Geekplus Technology Co., Ltd. (Geek+) has expanded collaboration with electronic components manufacturer Siemens Switchgear Ltd., Shanghai. Particularly, the collaboration will cover Siemens Switchgear’s second phase of smart manufacturing automation project in China.

The expansion will introduce more of Geek+’s goods-to-person picking and materials handling robots to the multi-robot configuration. In addition, it will open up a further 3,000sq.m of automated warehousing space. The system achieved a delivery accuracy rate of 100 percent, with materials accuracy of over 99.98 percent in the production line.

Yields Novel Technologies

Siemens Switchgear Shanghai first joined forces with Geek+ in 2019 and successfully built a full-process flexible automated intelligent logistics factory using four types of Geek+ robots. Specifically, the lineup include the P800R goods-to-person picking robots; MP1000R moving robots; RS2 tote-to-person robots; and X-series four-way shuttles for high-density storage. Robots provide automation in the entire manufacturing process from inbound receiving to in-store stock management. Furthermore, the automation also covers outbound stock collection and production line delivery.

Junzhe Yang, Vice President of China Region at Geek+, said, “We are very proud of this end-to-end automation success with Siemens Switchgear Ltd., Shanghai. The company makes cutting-edge electronics technology and Geek+ uses robotics technology to power their operations. The result is a beautiful example of how well smart intralogistics can function.”

With the growth of Siemens Switchgear’s business, new demands for storage capacity, material informatization, distribution timeliness, and accuracy have risen. To illustrate, the implementation of a Plan For Every Part (PFEP) logistics model serves as a key step for Siemens Switchgear Shanghai to react to this new reality.

Obviously, entrusting the running of the site to Geek+’s smart technology and sophisticated software provides the 360° inventory oversight that this strategy requires. Geek+ has created a fully automated, flexible, multi-robot solution that represents a breakthrough in intelligent manufacturing.

Deepens Collaboration

In this second phase of the project, Geek+ added more MP1000R moving robots equipped with laser-guided simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) capabilities. Meanwhile, they will integrate these robots to the production line without interrupting operations.

Moreover, these robots autonomously carry out on-time delivery of raw materials wherever they in the production site. This precise matching of required materials and delivery times reduces line side warehouse space requirements by half. That is, yielding a material handling accuracy rate of over 99.98 percent.

In realizing this expansion, Geek+ engineers listened to Siemens Switchgear’s experiences with the first-phase configuration. To better meet the client’s needs, the Geek+ team optimized the paths layout of the four-way shuttle storage system and the layout of the picking workstations. The outbound throughput rate has increased from 500 pallets per day to 1,000 pallets per day. They also added a steel platform to create a second storage level operated by the original P800R fleet, with a new cluster of P800Rs equipped with square pallet docking with low-level hoists in the materials receiving area on the ground floor.

Most importantly, these additions, along with more MP1000R moving robots, have been seamlessly integrated into Siemens Switchgear’s fully automated facility and freed up an additional 3,000sq.m of storage space.

Furthermore, Geek+ and Siemens Switchgear Shanghai will further deepen their cooperation, expand application scenarios, and explore innovative solutions. At the same time, continue to lead the intelligent transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry.