A New Era of Intralogistics

In the past, every new warehouse tended to be built in much the same way. Heavy-duty machinery was used to pour concrete and steel into the ground to create the solid special foundations upon which a gigantic system of shelves, conveyor systems, and order picking stations would be built to last an eternity—or at least for decades. And yet: "At the end of the day, every warehouse gets in the way," says Frank Heptner, Vice President Sales & Realisation – Integrated Solutions at KION ITS.

"Customers used to asked what they expected the next ten years to look like, and an installation was built based on their predictions," explains Heptner. But times are changing: "Nobody plans decades in advance any more. Flexibility is now the be-all and end-all." Unpredictable events such as the coronavirus pandemic, supply chain problems, or the war in Ukraine have shown how quickly demand can change.

Markets have become volatile. While toilet paper manufacturers saw an explosion in demand, other companies were suddenly brought to a standstill. "What do you need in situations like this? A storage and retrieval system that lasts for decades?" asks Heptner. His answer describes a paradigm shift in intralogistics: away from rigid, permanent solutions towards agile, flexible systems.

Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are central to this changing landscape, which herald a new philosophy in intralogistics. "A swarm of AMRs can react hyper-flexibly to fluctuations in demand – this is a completely new philosophy," explains Heptner. "AMRs leave warehouse operators in a much more flexible position than with rigid, complex conveyor solutions." However, AMRs also have their limitations, and alternative solutions are still required.

An outstanding example of the new flexibility in intralogistics is the AMR solution that KION subsidiary Dematic has implemented for its customer Radial. Radial, a leading e-commerce fulfillment service provider, relies on a fleet of 299 autonomous mobile robots that transport goods directly to the order pickers. This has not only significantly increased efficiency, but also reduced the error rate and improved working conditions.

"For large projects such as Radial, we deliver an integrated overall solution in which AMRs play a central role. We attach particular importance to a flexible system that can easily be adapted to changing customer requirements—and as usual with the highest quality," explains Carolin Böhler, Business Development Manager at Dematic. Standardized devices are responsible for a variety of tasks in the Radial warehouse and work as an integrated solution between the hardware and (control) software. This technology enables Radial to react quickly to changes and to expand storage capacities without significant interruptions.

"As a strong system integrator, Dematic is able to offer the customer the ideal solution across several areas of the business," says Böhler. "Integrating 3rd party equipment such as AutoStore, storage and retrieval units, Dematic Multishuttle, etc., for highly complex customer requirements makes it possible to develop modular concepts that not only satisfy the needs of today, but which can also be easily expanded in future. They are reliably controlled by Dematic software and seamlessly interlinked with each other." The ability to develop customized solutions gives KION and Dematic a distinct advantage in an increasingly dynamic intralogistics environment.

The new era of flexibility is not limited to large-scale projects, but also affects smaller and medium-sized enterprises, applying to both AMRs as well as AGVs for smaller companies. KION brand STILL has developed the iGo easy plug-and-play solution for just such a scenario. Based on the automated STILL EXV iGo high lift pallet truck, the iGo easy gives companies a quick and easy entry route into the world of automation. "Installation is incredibly easy," emphasizes Dick Van De Pas, Lead Engineer AGV Solutions. STILL technicians can commission the trucks without having to call on the services of specialist experts. Series production ensures the EXV iGo trucks are quickly available and can be seamlessly integrated into existing processes.

Even if the new era started some time ago, the move towards greater flexibility and agility in the warehouse is far from complete. According to Frank Heptner, artificial intelligence (AI) will soon bring another big step forward: "Next comes the self-organization of the warehouse," he explains. New warehouses would then no longer be planned for decades in advance, but would be continuously adaptable to changes in demand. The revolution has begun, and KION is leading the way.