Feature Article from Our Distribution and Materials Handling Subject Area - See All
From SCDigest's On-Target E-Magazine
- April 6, 2015 -
Supply Chain News: Best of ProMat 2015 Day 2 Individual Clips
We Highlight Six New Solutions with Video Clips and Commentary
SCDigest Editorial Staff
The SCDigest team was out in force for the ProMat 2015 show from MHI at McCormick Place in Chicago last week.
We published Day 1 and Day 2 video reviews of the show, covering overall themes and highlighting some of the most interesting new solutions on the show floor.
Last week, we took the Day 1 full video and broke into individual clips for each solution we featured so that readers can just view the reviews of any solutions that might be most of interest to them. Those video clips can be found here: Best of ProMat 2015: Day 1 Individual Clips.
We're back here this week with highlights from Day 2, where we first identify key themes for the show, and then look at six more interesting new solutions.
We begin with Gilmore and materials handling editor Cliff Holste finally finding some overall themes to this year's show, kicking off our coverage of Day 2:
Identifying Key Themes of ProMat 2015
Next up, industry stalwart Dematic was displaying a new iteration of its Rapid Pick goods-to-person system - but this year with a robotic piece picker instead of a human.
Demantic's Rapid Pick XT Uses Piece-Picking Robot at Work Station
Daifuku was demontrating what appears to be a breakthrough in robotic case picking, using 3D vision technology to grab cases off a pallet for which it has no knowledge of the pallet configuration. Could open up applications say for picking/depalletizing cases off a mixed-SKU vendor pallet, unloading floor-loaded cases in a container or trailer, even moving the machine down an aisle of pallet flow rack to pick cases.
Daifuku's Case Robot Uses 3D Vision System
SSI Schaefer almost always has something new at its booth, this year featuring a new shuttle-type solution it says has more flexibility than others and which connects with its high density 3D Matrix storage system.
New Shuttle System/Good to Picker Technology from SSI Schaefer
(Distribution/Materials Handling Story Continues Below
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Honeywell, under its Vocollect brand, feated a new set of analytic applications under the umbrella of "Operational Acuity." The first two out of the gate - with more to follow - are (1) a very nice looking tool that one would place under the labor management system category for ttracking worker productivity; and (2) a slimmed down version of a vehicle management system, which it says provides more of what companies really use from these types of toos.
Honeywell Introduces New Analytics Solutions for
Distribution Under "Operational Acuity" Banner
A vendor called PINC Solutons featured a drone-based system for yard management, where trailers have RFID tags and the drones an RFID reader, flying around a few times a day to see if everything is where it's suppose to be, and update its YMS with any changes from the past count. It is also testing a related application with one retailer for cycle counting DC inventory using tagged pallets.
PINC Solutions Using Drone with RFID Reader for Yard Management, More
Finally, a Euro company called ForkLiftSimulators featured, naturally enough, a simulation system for training DC drivers before they get on a real machine - it was pretty cool. Watch Cliff Holste take it for a virtual spin.
Fork Truck Simulation System from ForkTruckSimulators
That finally wraps up our ProMat 2015 coverage.
Any reaction to these "best of" solutions? Let us know your thoughts at the Feedback button (email) or section (web form) below.
