KNAPP shows what it means to be a technology partner for intelligent value chains at LogiMAT

At LogiMAT 2022, a leading intralogistics trade fair taking place this year between May 31 and June 2 in Stuttgart, Germany, the KNAPP AG is showing off their latest innovations for automating and digitalizing the entire value chain. Trade fair highlights: Visitors get the chance to experience cutting-edge robot technology and software cloud services first hand in hall 3 at stand B05.

KNAPP solutions are always tailored to suit the requirements of the industry they will be used in, comprising innovative technologies and ultramodern software. Equipped with KNAPP solutions, customers can gain a competitive edge and even extend it. As a technology partner, KNAPP offers the right automation technology, information and services for every step of the value chain.

Pioneering robots and software tools

KNAPP exhibits their latest generation of the Pick-it-Easy Robot, a powerful picking robot infused with artificial intelligence, presents the most recent developments regarding their autonomous mobile robots, the Open Shuttles, and shines a spotlight on AutoPocket, a novel pocket sorter system the public has not yet seen. Rounding out KNAPP’s trade fair portfolio are the company’s sophisticated software, which links all technologies to form an intelligent network of systems, and innovative tools for analyzing and optimizing warehouse operations.

Pick-it-Easy Robot: a picking all-rounder

Pick-it-Easy Robot is the right choice not only for automatic single-item picking but also if items need to be moved from pre-picked batch containers to overhead or sorting systems. This reliable robot station skilfully handles a broad range of items with different features thanks to its various grippers, AI-based object recognition and grip point determination.

PiE Robot can also be combined with Pocket Sorter – forming a dream team for peak performance. The Pick-it-Easy Robot fills sorter pockets fully automatically, opening up new avenues in the design of intralogistics processes. The combination of this AI-controlled robot, fast pocket sorter system and efficient storage system translates into a cutting-edge automation solution for e-commerce and omnichannel applications. The benefits for customers are obvious: This tech team can handle a wide range of goods, it automatically identifies codes and ensures high performance 24/7 all year round, meaning lower overall costs and error costs.

AutoPocket: fully automatic pocket sorting at full throttle

The new pocket sorter system can automatically and precisely drop goods off anywhere in the warehouse, without slowing down or stopping. Equipped with RFID technology, the solution is able to track all items at any time, ensuring the unique identification of and access to any item. Combined with Pick-it-Easy Robot, a fully automatic picking robot, AutoPocket offers intelligent zero-touch handling for high performance applications.

Open Shuttle: autonomous mobile robots boost flexibility in the warehouse

The Open Shuttles, KNAPP’s autonomous mobile robots, connect different areas within the facility quickly and efficiently, bringing goods, raw materials and components to where they need to be. The VDA 5050-compatible Open Shuttles can transport a range of different load carriers. The included software distributes the orders to the fleet strategically. A new addition to KNAPP’s AMR team is the  Open Shuttle Fork, a sturdy robot for transporting pallets automatically. Thanks to the robot’s special kinematics, enabling it to move around even in tight spaces, it can be used for warehouses of any size. Open Shuttle Fork is also suitable for integration into existing and mixed fleets, even if comprised of vehicles from different manufacturers.

The newest KNAPP fleet member is the Open Shuttle Store, which is a flexibly scalable automatic storage system including autonomous mobile robots. The solution’s sophisticated system design and modular construction allow it to be scaled, adapted and expanded as required with regard to the number of storage locations and performance. On top of this, Open Shuttle Store is installed quickly and put into operation easily. The autonomous mobile robots are controlled by KiSoft FCS, KNAPP’s intelligent fleet control system, which comes with an intuitive digital twin to simulate adaptations and applications. It only takes a simple click of a mouse to transfer the results to the real system.

KiSoft Cloud: cloud-based service platform making big data applications possible

KNAPP’s KiSoft Cloud is a comprehensive service platform that makes logistics operations future-proof. It bundles all the data and services and makes them available to customers in a single infrastructure. KiSoft Cloud saves all the operating data of one or more installations centrally, so all the data is in a single place ready for further processing. Using the data is easy, for a variety of applications. In addition, KiSoft Cloud supports a range of different AI applications such as machine learning, including deep learning for training neural networks. Hardware and software support, IT security, data security and interfaces between applications are ensured out of the box, regardless of the software or automation supplier.

KiSoft Analytics: making the right decisions for warehouses and supply chains with smart software

KiSoft Analytics is a tool that strategically analyzes and visualizes supply chain data. Benchmarks, long-term statistics and prognoses are a great help when it comes to making decisions about complex processes, detecting changes in the business early on or simply optimizing the supply chain. The logistics app for smartphones and desktops is perfect for executives, logistics managers, supply chain managers or operations teams.

redPILOT: efficient resource management

The redPILOT Operational Excellence Solution is a modular software solution that helps logistics companies optimally operate their logistics system during every hour of operation. It can be used in a variety of ways for sustainable resource management. The software module CMMS (short for Computerized Maintenance Management Software) supports the structured and step-by-step maintenance work during technical system operation. Further modules make enhancements to the operation of logistics systems including automatic employee scheduling and optimizations based on dynamic bottleneck detection.