Development of an equipment able to perform a warehouse inventory record

• Grant number: 18/07325-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Duration: February 01, 2019 - April 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Industrial Electronics, Electronic Systems and Controls
• Principal Investigator: André Abrami
• Grantee: André Abrami
• Host Company: Automni Automações Industriais Ltda. - EPP
• CNAE: Fabricação de máquinas, equipamentos e aparelhos para transporte e elevação de cargas e pessoas ; Manutenção e reparação de máquinas e equipamentos elétricos ; Comércio atacadista de máquinas e equipamentos para uso comercial; partes e peças
• City: São Paulo
• Pesquisadores principais: Rodrigo Tamiazzo do Nascimento
• Associated researchers: Filipe dos Santos Minutti
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/18741-3 - Development of an equipment able to perform a warehouse inventory record, BP.TT; 19/14900-0 - Development of an equipment able to perform a warehouse inventory record, BP.TT

Abstract

Currently, the logistics segment is one of the fastest growing economic sectors, with a global expansion of 7% a year since 2011. However, there are many operational and technological limitations within the context of Industry 4.0, and, simultaneously, an increasing demand from companies for innovation and optimization of processes, through solutions with high technological degree. One of the critical restrictions observed in the logistics sector is related to the inventory record in Distribution Centers (DCs), an activity which consists in registering products stocked. The inventory, carried out periodically, is necessary due to legal, managerial and customer requirements. In Brazil, most DCs perform this process by manually reading barcodes of all loads stored in warehouses. Thus, the process has determinant obstacles, such as direct and indirect costs (resulting from the considerable amount of human and material resources), failures in manual registration process and the mismanagement of inventories due to inconsistencies. Another preponderant factor is the greater risk of accidents with employees due to the need of working at high altitudes. This process is time-consuming, which limits its higher frequency of occurrence, implying a greater probability of interruptions of DC's operations and less accuracy of data obtained, that can get worse when manual errors is committed by operators during the inventory record.This research project aims to create a solution, called Argos, that automates the inventory and minimizes its current limitations. This equipment will consist of a high retractable telescopic mast with cameras coupled and pointed to both sides, in order to capture barcodes images while pass through DC's halls. This mast will have base measurements compatible with common pallets and can be moved along the entire DC associated with the autonomous trans-stacker developed by Automni, Rhino The images will be identified by a software already developed by Automni and classified through neural networks. The results obtained will be integrated into the Warehouse Management System. In this way, Argos will provide greater efficiency and considerable reduction of negative aspects associated with the current inventory process. Development studies for this technology have been previously carried out, and its technical feasibility is demonstrated at a proof of concept. Since 2014, Automni has been working on the development of Rhino, already installed on three CDs in 2017. This technology was fully developed by Automni researchers and is positioned in the state of the art in the forklift segment. This is a competence indicator of company's development team, which is composed by professionals with excellent academic background and national and international market experience. (AU)