Distribution special, E80 Group: `Automation today is not just essential, it`s available for all`

Many smaller companies doubted ROI from automatic assets combined with smart software, but those days should be over, says William Nelson, President, E80 Group North America. A TWM report.

One of the most common statements I`ve heard over the years goes like this: [Yes, we`d love to be able to afford to do that like the Big Guys are doing." But is this statement pertinent today? Is automation only the domain of the [Big Guys," or is it time to re-think this well-worn theory that automated material handling requires size to justify traditional ROI? Let`s take a look at what we have been able to execute so far:

• Just about any function in material handling can be automated:

– warehousing of finished products and raw materials in block storage or racks of any type;

– fully cubed trailers are loaded automatically;

– parent rolls are stored and delivered into the rewinder;

– raw materials are directly delivered to production assets;

– most recently, trailers are unloaded automatically.

• Automatic vehicles support operations, allowing managers to focus on productivity, efficiency, and maintenance.

• Automatic guided vehicles do the job of multiple operators 24/7/365, delivering goods to the right place at the right time.

• Combine automatic assets with a smart software platform, and you have a robust decision-making structure that is as adaptable as it is repeatable.

• Automation is scalable, meaning it can grow and evolve as a plant changes over time.

• Safety developments enhance the workplace experience.

Doesn`t every tissue producer require the same essential functions as above? We move input materials in and ship finished goods out; therefore, the challenge isn`t in identifying WHAT to do. Instead, it`s in knowing HOW to do it.

Anyone who has walked the floor of an automation show in the last years can clearly see that a wide range of automated vehicles come in a dizzying array of shapes, sizes, and costs. So, how does one decide what to buy?