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New Trends revealed at ProMat 2009

RMT would like to thank all the ProMat attendees for visiting our display and taking the time to view our Robotic Gantry Order Picking and ADAM i-AGV solutions.

ProMat proved to be another successful event! Although attendance was down slightly from 2007, those in attendance were keen to explore the newest technology and trends in materials handling. As in previous years, attendees were considering the use of automation to improve their efficiency and effectiveness, however unlike in previous years, attendees viewed automation as a key ingredient in their strategy for their rapid adaptation to the new economic reality.

Lean manufacturing has been an active trend for years now, but this year at ProMat it was apparent that the concept of “lean” has now transitioned into warehousing and distribution. To this end, several companies featured fully automated case picking and random case palletizing solutions.

After years of leading the charge on innovating and promoting fully automated robotic order picking and palletizing solutions, it was encouraging to see this groundswell development in the industry for such automation; remarks Bill Torrens, Director of sales & Marketing for RMT.

At ProMat, RMT displayed several robotic solutions including their proven “RCP” (Robotic Case Picker) solution which integrates an array of gantries, conveyors and random case palletizing modules to coordinate the picking and sequential release of orders in a fully automated environment. “Aside from the obvious labor savings, the RCP concept fully embraces the concept of lean distribution by processing twice the rate of a manual pick operation in half the space” comments Derek Rickard, Manager of Warehouse Systems for RMT. 

Also prominent in the show was the resurgence of AGV technology, where AGVs were uniquely used as a fully integrated element of the automated intralogistics of the warehouse.

After a successful product launch at Promat in 2007, a modernized version of RMT’s revolutionary ADAM i-AGV was revealed at Promat 09.

Once again the ADAM i-AGV impressed attendees by circumnavigating the booth without the use of wires, magnetic tape, RFID, or reflective targets.

“It was remarkable to see the look of amazement on attendees faces as ADAM simply drove around them” says Pierre Pinet, Manager of ADAM Development, adding “You could practically see the light bulb going off in people’s heads as they suddenly realized that ADAM may be the only AGV in the building that could solve their previously unsolvable handling problem”.

In addition to the basic platform, RMT also featured an ADAM fitted  with an automated lift lower deck, which gave this vehicle the unique ability to automatically retrieve, transport and deliver a payload rack to any arbitrarily selected position in the booth.

“RMT has been exhibiting and attending Promat since the mid 90’s and we have seen many changes in materials handling technology over this time…” states RMT President, Doug Pickard, “… however Promat 09 provided a glimpse for the first time, that it was possible to fully automate a facility from front to back”. From automated storage and retrieval solutions, to autonomous order picking systems, through to random case palletizers and robotic trailer loaders, attendees could apply the patch work quilt of technologies featured at Promat 09 to realize a fully automated, lights out and “lean” distribution warehouse. Combined, these technologies for the first time provided solutions for smaller distribution quantities, higher order fulfillment frequency and direct to consumer shipping, while improving accountability and compliance metrics in the processes.

In conclusion, Pickard adds “As an innovator in the industry for over 25 year, RMT has long been on the leading edge of the wave in our promotion of robotics and flexible automation for use in the distribution environment, so it was reassuring to now see the trend being embraced by our contemporaries and the theme of a fully automated distribution environment actively promoted by the Materials Handling Industry in general.

If you were unable to attend and wish to learn more about the solutions that RMT presented at ProMat, visit our website for full descriptions and demonstrations on our various product lines, or contact our sales department at sales@rmtrobotics.com