New picking system leads the way in automation

As part of its commitment to help customers responsibly drive down costs, Toyota Material Handling has developed what is reported to be a ground-breaking automated order picking solution.

Built around BT warehouse trucks equipped with advanced automation technology integrated with voice communication and warehouse management systems, BT Automated Order Picking is said to enable productivity gains of up to 40% while substantially reducing costs and supporting workplace safety.

The BT Automated Order Picking solution coordinates pickers and automated warehouse trucks so that every time an operator picks an item, there is always a truck ready to receive it. The people in the process are only required to transfer each item from its pick position on to the load carrier. This increases picking productivity and accuracy and delivers health and safety benefits.

Each picking cycle starts with the truck navigating automatically to the first picking position, where the human picker loads the right goods on to the truck. As soon as the items are placed on the pallet, the truck automatically moves to the next picking position, effectively escorting the operator as it does so.When the pallet or roll cage is full, a new truck arrives as the first truck travels automatically to despatch, allowing the operator to keep on picking.

Automatic order picking also has health and safety benefits, since operators no longer have to step on and off the truck with each picking stop or navigate the truck through a busy warehouse. At all times, the human picker can focus on order picking rather than truck operation.