Bowe Group goals to offer built-in automation backed up by state-of-the-art software program intelligence. Paul Hamblin spoke to 2 of the corporate’s leaders at LogiMAT.
All profitable firms evolve. The 80-year journey of BOWE started with the manufacture of family items, progressing through dry cleansing and automobile wash techniques to doc and paper administration. Engineering innovation and quick identification of tendencies and buyer wants ensured success and additional development.
Over time, the corporate started to focus extra completely on paper insertion and doc administration expertise, therefore the renaming to BOWE Systec in 1991, the identify by which most of right now’s logistics professionals are more likely to have first encountered its applied sciences.
In the present day, the corporate is a good deal greater than doc administration and sensible inserting techniques. Eighty years on from these early days within the cowshed, the corporate is now one of many premier names within the world intralogistics panorama. Based mostly in Augsburg, it operates a worldwide gross sales and repair operation. Manufacturing websites are largely European: sorters and conveyors are produced in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy, whereas Holmfirth, UK homes the corporate’s Software program Competence Centre.
1 Group, 4 items
The phrase ‘Group’ is essential as a result of it conveys the built-in nature of the portfolio of options provided by the complete enterprise. It includes 4 enterprise items: BOWE Systec, the ‘authentic’ arm, continues to deal with mail, plastic card and inserting techniques; BOWE Intralogistics takes care of supplies dealing with for e-commerce, retail, manufacturing and parcel transport through sorters and conveyors; BOWE IQ offers with the all-important software program and BOWE Transfer is the division centered on the corporate’s robotics, automation and AMR portfolio.
The target is to unravel particular buyer challenges throughout the warehouse logistics atmosphere with a key position performed by software program intelligence. The place BOWE Systec as soon as centered on a selected facet of the intralogistics course of, prospects are actually provided forensic selections to go well with their wider automation wants.
Nick Craven-Smith is MD at BOWE IQ. He describes the challenges that prospects want to tackle:
“In easy phrases, it’s about transferring supplies, extra effectively and extra precisely. Our prospects is likely to be operating with fewer workers or maybe attempting to extend operations effectivity with current workers. Accuracy is completely key to that, ensuring they’re choosing the right gadgets in the precise portions. So, whether or not it’s about labour shortages or value management, our software program, AMRs, sorters and conveyors will present an answer to cowl these areas. We’re a one-stop store in that context.”
He explains what AMRs convey to the intralogistics problem:
“AMR can improve the operations of conveyor and sortation tools amassing and transferring totes and cages when able to the subsequent place within the warehouse movement. Our intralogistics options optimise a mix of fastened place tools to work harmoniously with AMR. AMR might convey items to the fastened sorters and as soon as sorted carry the products to staging areas or on to the truck. Our software program platform sits above all of it.”
All is linked throughout the group umbrella. “Inside IQ we’ve drivers and connectors for all the tools and platforms manufactured throughout the Group. We then have drivers and controls for every of these, and BOWE IQ brings it collectively, whether or not on the automation management stage, the orchestration stage or illuminating and informing on actions with reporting dashboards and KPIs.”
Craven-Smith’s enterprise unit provides a complete vary of logistics-friendly software program. The portfolio consists of WMS and WCS course of optimisation, asset monitoring and asset administration techniques in addition to last-mile monitoring choices.
AMR Versatility
Wolfgang Wagner runs the BOWE Transfer enterprise unit. A major innovation from his crew on present at LogiMAT is the TugBot, a flexible AMR with a powerful pulling energy of as much as 600kg, an ideal match for loaded cages.
He describes its attributes: “Parking tugged carts requires area. Reverse parking reduces that footprint – however is usually tough to execute. With its compact and agile design, the TugBot performs exact ahead and reverse manoeuvres with ease, even in tight environments.”
At LogiMAT, the AMR is demonstrated in a stay setup interacting with a sorting chute from the BOWE Intralogistics portfolio. As quickly as a cart is crammed with parcels, the BOWE IQ software program detects it and triggers the subsequent step: the TugBot autonomously collects the cart and strikes it to its vacation spot – together with exact reverse parking the place wanted.
Wagner sees vital development potential pushed by the rising want for effectivity in intralogistics. “In comparison with manufacturing environments, warehouse logistics remains to be at an earlier stage of automation, providing substantial alternatives for AMR options. Whereas the principle development is anticipated in warehouse logistics, rising functions in hospitals and healthcare environments are additionally gaining momentum,” he explains.
Street to Automation
Integration of recent software program into legacy techniques could make some prospects cautious of recent automation initiatives. What’s Nick Craven-Smith’s recommendation to them?
“All companions within the automation and logistics sector should work collectively to make sure merchandise join, as a result of no single resolution in isolation fulfils a buyer want. It’s all about working collectively, whether or not {hardware}, controls resolution or AMR – on all one of the best initiatives we’ve had, everyone seems to be on board, the shopper stakeholders and ourselves. The IQ software program would possibly maybe be built-in with older legacy IBM I-series techniques, in addition to on the identical time an SAP in a special plan, and all that may be tied along with automation from each BOWE and third events.”
What does Wolfgang Wagner advise to these firms which may be nervous about embarking on the street to automation?
“We information our prospects step-by-step, addressing issues equivalent to worker acceptance, hidden prices, and system complexity. With trials and proof-of-concepts, we will present early insights earlier than transferring to full-scale deployment. As a full-service resolution supplier, we guarantee transparency by digital simulations and ROI calculations – giving prospects the boldness to make evidence-based selections and scale at their very own tempo.”
