Vision of the future
October 1st 2009 At its Graz, Austria HQ in September, SSI
Schaefer demonstrated picking technologies
from entry-level paperless systems to robots
that operate at 10 times the speed of a Porche
911. Brendan Coyne reports
Technical director,Max Winkler, is keen to stress that while
Schaefer may be a big company "we try to stay small…
with divisions specialising in certain products, markets
and customers". The firm underlined this approach in Graz last
month, launching and demonstrating picking and automation
products to cover the spectrum of operations.
First up was i-Pick – a starter kit for paperless picking.
Installed and configured completely by the user, i-Pick combines
a touch screen panel system
with pick by light rails that
can be fitted to any racking
system, according to
Winkler. The touch screen
houses all the system's
intelligence and, using
XML, connects to whatever
upstream line controller is
already in situ. "It can be
linked with just about
anything," claims Winkler.
Once the system is up and running, a configuration assistant
enables users to design the layout of the racking area.
Able to control up to 750 pick faces without losing
performance,Winkler says it takes about half to two days to set
up the entire system, depending on scale of operation. An entry
level product, the screen and software cost around €2,800.
However,Winkler says a better demonstration of cost is that, for
a system controlling 300-400 pick lines (including all pick rails,
lights, cabling etc.,) customers will be looking at an investment of
around €25,000. The firm also has a similar product for
assembly operations, with one pick equaling one component.
New tricks for SMCs
Winkler then gave a presentation on smart miniload crane
(SMC) applications, claiming that relatively old dogs – the
technology has been in use for 30 years – can be taught new
tricks. "SMC can be a tool for sorting; transportation;
replenishment; a pick solution and as a means to restrict access
to delicate goods," he says. "We came up with these ideas – and
have implemented them – in our own manufacturing operations
in Graz."
Winkler claims Schaefer's SMC diagonal bracing enables low
weight with high dynamics, leading to a robust, low cost design
that can go higher and faster than many systems, due to the
inherent stability of the design. However, he warns against
specifying purely on the basis of highest travel speed and
acceleration. "If someone proposes a stacker crane faster than
5M/S I would think twice: To comply with the law, the required
buffer length will not be very nice… Likewise with acceleration –
there are faster cranes [than Schaefer's] but the wear on the
system is very high. If someone proposes faster, I would ask to
see it in reality."He also questioned the integrity of competitors
who do not make their own controls: "How can they give true
cycle data?"
RoboPick: 2000 picks an hour
Next SSI Schaefer unveiled its new crown jewels: the RoboPick –
capable of continuously delivering 2000 picks per hour.
Previously, says Winkler, robot and vision systems lacked the
flexibility demanded by today's operations, and universal
automated picking systems struggled to integrate with standard
warehouse automation systems. "What the market requires is a
system that integrates easily and that handles 95 per cent of
products without complicated data management, and we need
2,000 picks per hour continuously for around €150k to ensure
board-level investment," he says. "Robo Picking is the answer."
The brains of the product are housed in a
multiple vision system – which uses not cameras,
but a proprietary 2D and 3D Schaefer development.
According to the firm, the performance of the vision
system is so high that one unit can run several
robots. The robots themselves, not visually
dissimilar to massive spiders, are capable of 10G
acceleration. By way of example, a Porche 911
reaches around 0.8G.
There is no requirement to teach the product –
the robot takes data from the vision system and
knows where to pick and put the product. It
recognises shapes rather than specific products, so items that
have traditionally confused robotic systems – such as cigarette
packets with their shiny wraps and warning labels – are no
longer a problem. Schaefer claims RoboPick can detect and pick
over 95 per cent of all articles in typical wholesale or mail order
business up to a maximum of 15kg weight with a maximum
dimension of 300 x 500mm. A range of robot grippers is
available to match product requirements and Winkler stresses
that its application range is
broad. More articles from SSI Schaefer Ltd: | 
