HAI ROBOTICS, the pioneer in Autonomous Case-handling Robot (ACR) systems for warehouse logistics, will showcase its high-efficiency and high-density warehousing solutions at Korea MAT 2022, a leading logistics tradeshow in South Korea from June 14 to 17.
The exhibits will not just feature the tallest robot of the ACR family. The company will, for the first time, offer virtual tours to onsite visitors to give them immersive experiences, through Virtual Reality goggles, to check out how ACR systems increase warehouse efficiency.
Featuring a telescopic lift, the HAIPICK A42T robot can reach a max picking height of 10 meters. Its forks can also descend to as low as 0.28m to pick totes and cartons stored on the bottom shelf. It can carry 8 loads in one move to feed Goods-to-Person workstation HAIPORT to significantly elevate warehouse throughput.
HAIPORT can load four to eight cases in only three seconds from a robot, and simultaneously unload the same number of cases in five seconds. A single workstation is able to handle up to 900 cases per hour, an order-fulfillment speed that is 16 times faster than robot-to-conveyor belt transport.
HAI ROBOTICS will show its products at booth 1E802 in the Korea International Exhibition Center.
Rising interest in high-density storage solution
Leo Kim, HAI ROBOTICS’ market director in South Korea, said the company sees “huge potential” as the interest for high-density warehousing solutions is surging, as society has seen the benefit of automation.
“HAI ROBOTICS is to offer solutions that meet with Korean companies’ demand for high ROI. ACR solutions have been proved to be very effective in improving warehouse productivity while lowering down labor costs across a wide array of industries,” Mr. Kim said, adding that the company has teamed up with local system integrators to expand service.
HAI ROBOTICS has been in partnership with Studio 3S, a local integrator, for more than a year, and have together offered solution to local leading 3PL company, Mr. Kim said.
“Many automation companies are now entering into South Korea and looking for opportunities aggressively. Having a local partner is key to achieve project success at the early stage,” Mr. Kim said. “We could benefit from our partner’s presence in the market and they benefit from having an outstanding solution like HAI ROBOTICS in their portfolio, which will bring value.”
South Korea ranked No.1 in the density of industrial robots according to the World Robotics 2021 report by International Federation of Robotics (IFR). It has a high level of automation in its manufacturing sector but a lesser degree in warehousing logistics. Order-fulfillment processes were previously partially automated – centering on sorting operations – due to a lack of technology availability.
On the one hand, the country has a strong need to fill in job vacancies with automation since labor force keeps shrinking due to declining birth rate year on year – at less than 1 percent in 2021 and the lowest in OECD counties, as data from Statistics Korea shows. On the other hand, rising warehouse rentals are pushing the demand for high-density storage solutions and automation higher.
Like many other major economies, South Korea registered a sustained robust e-commerce growth fueled by Covid-19. The country’s sales revenue amounted to more than 187 trillion South Korean won (US$150 billion) in 2021, according to statista.com. Official data from the South Korean government said that the total online transactions during 2020 was US$144.7 billion.
However, the level of automation in the e-commerce supply chain lags far behind.
Mr. Kim said around 80% of inquiries made by Korean companies came from e-commerce and 3PLs service providers. He said Chinese robotics technologies, in particular logistics, are well received by large Korean companies and HAI ROBOTICS sees a good chance with its advantages in storage density and picking accuracy.
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