Industrial robots have been a reality for a number of years in many companies related to transport and logistics, providing greater agility and efficiency to the companies that use them, optimising resources and improving the operation of warehouses and ships, among other things.
In recent years, technology has played in favour of the logistics and transport sector . Advances and innovations in machinery and equipment have been generated, thus facilitating the operation and future of this industry. Robots are one of those improvements that are here to stay and, over time, their mechanisms have been improved and their functionalities expanded. In this sense, robots have diversified to specialise the different teams according to key aspects such as the volumes and dimensions of the goods they transport or their fragility/strength, for example.
Logistics professionals require very specific knowledge in relation to the possibilities they have to carry out certain types of work. In the case that we focus on in this article, the key is to know the types of robots that exist on the market and how they facilitate the performance of activities in environments that require them.
What is a robot?
When we talk about a robot in the field of logistics, we are hong kong whatsapp data referring to two similar and complementary concepts at the same time: on the one hand, there is the machinery itself, the equipment created to optimize the operations carried out in warehouses and ships, among others. On the other hand, when talking about types of robots, we are also referring to the automation systems that are used in certain facilities to improve their operation.
Any process that involves innovation requires automation , and the logistics sector is a clear example of this: equipment is increasingly being researched and developed that offers a greater degree of autonomy and that adds efficiency to the tasks that require it. They are used in warehouses, in storage areas and in loading and unloading of goods – ports, airports –, production and distribution centres. In other words, in any space or facility where it is necessary to move packages, merchandise and other tools and equipment of large volume and tonnage.
These systems have evolved and there are currently different types of robots , as we point out below. The use of one or another will depend on the place where they are going to be installed, the size, and the type of work being carried out, among other aspects.
Types of industrial robots
Industrial robots are used in logistics and distribution, as they can adapt to certain circumstances. This is why we can find such a wide variety of robots on the market.
These are the types of industrial robots we find today and this is how they work:
AGV - Automated guided vehicles: These are devices used for transporting goods. They move around facilities autonomously, following previously planned routes and running along belts, sensors, guides, cables and other systems.
AGVs make it possible to do without operators when carrying out repetitive and routine tasks. They do require qualified personnel to direct and program them, and that is where R&D in logistics comes in when it comes to developing and programming these machines, always taking into account the characteristics of an industrial robot for these tasks. Examples of these automatic guided vehicles are forklifts and automatic tractors. More and more improvements are being made to them and, today, there are even robots with infrared cameras -among other applications- to avoid obstacles and ensure that the task is carried out without errors.