Two major names in the manufacturing of robotic solutions for the logistics and supply chain industry, Locus Robotics and Berkshire Grey, have unveiled a combined solution consisting of Berkshire Grey’s Robotic Shuttle Put Wall (BG RSPWi) and Locus’ Origin and Vector robots.
The solution is targeted at retailers and e-commerce businesses seeking to ‘maximise their supply chain productivity and throughput while addressing growing labour shortages’.
The BG RSPWi is a shelving system with a double-sided sort wall that can be programmed to sort items automatically. It has a workstation with built-in scanning and, according to Berkshire Grey, can ‘increase customer order sortation throughput by up to 300%’.
Meanwhile, both the Locus robots involved in the combined solutions are autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). The Vector is a relatively small robot with a payload capacity of up to 272kg, capable of being used for moving shelves, picking orders, and handling materials. The Origin, on the other hand, is a taller AMR with a payload capacity of 36kg. It is used predominantly to move multi-tiered shelves, boxes, and bins.
President of Locus Robotics Mike Johnson explained: “Partnering with Berkshire Grey allows our customers to reap the benefits of enterprise-level robotic automation across some of their most business-critical supply chain processes.”
Steve Johnson, President and Chief Operating Officer at Berkshire Grey shared a similar sentiment, saying: “We have seen a growing number of customers asking for solutions that they can deploy holistically versus piecemeal innovation.”
He added that the partnership will allow both companies to take their combined solutions to a “wider market”.
Locus Robotics and Berkshire Grey expect that this new offering will meet demand for flexible integrated robotic solutions to address the challenges brought about by factors such as inflation and labour shortages.
Locus Robotics (Stand i710) will be at IntraLogisteX on 28-29 March 2023 at the NEC Birmingham. For more information, visit www.intralogistex.co.uk.
