New Technology Raises Productivity in Piece Picking Distribution

Think your warehouse has every productive technology?
Think again.

By Jay Dugat
Robotica Inc. (www.robotica.us)

Most every current piece-picking technology including pick list, radio frequency, voice, RF carts, carousels, pick-to-light, put-to-light, and A-frames require operators to access the contents of products and goods shipped in sealed boxes or cases. Break pack picking or replenishment requires breaking open and/or cutting cases. Case cutting is a time consuming and a dangerous manual task.

First generation automatic case cutters began improving DC operations in the 1990s by improving productivity of a single operator. Automated box openers and cutters can provide more than just safety and labor savings.

Justification for the capital cost of automated box openers is usually easily obtained in volume operations where several thousand boxes are opened daily in order picking, repack, and product returns operations. Benefits can go well beyond labor savings and satisfying the ethical responsibility to get razor blades out of the hands of employees.

The process of singulating cases through a cutter process provides opportunities to identify and verify the product that is received during induction to the warehouse, store, or service center. Optional functions to automated case cutters include case dimensioners, check weighers, label readers, and bar codes scanners providing 100% verification of product received. The cutter can be programmed to sort opened cases by SKU, size, or weight to different work stations or warehouse areas.

New generation of automated box cutters can leave the box top in place held by pres-scored tabs to be broken loose by hand for pulling stock at distribution or at point of sale. Cases can be pre-cut to make manual opening easy while providing some dust protection and structural integrity.

Pre scored cases can be a value-add for logistic operations eliminating the need for cutting tools by the end user. Pallets can be automatically de-palletized, cases individually verified, pre-scored, re-labeled and re-palletized for shipment.

More advanced automated box cutters can convert standard shipping cases into point of sale displays or trays relieving the need for special and costly die cut packaging.

Automated cutters protect contents by mechanically aligning cases and providing accurately controlled cuts to specific areas so as not to damage contents. All this precision occurs three to five times faster than the most careful and experienced manual operators. Optional capabilities added to box cutting stations provide smart inducts with 100% product verification. Advanced features add value services scoring cases for tool-less case opening and point of sale displays. Automated box cutters do more than just open boxes; they go beyond the cutting edge.

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