ProMat 2017 Show Wrap Up: Over 350,000 square feet of expo space featured

Keynote: Smart machines to transform industry and jobs

The new breed of intelligent machines that are core to Industry 4.0 will eliminate waste in supply chains and enable new business models, but industry also needs to think about how smart machines will disrupt jobs, said Markus Lorenz, partner and managing director at Boston Consulting Group and ProMat keynoter.

An expert on Industry 4.0—the fourth industrial revolution concept that takes in smart, connected machines and the Internet of Things (IoT)—Lorenz explained how machines like cranes at ocean ports are becoming smart enough to weigh containers as they are loaded and optimize load balancing, leading to fuel savings for ocean freight companies, and a loading-as-a-service business model for crane manufacturers.

Similarly, smart machines such as autonomous picking robots are leading to change in warehousing, Lorenz said, in part by using sensors and vision technologies to be able to do things like see and sense which produce is freshest, and quickly pick and sort items to ensure retailers get fresh goods. IoT-based monitoring of food shipments and smarter machines in production plants can help eliminate much of the product loss in the food industry, Lorenz said. Using IoT sensing, he said, “you can basically see what happens to your products once they leave the factory.”

Lorenz said it is clear that intelligent machines will lead to a significant loss of production jobs across multiple industries, but there should be a net gain of jobs overall in roles such as sales and service, field service and analysts who help devise new business models around smart machines. “Human labor will play a critical role, but the nature of that work will be different,” he said.

Lorenz encouraged attendees to apply new technologies, but examine ways to “take people along” using education and applying technology in a way that enhances human capabilities. For example, he said, in field service, augmented reality (AR) glasses can help relatively inexperienced technicians in the field connect with and share views of service details with the most experienced engineers located in a central office. This in essence “upgrades” human capability through AR technology, Lorenz added.

KION Group launches large new product line

The KION Group, a global leader in industrial trucks and supply chain solutions, showcased its offerings together with Dematic, the U.S. leader in advanced integrated automation technology, software and service, which the group acquired in November 2016.

KION North America announced the release of five new Linde and Baoli forklift trucks, developed for the North American market. “The rate at which we’re releasing new products and services is truly unprecedented,” said Vincent Halma, president and CEO of KION North America. “Our goal is for Linde and Baoli to be household names in America the same way that they are already in much of the rest of the world.”

Supplementing Dematic’s range of products and services at ProMat was an advanced piece-picking robotic solution powered by the Dematic iQ warehouse execution system. “E-commerce is soaring and this requires increasingly digitized, automated and customized warehouse solutions,” said Gordon Riske, CEO of the KION Group. “We are pioneering a new kind of company with a comprehensive offering ranging from forklift trucks to fully automated supply chain solutions.”

The KION Group was represented by five brands: Linde, Baoli, Dematic, Dematic Egemin and Dematic Retrotech.

Intelligrated shows high-density sortation system

Intelligrated debuted the IntelliSort HDS, a high-density parcel and e-commerce sortation solution. The sorter’s dual-sided design accommodates a high density of divert destinations and is ideal for zone-skipping applications that pre-sort orders according to destination region prior to releasing them to last-mile carriers.

Built on sliding shoe sorter technology, the solution provides quiet, accurate and gentle sortation of a variety of product and packaging types, including polybags.

Tim Kraus, manager of product management

Raymond debuts vehicle-based virtual reality training

The Raymond Corp. introduced virtual reality (VR) training, which allows operators to use a Raymond forklift truck in a simulation mode for training using preprogrammed exercises.

“Once the truck’s motion has been disabled, the operator can enter the training environment with their existing Raymond forklift by plugging into Raymond’s sPort, or Simulation Port,” said Dave Norton, VP of corporate quality and customer care.

After securing the VR headset, the user is immersed into an enhanced training experience that simulates the movement and feel of operating a Raymond forklift in a warehouse environment while using the truck’s actual controls.

“This experience has been designed as a supplemental training tool and can also be used to help new forklift operators become comfortable with the vehicle and its controls before operating within the physical environment,” said Norton, who added that the VR training is unlike any other forklift training method currently available in the market.

Raymond also highlighted several new products and solutions at their booth this year. 

Goods-to-person buffer module premieres at Kardex Remstar 

Ideal for handling single-part or small-volume orders, the new LR 35 Vertical Buffer Module storage and retrieval unit made its debut in a press conference at the Kardex Remstar exhibit. The unit consists of a shelf system with automatic bin handling, goods-to-person picking stations and its own logistics software.

“The LR 35 improves order picking performance, energy efficiency and the amount of floor space required for storage of goods,” explained Mark Dunaway, EVP of new business. “Roughly 500 order lines per picking station per hour can be achieved with two or more units or batch picking.”

The machine supports up to four, turntable-based picking stations tilted at an ergonomic 20-degree angle. While the operator picks one order, the LR 35 preps the next bin and places it on the rear shelf of the turntable, which rotates for the next pick to minimize wait time, Dunaway added.

Dynamic work optimization from Lucas boosts productivity by 53%

In a press conference, Lucas Systems shared how recent updates to Engage Dynamic Work Optimization (DWO) software—including batching and path optimization algorithm refinements and new implementation tools—delivered a 53% productivity gain for a customer’s cart-based picking application.

“This is a real-time optimization tool that uses advanced mathematical modeling techniques to reduce travel in picking and other activities,” explained John Schriefer, marketing communications manager. “It’s a new and unique approach to travel and labor optimization not available in any other product, including Tier 1 warehouse management system (WMS), labor management system (LMS), warehouse control and execution system (WCS/WES) solutions.”

In testing, Schriefer added, the software reduces travel by 50% compared to typical WMS-directed batch picking processes employing standard aisle-bay pick sequencing. Through gamification, Lucas is offering attendees the opportunity to match their pick path optimization skills against the DWO tool in a scoring contest with a daily drone prize giveaway.

As Lucas continues to see more customers choosing Android devices when they refresh their legacy hardware devices, the company is showcasing expanded offerings of new, certified Android smart phones, smart watches and industrial devices, including the Zebra TC51 touch computer.