Which future technologies to reduce TMS in the warehouse? | RAJA

Operators with mechanised arms. Order pickers who talk to a robot assistant. Software that maps the movements of logistics teams. These are technologies that, in the past, would have made people think of science fiction novels, but today they are a fairly common reality in warehouses.

These technologies are all being developed with one aim in mind: to increase productivity, automate repetitive tasks that do not add value, and to reduce the number of RSI in the warehouse, all in order to provide operators with an optimal quality of work and to shift them to supervisory or quality control tasks.

Discover 3 new technologies that are working to increase the performance of a logistics warehouse by reducing the arduousness of certain workstations.CONTENTS

1. Motion capture, to detect and quantify MSDs
2. Exoskeletons, to reduce MSD related to handling efforts
3. Cobots, to take over from operators on high-risk tasks

1. La capture de mouvements, pour détecter et quantifier les TMS

Pour réduire les TMS dans l’entrepôt et accroître la sécurité des préparateurs de commandes, vous faites sans doute généralement appel à des ergonomes.

Garants du diagnostic de la pénibilité des tâches des opérateurs, les ergonomes établissent des rapports qui permettent aux logisticiens d’optimiser chaque poste de travail.

Or, aujourd’hui, les nouvelles technologies viennent aider les ergonomes dans ces diagnostics cruciaux pour réduire les risques de TMS. C’est le cas de l’entreprise HRV Simulation et de sa technologie NAWO Solution, qui proposent une solution innovante pour outiller et industrialiser les démarches ergonomiques de détection de TMS. La clé technologique de cette solution ? La capture précise des mouvements des opérateurs. Pour comprendre comment fonctionne NAWO Solution, nous avons rencontré Pierre Foubert, ingénieur d’affaires chez HRV Simula

• First of all, the operator is equipped with movement sensors positioned on each limb of the body, as we sometimes see them in movies or animation films. Thus, when he naturally performs his activity, a virtual avatar reproduces the movement on the tablet provided in the NAWO package.
• Then, our software calculates very precisely the angulations of each segment of the body, to evaluate the arduousness of the various movements made by the preparer. Finally, this software produces an automated ergonomic report, which targets the musculoskeletal solicitations and their exposure duration.

with NAWO Solution, we can finally know the real constraints that operate on the body of the order operatorsGrâce à cette solution, les responsables d’entrepôts peuvent désormais cartographier la pénibilité des postes de travail, en leur affectant une note objective de pénibilité. L’objectif est ensuite de cibler les actions ergonomiques à y apporter.

À la clé également, un véritable gain de temps : HRV Simulation constate en moyenne que ses clients divisent par trois le temps d’analyse ergonomique, avec une précision d’analyse inégalable.

“Nous avons misé sur la commercialisation d’un package qui rend les responsables d’entrepôt et ergonomes totalement autonomes face à la solution. Le résultat, factuel et automatisé, qui sort de notre logiciel embarqué leur permet réellement de miser sur une meilleure rotation des postes de travail, dont l’ergonomie est améliorée, ou encore d’éviter de mettre un opérateur avec un problème spécifique sur une tâche qui lui serait nuisible.”

Un package innovant de simulation de détection des TMS, qu’

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• Passive exoskeletons, which relieve the operators of part of the load, during handling operations for example;
• Active exoskeletons, which will make certain movements in place of the operators, thus enabling them to activate less of the areas of their body subject to MSDs.

exploding in the R&D departments of companies with huge warehouses, exoskeleton solutions are adapting to the diverse needs of the logistics world

• Some exoskeletons are designed for multi-skilled operators who move around the warehouse, for example during storage or picking phases. These machines, which are light enough to be worn throughout the working day, increase the carrying capacity of order pickers and thus reduce the risk of MSDs related to the upper limbs and trunk (back and shoulders).
• Others, intended for seated pickers, consist of attaching exobras to a seat. This exobra will hold the operator’s arm and give him a feeling of almost weightlessness, which frees him from the musculoskeletal stresses of certain repetitive movements. A practical exoskeleton for pickers at the end of the logistics chain, who are responsible for packing the final parcel, for example. The risks of MSDs of the shoulders and back are thus reduced.

although this new technology is attractive and becoming more and more affordable, it remains quite expensive for the time being. Expect to pay around €5,000 for an exoskeleton that assists your operators in handling efforts of up to 15 kg.

3. cobots, taking over from operators on risky tasks

Robots have been part of the warehouse for a long time now, in particular to lighten the repetitive tasks of certain order picking stations. However, it is only recently that the principle of the robot has been transformed into a new technology that could well significantly reduce MSDs in the warehouse: the cobot

Cobot: a contraction of the term “collaborative robot“, it assists the operator in his tasks, without delegating all of his tasks to him. The principle of the cobot is simple: it focuses on tasks with a high risk of RSI to enable order pickers to focus on operations where the human being retains real added value

a cobot dedicated to the packing station can, for example, take charge of packing the parcel itself. Working alongside it, the operator will remain responsible for checking the packing. We are therefore dealing with the idea ofgenuine human/machine collaboration, where the cobot is developed to suit the gestures made by the human. The cobot is truly the relay for the operator, who works hand in hand with this new type of assistance

The key to cobots is to reduce the risk of MSD for operators, potentially at all workstations in the warehouse

this isbecause, in addition to being custom programmable, cobots can also be reprogrammed at will, which makes them versatile. Thus, with a fairly high initial investment, logistics managers can modulate the use of the cobot according to the evolution of the warehouse’s order preparation processes

Will these 3 technologies soon be on the budget of many logistics and supply chain managers?

Have you ever seen demonstrations of innovative warehouse technologies? Share in the comments or send us suggestions of innovative companies to interview at socialmedia@raja.fr