41 www.drivesncontrols.com June 2024 SMART WAREHOUSES n Robotic storage system boosts efficiency by 90% ABB has upgraded the logistics operation at its instrumentation factory at Ossuccio on Lake Como in Italy, from a manual operation to a fully automated warehouse. The factory makes pressure transmitters used by industrial companies to measure, monitor, and control applied forces. Measuring pressure is fundamental to industrial digital transformation, and is key for ensuring both safety and efficiency. The factory exports 90% of its production. The warehouse upgrade was aimed at improving logistics and operational efficiency. By introducing a fully automated storage and retrieval system, ABB says it has achieved a 90% improvement in the factory’s logistics efficiency. Eliminating manual handling has also reduced the time needed for the final assembly of packages by 30%. The system can handle one item every three minutes. “We wanted to improve logistics at the Ossuccio site, while also enhancing the entire manufacturing process,” explains Mariafrancesca Madrigrano, general manager of the ABB Measurement & Analytics factory in Ossuccio. “We constantly strive for operational efficiency through innovation and are always looking for ways to better address customer needs and ensure customer satisfaction.” The automated storage system is based on a pair of ABB’s OmniVance FlexBuffer storage systems connected by a conveyor, each one equipped with a robot to enable order handling efficiently. The system, which now manages all of the warehouse’s loading and offloading activities, allows easy transitions between buffering, storing and sequencing tasks. It combines temporary storage and sequencing functions. The FlexBuffer system installed at Ossuccio is a mixed-item variant that can store a wide variety of box sizes, all handled using the same robot gripper. Dynamic racking ensures that boxes are stored with minimal loss of space. Adopting the system has enhanced working conditions for operators in the factory, alleviating the physical strain associated with handling heavy boxes manually. The workforce has been reallocated to other manufacturing areas that required additional manpower, giving the factory more flexibility during production peaks. n ABB has transformed the warehouse operation at an instrumentation factory in Italy by converting to an automated storage and retrieval system that has raised efficiency by 90% and cut assembly times by 30% The Italian factory now has two of ABB’s OmniVance FlexBuffer systems which use robots to store and retrieve items from surrounding shelves
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