The explosion of e-commerce, rising consumer expectations, and prolonged uncertainty of the post-Covid era introduced a new level of pressure and complexity on global supply chains. This in turn has led to a surge in demand for AI and automation technologies, with a growing scope of use cases year over year.
In 2021, the SBS Group began a full-scale introduction of logistics technologies (LT) and IT in the logistics field, drawing on the systems development capabilities of Ricoh Logistics and the complementing specialties of other group companies.
Robotics SHowcase
The robot runs along the floor of the logistics facility, crawls under the shelves, lifts them up, and carries them to a collection station where staff are stationed.
The robot brings items to the shelves in front of the workers, and the workers can then pick up items from the shelves, reducing the walking time required for collection work. In addition, since there is no need for aisles for workers, storage efficiency is improved compared to normal flat shelf operation.
[Implementation record]
SBS Toshiba Logistics – North Kanto Branch (Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture); SBS Sanai Logistics – BC Saitama (Koshigaya City, Saitama Prefecture); SBS Sanai Logistics – BC Ichinomiya (Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture); SBS Holdings – EC Noda Seto Logistics Center (Noda City, Chiba Prefecture)
The system works in such a way that a robot traveling within a logistics facility carries containers stored in high-rise racks to the collection work area (station) where workers are stationed. High-rise racks can be stored up to the ceiling, making it possible to store items without wasting space above.
By reducing the walking time of staff and eliminating the need for walkways for workers, storage efficiency is improved compared to normal flat shelf operations.
[Implementation record]
SBS Holdings – EC Noda Seto Logistics Center (Noda City, Chiba Prefecture)
This structure allows a robot to remove containers that are densely packed inside the facility from the top.
Multiple robots (electric carts) running on a grid (pillars and beams) arranged in a lattice pattern pick up bins (special containers) stored within the grid and transport them to a port (picking station). At the port, staff take out (pick) items from the transported containers and fill (replenish) them with items. Features include high-density storage and fixed-point work (no walking required).
[Implementation record]
SBS Nexthird -BC Yokohama Kanazawa (Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
When items (goods) are placed on a tray on a robot (automated transport vehicle), the robot moves to a pre-registered chute (opening) and then tilts the tray to automatically sort the items. When sorting by hand, the worker needs to walk to each chute, but with a robot sorter, the robot moves on its own and sorts the products in a seeding style, which allows for speedy processing and reduces the workload of walking.
By linking t-Sort with the t-Sort3D, which has a vertical sorting opening, sorting can be done in a space-saving manner.
[Implementation record]
SBS Sanai Logistics – BC Kanto (Soka City, Saitama Prefecture) (t-Sort)
[Verification results]
SBS Holdings – LT Lab (t-Sort + t-Sort 3D)
Efficient work can be done in a limited space on-site with traffic flow in the same direction. Valuable human resources can be freed from heavy labor and assigned to other tasks, making efficient use of limited manpower.
By teaching the palletizer how to perform the tasks, it can be operated with simple operations.
[Implementation record]
SBS Logicom – Osaka BAY Branch (Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture)
The SBS Group has built a specialized team made up of roughly 200 IT experts across the group, including our company, that conducts research and verification of the latest technology in the field and support customers in introducing them.
The LT Team has constructed numerous material handling systems and information systems, including auto stores, shelf transport robots, AI material quantity prediction systems, trunk line network visualization systems, and bulk inspection systems.
Since its establishment in 2022, our LT team has successfully completed more than 100 projects, serving customers in Japan, the US, the UK, France, Thailand, and China.