Intelligent materials handling to break new ground
Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 1/1/2003
"Automation and the microprocessor are just scratching the surface of what they can do, " explains Chris Cole, chief executive officer of conveyor systems supplier Intelligrated.
In an exclusive interview with Modern Materials Handling, Cole went on to say that conveyors, sortation systems and other types of automated materials handling equipment are poised to go beyond simply replacing labor. "We're now starting to do things with intelligent materials handling that cannot be done with any number of people," he says.
By example, he points to distribution centers that handle 100,000 orders a day. "Without automation, people would be tripping over themselves," Cole says. He also said that materials handling automation is "one of the key lever points in making steadily higher productivity possible."
On a tour of Intelligrated's 35,000 square foot demonstration center, MMH was shown several types of automation by company president and chief operating officer Jim McCarthy and chief technology officer Ray Neiser. They emphasized that it is a mix of advanced conveyor/sortation design and controls that will make possible the intelligent integration needed to break new ground in automation achievements. "We want to be at the forefront with an eye for total operating costs and ease of maintenance," explains McCarthy.
On the conveyor side, he points to motorized drive roller (MDR) conveyor as having great potential. McCarthy characterizes MDR by its low electric consumption, speed and ease of installation, low noise, and flexibility. Cole went so far as to say MDR has the potential to make line-shaft conveyor obsolete.
On the controls side, Neiser said Intelligrated's emphasis is not just on traditional machine control but controls that actively support an end user's business needs. That means, he says, controls must manage automation out on the floor using information from centralized software that is directing the business.
Latest News
01/08/2010Why Blog About Materials Handling?
09/16/2007Modern Materials Handling Digital Edition
11/29/2007
View All On-Demand Webcasts