Arquemino Lopes Junior : la diversité croissante des produits, le boom continu du commerce électronique et la complexité croissante des processus logistiques exigent des stratégies d’automatisation intelligentes. Les entreprises doivent travailler plus efficacement et à moindre coût pour rester compétitives dans cet environnement. Le Bin Picking est la main automatisée de l’intralogistique. Il permet aux entreprises de prélever avec précision et fiabilité les objets les plus divers dans des réservoirs chaotiques ou ordonnés. Cette technologie permet d’optimiser le flux de matériaux et d’éviter les goulets d’étranglement dans la chaîne logistique.
Arquemino Lopes Junior : le grand défi est de développer des systèmes de préhension qui soient flexibles et capables de saisir de manière fiable une multitude d’articles différents. Un système capable de saisir vraiment n’importe quel objet, c’est comme la quête du Saint Graal. La diversité des géométries et des matériaux des produits représente un énorme défi pour la préhension automatisée. Si le processus de Bin Picking ne se déroule pas sans friction, il devient rapidement un goulot d’étranglement dans l’intralogistique. Le risque est alors que le flux de matériaux s’arrête et que l’ensemble du système perde en performance. D’un point de vue positif, les entreprises qui intègrent avec succès le Bin Picking intelligent dans leurs processus feront un pas en avant décisif. Non seulement elles optimisent leur efficacité, mais elles créent aussi les bases nécessaires pour s’imposer sur un marché qui exige des solutions toujours plus rapides et plus flexibles.
Arquemino Lopes Junior : le commerce en ligne est certainement l’un des plus grands moteurs des défis actuels de l’intralogistique. La pandémie a donné un coup de fouet massif au commerce électronique et, même si la croissance s’est ensuite quelque peu ralentie, la tendance reste positive et continue. Cela signifie que le nombre de commandes, qui augmente à nouveau continuellement, génère également un besoin de traitement nettement plus élevé dans la logistique. Cette évolution s’accompagne d’une diversité croissante des produits, ce qui signifie que davantage de géométries de produits et de matériaux différents doivent être traités dans le processus de Bin Picking.
Nos attentes en tant que consommateurs jouent également un rôle décisif. Nous attendons que les produits commandés nous parviennent rapidement, de préférence le jour même. Cette attente place les entreprises devant un défi supplémentaire : traiter encore plus rapidement les volumes déjà élevés du commerce électronique. C’est précisément à ce stade qu’il devient très clair qu’un Bin Picking intelligent et automatisé est indispensable pour garantir l’efficacité, la rapidité et la fiabilité.
Arquemino Lopes Junior: In our view, three technological developments in particular have proven to be game changers for bin picking: the influence of AI and machine learning, advances in image processing and object recognition, and the use of real-time data. They have significantly improved the precision and flexibility of the systems.
The most important goal is still to calculate the perfect gripping points and develop the gripper system at the so-called “end of arm” as efficiently as possible. At Festo, we combine all our expertise in pneumatic, electric and digital automation to find solutions that will reduce errors to a minimum.
With our broad portfolio of gripper technologies, we can cover almost any application. I would also like to highlight our Customised Solutions, which are the result of specific collaboration with our customers in order to develop customised gripper solutions. As part of our development initiative “Grip it”, a transnational team of people who are specialised in developing special grippers are working together on this.
Arquemino Lopes Junior: A good example is predictive maintenance. Many of our customers use our innovative Festo AX software to process real-time data from their systems and machines and analyse it using artificial intelligence; this enables them to reduce downtimes by up to 25% and sustainably increase the efficiency of their production. But we also rely on Festo AX in electric automation. By analysing the power consumption of an electric motor, we can see how it has operated throughout the day. Peaks in energy consumption often indicate an increased torque requirement and mechanical problems. Using Festo AX, we identify the causes of such performance drops at an early stage and prevent potential faults before they become a problem. Real-time data also gives us valuable insights into whether all components have been optimally selected and dimensioned; this increases efficiency, minimises wear, extends the service life of the systems and reduces operating costs.
Arquemino Lopes Junior: GripperAI is an absolute innovation for bin picking. This revolutionary software solution enables robots and handling systems to grip disorganised objects of different shapes and sizes precisely and flexibly, even if they are randomly positioned. Our solution uses artificial intelligence, in particular machine learning, to adapt autonomously to changing picking tasks and continuously optimise efficiency in the picking process. This means there is no longer a need for CAD templates to configure the camera or time-consuming teaching of the robot. GripperAI recognises objects independently and calculates the best gripping points depending on the situation. This makes the solution extremely flexible and significantly reduces manual effort.
During testing, GripperAI achieved a success rate of almost 100 percent for simple tasks. Even in complex scenarios with disorganised objects and chaotic environments, the success rates were similarly high. This shows how dynamically the software can adapt to different requirements.
Arquemino Lopes Junior: Make sure you choose a partner with broad automation expertise and an extensive portfolio in gripper technology. This is the only way to meet solutions that fulfil the specific requirements of the application. Standard solutions often reach their limits, especially in the area of bin picking. The individual requirements and circumstances are so diverse in many areas of application that customised approaches are essential. Your partner should therefore also be prepared to develop individual solutions together with you.
Since many machines are often used in different countries, it is essential that the automation partner also has a worldwide presence. This not only guarantees the availability of spare parts, but also the smooth operation of the systems.
And probably one of the most important recommendations is to choose a partner who develops across technologies and offers everything from a single source, be it pneumatic, electric or digital solutions. Which technology is used always depends on the requirements of the application in question. A partner with expertise in all areas is best placed to help you develop the right automation strategy for your processes.
We would like to thank Arquemino Lopes Junior for the inspiring interview and the comprehensive information on the importance of bin picking in intralogistics. His expertise and many years of experience have given us important insights into how companies can achieve significant increases in efficiency through automated bin picking.