SSI Schäfer: SSI Piece Picking

SSI Piece Picking is a fully automated robotic solution for single piece picking. The solution speeds up and automates manual picking, which is very repetitive and physically demanding for humans. In combination with manual workstations, peak times and seasonal fluctuations can be managed efficiently. Thanks to object recognition using AI in conjunction with state-of-the-art gripper technology, the goods are gripped securely and placed gently in target containers or cartons.

Instead of finger-shaped grippers, SSI Piece Picking uses smaller, compact suction cups that reach every angle of a container/carton and thus securely grip even the smallest parts without delay. This speeds up the picking process overall and at the same time the speed can be adapted to the respective product. Machine learning methods enable the robots to gather experience with each pick and learn from it. This creates a knowledge database that is available to all other robots.

Pick & Place is used in addition to Pick & Drop. This process guarantees particularly gentle handling, as each item is placed as close as possible to the base of the container or carton. This prevents product damage and, at the same time, the fill level can be optimally utilized thanks to precise placement. In addition, the system solution already covers 80 percent of the product range, especially in the pharmaceutical sector, including goods in cubic, cylindrical, tube-shaped and blister packs.

WAMAS Piece Picking from the WAMAS portfolio is responsible for the material flow-optimized control and vision integration and ensures the strong performance of the solution. A teach-in process is not required, as only typical HOST master data is accessed. Alternatively, the application can also be used by connecting to existing WMS systems. The application is particularly suitable for low-speed and medium-speed lathes and can be combined with conveyor and shuttle systems to create intelligent overall solutions. Due to the high system reliability, SSI Piece Picking can be used in e-commerce, as well as across all sectors in industry and by third-party logistics providers (3PL). The solution is also ideal when goods need to be handled particularly carefully and picked without errors, which is particularly relevant in the healthcare and cosmetics sector.