KUKA and Contoro Bring Automated Trailer Unloading, Making Warehouse Operations Safer and More Efficient

Warehouses and distribution centres are under increasing pressure to boost productivity and make workers more safe, while automation is being used to address some of the toughest jobs in the warehouse. The area of focus is now the unloading of trailers, where workers are required to lift, bend and move heavy cargo cartons for many hours a day in difficult situations.

To help tackle this challenge, KUKA Robotics has joined forces with AI robotics firm Contoro Robotics to develop a solution for automated unloading of trailers. It is a combination of a KUKA industrial robot and AI-based software, which automates case unloading to eliminate repetitive movement in the warehouse and frees up time for employees to perform more valuable work.

The solution has been successfully implemented at a States Logistics distribution centre in California where it was adopted mainly to decrease the number of injuries that may occur in the workplace when handling repetitive lifting and back strain. The primary goal was for the employees to be safe, but the company noted there were also benefits to be gained in terms of operational efficiency. 

Prior to automation, it would take two to four individuals two to three times per shift to unload two to three trailers. The robotic system is now able to manage four to five trailers in four hours, as well as to reduce physical intensive work, improving the throughput. It is part of a shift in the logistics sector whereby the robotics revolution extends beyond traditional factory and production settings to warehouses and fulfilment centres. Having already realized that technology can drive productivity and make work environments safer, businesses are now putting more money into automation that supports their growing ecommerce engagements and the continuing manpower crisis.

These solutions are not intended to replace humans, but rather to change the way humans work by automating repetitive and injury-prone tasks to free them up for more challenging and supervisor-intensive tasks. The evolution of warehouse automation highlights the new focus on creating more sustainable and ergonomic logistics processes, extending beyond mere efficiency gains.