According to a detailed study, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Robotics Group, European WERC, and Peerless Research Group in the United States recently released a report on how global enterprises invest in robotics technology, how to use robot information systems, and future research trends in industrial robotics technology. This includes the optimization, integration, automation, and management of goods and data in global warehouses and distribution centers. Due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, increasing labor shortages, rising e-commerce orders, and changing consumer preferences, internal logistics has received widespread attention.
At the recent World Leading Material Handling System Suppliers Conference held in North America (Modex2022 Exhibition), the new types of warehousing robots and automated logistics technology equipment showcased all prove the technological progress of the future global supply chain, including many excellent robotics companies such as Kiva Systems, RMT Robotics, Cimcorp, Seegrid, etc. It is these high-tech enterprises that make traditional logistics operations eager for software, equipment, and tools, Enable software, devices, and tools to help them achieve twice the result with half the effort.
The research report points out that the global robot market is expected to grow to $45.5 million this year, and currently 80% of the global distribution centers have a demand for industrial robots and automated logistics systems. Industries such as automobiles, fast-moving goods, footwear, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and 3C are all experimenting with automated unmanned technology and industrial robot technology in their warehouses, distribution centers, and logistics centers. Due to the rich experience of material handling suppliers in logistics system integration, it is possible to introduce new technologies such as industrial robots and digital technology.
The world's leading material handling system suppliers are continuously optimizing advanced technology and developing updated, better, and more useful industrial robots to meet the personalized needs of different industries and customers. From the perspective of the North American capital market, in the report released on industrial robot technology, modern robots are equipped with sensors, such as light detection and ranging 'LiDAR' sensors and computer vision, to help robots achieve autonomous navigation environment recognition. At the same time, it emphasizes innovative research and development capabilities related to convenience, flexibility, high-speed mobility, and other characteristics, which effectively enhance the practicality of robot technology, In addition to the global increase in labor costs, labor shortages, geopolitical issues, and continuous demands to expand productivity caused by the epidemic, companies involved in multiple aspects of the global supply chain are eager to generate innovative models for industrial robot technology, thereby quickly improving their market competitiveness.
The transformation of industrial robots in warehousing and logistics in the North American market can actually be traced back to 2007, when people to people picking was still a niche part of the market. The single point robot solutions exhibited at the 2007 ProMat exhibition have evolved into integrated solutions with multiple types of robots, such as RightHand robot picking, Tompkins Robotics T-sort, or Hai Robotics' packaging robot and cargo to person picking station integration application solutions.
This was an innovative attempt at robotics technology in North American distribution centers that year. From the very beginning of entering the market, suppliers have realized that the core advantage of industrial robotics technology is not to completely break away from labor, but to cope with increasingly tight labor shortages. Since 2005, warehouses in North America have been facing a shortage of labor. By replacing traditional manual handling, sorting, packaging, and other single logistics processes, especially during seasonal promotions and peak demand for holiday orders, this has led to a favorable trend in the development of industrial robotics technology.
By 2012, the problem of labor shortage in North America had become very obvious, with a large number of warehouse and distribution center managers facing the challenge of labor costs. Therefore, utilizing industrial robotics technology to achieve automated warehouse transformation has become a key issue for all material handling system suppliers to focus on. At the Modex 2022 exhibition, artificial intelligence controlled cluster robots, laser navigation robots, sorting and packaging robots emerged endlessly. Dozens of robot solution suppliers from around the world showcased their latest models of products, and more importantly, Each logistics system integrator participating in the exhibition showcases at least one type of industrial robot as their solution.
It is precisely the continuous innovation of industrial robots as the core technology that has brought new trends in the development of material markets in North America and even globally. As shown in the above figure, in the report, it is clarified that the three major factors that modern logistics warehouses and distribution centers pursue robotics technology mainly include the popularity rate of industrial robots, the completion rate of labor substitution, and the replicable percentage in different industries. The following diagram shows the classification of warehouse or distribution center solutions implemented using industrial robots.
About 28% of companies hope to include heavy-duty forklifts and trailer transport robots in their warehouse operations or distribution centers, while 24.5% and 22.6% of surveyed companies have a great demand for sorting robots or fixed industrial robots, respectively. At present, other types of automation equipment in North American logistics systems, including heavy-duty load transportation robots, picking and conveying robots, collaborative aisle picking robots, and packaging and packaging robots, have significantly improved the operational efficiency of existing warehouses or distribution centers.
For example, 43.4% of enterprises use autonomous mobile robots (AMR) for pallet movement, 34% use robots for picking goods or delivering goods to shelves, 30% use single sorting robots, 30% use access robots for sensing unit appliance sorting machines, 28% use AMR for pallet handling (including forklifts and trailers), and 24% use warehouse sorting robots. In view of the multiple influences of the epidemic situation and geopolitics, a large number of industrial robot solution providers in the future global market are constantly trying to explore new areas. For example, in the traditional automated warehouse project, the purchaser will start to seek logistics equipment manufacturers, logistics system integrators, robot technology companies and capital and management consulting to jointly develop solutions.