The benefits of warehouse automation are obvious: automation speeds up processing, increases accuracy, reduces power costs, improves reliability, and achieves more efficient use of warehouse space and space. However, these advantages are not free. Automation requires very expensive cost inputs, and only through the reduction in operating costs can the investment be recovered. This is not a one-off effort, and needs to be considered in the medium and long term. Professor Peter Baker of the United Kingdom recently put forward the idea of ​​paying attention to the problem of implementing warehouse automation in enterprises.
First, the advantages and disadvantages of warehouse automation
In general, Automatic Storage Systems (AS/RS) can transport 40-50 pallets per lane per hour, depending on factors such as the height and width of the lane, the physical characteristics of the pallet, and the height of the shelf. If the elevator needs to be replaced, the time and frequency of conversion will affect the speed of the operation.
Lightweight shelves can be used to store containers, and through automatic storage, 80-100 containers can be accessed per lane per hour. Despite this, the speed of the work will be further increased by some specialized equipment. If the physical characteristics of the equipment and products allow, and there is a real need to increase the amount of warehouse operations, two or more containers can be handled per job.
High-speed sorters can complete 20,000 picks per hour, and some manufacturers even claim higher picking speeds. However, it is important to note that processing speed is closely related to object size, weight and object characteristics. When a barcode browser is attached to the RF (Radio Frequency) terminal and connected to the WMS, the picking speed can be increased by using the RF terminal. Although it is difficult to say exactly how much the RF terminal improves the warehouse operation, this improvement can easily be seen. The picker's work activities are more supervised, the picking is more accurate, and the picking process is still in progress. Get more real-time information. RFID tags have an advantage in cargo tracking. Imagine carrying 20 containers on a pallet, each with a different cargo. With RFID, the information of these goods can be scanned at one time, and the barcodes need to be scanned one by one to determine the nature of the goods, and the scanning speed is greatly improved.
In addition to the perceived benefits mentioned above, some of the reasons for agreeing to automation are to reduce work-related injuries and damage, to improve the company's image, and to reduce the reliance on operators, especially when there are special needs in the warehouse and there is a shortage of operators. At the same time, however, there are also some arguments against automation, including: lack of flexibility in changing cargo throughput and types of goods, lengthy project implementation cycles, and declining quality of intermediate services in project implementation.
It can be seen that automation brings higher levels of logistics operations and also brings more implementation costs. Therefore, all the advantages and disadvantages make it difficult to choose whether to use automation. So, how to choose the feasibility of warehouse automation? Automation requires very expensive cost inputs, and only through the reduction in operating costs can the investment be recovered. This is not a one-off effort, and needs to be considered in the medium and long term. Therefore, the following aspects should be considered when choosing warehouse automation.
Second, the four issues to consider when choosing a warehouse automation project
1. Examine the project and focus on actual business needs, rather than automating for automation. When considering automation, consider the manual work associated with it. In fact, basically no stereo warehouse is a real three-dimensional warehouse, and any stereo library is a combination of automation and manual. When you are working on a project, you need to create a planning database. Under normal circumstances, it is necessary to take into account the factors such as the throughput, storage capacity, and type of order goods in the next 3-5 years.
2. Conduct a technical assessment to determine if automation is appropriate. Based on warehouse throughput and storage needs, you can determine if automation and automation are needed.
According to the operation level, the warehouse operations can be divided into four levels from low to high: simple manual operation - for example, pallet stacking, container racking, sorting according to paper order, etc.; machine auxiliary operation - lifting the pallet to the shelf by means of a lift Or use straight conveyors to assist in the transport of containers; simple automated operations - for example, in full-tray access to the warehouse, the use of automatic cranes and simple conveyor systems; complex automation operations - including indicator-assisted picking systems, complex transport System, high-speed sorting system, etc. As the complexity of the warehouse operations and the capacity of the warehouse grow, our choices will change. For example, when the warehouse handles more than 500 orders per hour, automated work is on the agenda.
3. When it is determined that it is necessary to implement automation, the next step is to examine the performance of the equipment in detail. The optional features of each selected device can be selected simply by using the "yes/no" alternative box. For example, for a strictly FIFO warehouse, a single deep automatic storage system is sufficient, without the need for double deep storage systems or dense crane systems. After so careful evaluation of the characteristics of the equipment, it is possible to draw conclusions about the deprecation of certain equipment.
At the end of this process, there may be only two or three suitable schemes to stay. Then make a comprehensive cost comparison of the remaining two or three options. When comparing, you should take the relevant costs into consideration. For example, considering the capital investment of equipment, the occupied space, the number of operators, maintenance and maintenance are taken into account. Specific costs that may occur may include: rent of equipment footprint, taxes, water and electricity, fire equipment, operating and maintenance costs, and labor costs. At the same time, because these expenditures are for one-time expenditures, and some are paid in installments, the exact annual operating expenses of each scheme should be accurately measured. A more appropriate approach is to discount the expenses associated with the warehouse automation project based on the depreciation period of the equipment and the expected rate of return, and compare the discounted cash outflows of each option, just like a housing mortgage, with a one-time or periodic The cost is converted into the average expenditure over a certain number of years.
4. Perform sensitivity analysis based on operating environment parameters and unexpected conditions set in the planning phase. After analyzing the changes in the operating environment, whether the selected solution will change or not, the potential defects of the solution can be found. At this point, computer simulation testing will come in handy. For example, after testing a crane of an automatic storage system, the impact on the overall operation can be as long as the relevant parameters are input. In a major automation project, this is very necessary. It is very easy to test the design on the computer. When entering the signing phase, it is difficult to return when it is found that it is not suitable for turning around.
By gradual reduction of the range of options, various types of automation equipment can be taken into account. Only through such thorough analysis can a suitable automation system be selected.
Third, the implementation and installation of automated warehouse
Obviously, a very important topic about implementation is how long it takes to install and debug. It usually takes less than a year to build a standard warehouse and install a universal device. If a suitable building is available, the construction period will be further shortened.
However, the implementation of a fully automated system takes a considerable amount of time, and the often time-consuming and often crucial step is to develop a WMS (Warehouse Management System). Don't underestimate the time that can be spent and set an unrealistic time frame. Ensuring compatibility between warehouse and material handling equipment and WMS is critical during project implementation. This coordination task starts from the beginning of the process design and runs through the project.
The information system and the company's operational needs are not matched. The more common reasons are often that the material handling equipment does not match the WMS, or the company's operational needs are not fully understood during the design phase. It is also very important that the layout of the warehouse may be different from your previous experience.
For example, in a warehouse where pallets are transported by a forklift, it is possible to establish a pedestrian walkway in the roadway with sufficient indicators and partitions. However, it is hard to imagine that in the automatic storage system, there will be a connection channel in the roadway. Asking technical experts in the early stages of the project will effectively avoid the occurrence of related errors.
In short, the work to avoid the failure of automation projects began in the early stages of project development. Do careful and thorough data analysis, reach an agreement on the operational goals and customer service levels, and work together to ensure the ultimate success of the automation project.