Material Handling Systems

What is Robotic Material Handling? How can I use Robotic Material Handling to Automate my Production Process and Reduce Costs?

[Pictures of Stryver Built Robotic Material Handling Automation Systems below]

Material Handling is the act of moving items from one place to another. Robotic material handling is when a robot completes this process action to transport items from one spot to another. Robotic material handling is what most people think of when they think of an industrial robot arm doing a task. Picking up and moving the same parts hundreds of times a day is the definition of dull, dirty, dangerous work that is best done by a robot or some kind of automation. Stryver has a great deal of experience using industrial, collaborative, and SCARA robots, among others, to automate material handling tasks.

When evaluating whether robotic automation can be effectively used to automate a production process and reduce labor costs, Stryver typically considers the questions below to make this decision:

  1. How is the material to be moved presented to the robotic arm? Is it constrained in a reliable, repeatable position?
  2. How does the material need to be placed to replicate the action the operator is currently completing? Are there more efficient alternatives that can be made to improve the process even further and get more value from the automation?
  3. What is the part weight? How far does the part need to travel for the handling operation?
  4. How many part variations need to run through the automated system?
  5. Does an operator need to interact with the material handling robot to complete the material handling process properly? Is the work cell already guarded?

Availability of labor is a common problem for our customers. A lot of labor hours are spent unloading parts from robotic cells, packaging parts into containers, completing minor inspections, and pulling part data. All of these processes can be easily automated into a robotic part transfer system. From using vision systems and barcode scanners to pull part data and confirm quality, to using collaborative robots to automate packaging and palletizing processes alongside operators, implementing material handling robots at your workplace can help you cut costs, become more productive, and stay competitive.

Pair a material handling robotic system with an End of Arm Tool designed specifically for your process for the best results. Look to our experience with SCARA Automated Assembly Systems and Collaborative Robots in addition to this page for a better idea of how Stryver can think through multiple possible solutions to create the best part handling solution for your company.

Let Stryver help by designing a material handling system for your production facility. Our team has the experience to design and build a cost, space and time efficient robotic material handling application for your organization’s particular situation. A solution that will move material both quickly and with care. With robotic material handling applications designed and built to undertake tasks ranging from moving heavy steel components to lightweight boxes, our team at Stryver is your turn-key solution provider.