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TGW Logistics Group GmbH said it has applied its more than 50 years of experience in developing automated systems into its latest picking robot. The company said RovoFlex can address labor shortages and rapidly changing product ranges with high productivity, simple handling, and reliability.

The new robot comes with an intelligent camera system and is available with the new PickCenter offering, according to TGW. The Marchtrenk, Austria-based company said RovoFlex and PickCenter together constitute a hybrid picking station. When using both, customers can switch between manual and automatic modes to better handle order peaks.

“With the PickCenter RovoFlex, TGW Logistics has developed an innovation that learns with every gripping operation and optimizes itself continuously thanks to artificial intelligence,” said Christoph Wolkerstorfer, chief technology officer at TGW, in a release. “High productivity, the variety of possible applications, and low space requirements make RovoFlex a game changer that will help revitalize intralogistics processes.”

RovoFlex can handle 1k items per hour, says TGW

RovoFlex can handle a variety of goods at a throughput of more than 1,000 items per hour, said TGW Logistics. This includes anything from grocery and fashion items to industrial or consumer goods. In addition, the system can handle demanding goods such as frozen products or sharp objects, it said.

With a two-shift operation, customers can expect a return on the investment within roughly two and a half years, claimed the company. RovoFlex can also be used without PickCenter and implemented with other workstations.

PickCenter automates processes like sorting, consolidating, or separating goods. TGW said users can integrate RovoFlex into their existing systems in just a few days.

Picking robot market is expected to continue growing 

Interact Analysis predicted that end users will install more than 150,000 picking robots by 2030. The market research firm also forecast that shipments will jump from less than 2,000 in 2022 to over 50,000 by 2030.

The cost of robotic picking has been a barrier to entry, especially for single-shift operations, observed Interact Analysis.

The programming of robots is another barrier to adoption. Many robots require robotic engineers to program, and with only 132,000 robotic engineers in the U.S., labor can be a major bottleneck. TGW Logistics’ PickCenter can help alleviate this bottleneck in the automation process.

Founded in 1969, TGW Logistics has grown from a small fitter’s shop into a leading international systems integrator. It works with customers in the fashion and apparel, grocery, manufacturing, and consumer goods industries.

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