Student: Steven van der Gaag, Quintus Kessler, Jelle Willemen, Jenar Jawara Putra Alam, Mervoeudi Mbuangi (2024)
ZEAL ROBOTICS ANNOUNCES PICK AND PLACE ROBOT TO ENABLE WAREHOUSES TO AUTOMATE LOAD HANDLING EFFICIENTLY
New robotic solution to streamline warehouse operations by automating the replenishment and removal of totes (containers) for increased efficiency and safety.
Zeal Robotics is proud to announce the development of its new Pick and Place Robot, an innovative addition to its existing autonomous warehouse technology, that will be available on November the 8th 2024.
The robot is designed to seamlessly support the Zeal Runner, an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that transports containers of up to 25 kg within a warehouse. This new solution will further automate the handling of containers by introducing a robotic arm capable of efficiently loading and unloading containers from the Zeal Runner.
Warehouses are facing increasing pressure to improve operational efficiency while maintaining safety standards. Some of the most pressing challenges include:
- Manual load handling inefficiency – Workers currently spend a significant amount of time manually moving containers, leading to slowdowns in productivity and high operational costs.
- Risk of workplace injuries – Repetitive tasks such as lifting containers, especially those weighing up to 25 kg, pose a risk of injuries like back strain, which can result in lost workdays and increased healthcare costs.
- Inconsistent handling of diverse container types – Warehouses often utilize different types of containers, which require varying handling methods. This creates inefficiencies and the need for multiple tools or labor-intensive manual sorting.
- Limited scalability of manual processes – As warehouse operations grow, manual handling becomes a bottleneck, hindering scalability and making it difficult to keep up with increasing demands.
This project will offer a solution that directly addresses these problems, increasing efficiency, safety, and the adaptability of warehouse operations through cutting-edge robotic technology.
Solution
The proposed solution would be to automate the labour-intensive job with pick and place robot. The project’s main innovation lies in the development of a specialized gripper, capable of picking up various types of totes, ensuring versatility and reliability in diverse warehouse environments; that would be able to work with the Zeal Runner specialized design.
How the product works
The Pick and Place Robot will stand at a fixed location within the warehouse, where it will handle the replenishment of empty containers and the removal of full containers on the Zeal Runner. These containers will be placed on a specified placement location for further processing and vice versa for reloading the Zeal Runner to mobilize item to another location.
Electrical Wiring Diagram
Pneumatic Wiring Diagram
CAD Model
Final Model
Program GUI