The article takes a look at the use of Rethink Robotics flagship robot Baxter being used in the Genco Distribution Facility in Ft. Worth, Texas.
Read the rest of the article at mmh.com (Modern Materials Handling) and see how Baxter is revolutionizing the Genco facility."If a new process for handling consumer electronics continues to deliver results, the future of materials handling may include a striking red robot with big digital eyes, bushy digital eyebrows and a quizzical expression that makes you want to smile.At Genco’s campus in Ft. Worth, Texas, Baxter, as the robot is known (Rethink Robotics), is working side by side with team members on a packaging line. The campus includes 1 million square feet of distribution space spread across three buildings and handles the return, repair and refurbishment of consumer electronics products such as cell phones and GPS navigation systems.
In this process, employees load four products—one at a time—into a form that goes into the sealer. When they come out the other side, Baxter picks and places four packages at a time on a takeaway conveyor that delivers them to the next step in the process.Why the interest in piece-picking robots? “The cost and flexibility of the technology has lowered the barriers to entry for robotics,” says Jeremiah Miele, a Pittsburgh-based project engineer who is leading Genco’s robotics efforts. Read more about how Baxter works in this facility.“There’s an ability to do things with robotics that didn’t exist five or 10 years ago,” adds Pete Rector, executive vice president of technology and lean solutions for Genco. “We think it’s just a matter of time before robotics are mainstream in materials handling. It’s going to happen faster than people think.”
Link to full Article: http://www.mmh.com/article/is_there_a_robot_in_your_distribution_future
Tim Pelesky
Marketing ONExia Inc
