is a standard truck that has been built to be autonomous. This means that it can be used in manual mode as well as autonomous mode. Any operator (if the client allows for it) can take control of the robotic lift truck for any purpose.
Click this link to view our other application briefs.
If you are interested in automating your material handling application, make sure you reach out to ELT Systems Group and see how we can help.
Contact the ELT Systems Group, or Jason Dodge, directly, to get started on an automation project.
Jason Dodge
Automation Manager | Systems Division
Eastern Lift Truck Co., Inc.
Cell: (609) 605-1043
Email: jdodge@easternlifttruck.com
