Hardware will play an important role in the next generation of technological advancements for warehouse automation, writes Ricardo Hernandez, Industry Sales Manager at TE Connectivity
Warehouse automation is seeing a rush of innovations, with new technologies making automation easier, more efficient and more attainable for even small operations. There are several important but lesser-known innovations driving the evolution of warehouse automation:
Battery management systems
Lithium-ion technology makes it possible to pack more energy into a smaller battery. Then, there’s the effort to make energy storage and use more efficient, both helped by the battery management system (BMS). BMS determines how the battery supplies power, how it recharges, and the most efficient way of distributing power from the cells. Typically, the BMS is embedded within the battery pack of a vehicle — an electric forklift, an automated mobile robot (AMR) or an autonomous guided vehicle (AGV).
A smart BMS requires smart connectors for power, signal and data. Hence, having connectors that allow for a smooth, seamless flow of communication between the devices is critical.
Advanced connectors and cables
As lithium-ion batteries overtake the old-fashioned lead-acid models, there will no longer be a need for warehouses to reserve space for forklifts and empty batteries to be parked for several hours to recharge. Instead, opportunistic charging will be the norm, where a forklift, AMR or AGV can simply plug into the nearest charging station and get a full charge in under 30 minutes. This trend also needs resilient cables and connectors. Since opportunistic charging enables warehouse vehicles to be charged five to six times a day, connectors and cables will experience many more mating cycles per day than traditional charging methods.
Unfortunately, the solution is not as simple as making a tougher connector and cable that can handle more mating cycles. Not only does the connector have to withstand more mating cycles, it also has to transmit more current and guarantee signal integrity for data communication between charging stations and battery packs. Thus, engineers are working on heavy-duty hybrid connector technologies that offer high mating cycle counts, without no loss of data signal integrity or increased power consumption, all the while tolerating harsh industrial environments.
Smart docking
While there are challenges to simplifying manual charging, the logistics behind autonomous charging are daunting. An autonomous vehicle docks itself when it needs a charge – an automated process that requires sensors, motors, drives, connectors and more to ensure precise connection. Also, warehouses typically do not have neat, smooth floors, so the vehicle might not be going in a straight line or perfectly mated to the charging dock. To overcome this, engineers build tolerances into the vehicle’s system to enable a safe and perfectly-aligned charging connection.
Interoperability
In warehouse automation, interoperability reflects the rising demand for platform-agnostic charging connectors, cables and stations. Sadly today each brand of forklift, AMR or AGV has its own proprietary charging connector, which are not cross-compatible. This could be a problem for large warehouse operations that employ entire fleets from multiple brands. Interoperability will be key to helping them manage a growing number of charging stations and the connectors and cables that go with each. Interoperability will also allow AMRs from different brands to share status information and other details to make warehouse automation more efficient.
