Manufacturing logistics and procurement – October 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
L.E.K. Consulting has published an article about how AI is rewriting the rules of modern business. AI is revolutionising business by unlocking data, enabling decision-making and driving automation.
A human on-site could program a robot to optimise its performance, but researchers from MIT, CSAIL and The AI Institute have developed a more effective alternative. Their “Estimate, Extrapolate, and Situate” (EES) algorithm enables these machines to practice on their own, potentially helping them improve at useful tasks in factories, households, and hospitals.

Logistic Packaging reports
Modern Materials Handling has published its annual Pallet report of the US market, which examines the types and sizes of pallets that companies are using, mechanisms used to secure the loads on the pallets, and the broader role that pallets are playing in warehouse and DC operations.
The Third-Party Logistics Study by NTT DATA delves into the evolving dynamics of the supply chain reflecting the current challenges within the industry. The research highlights three areas: change management in shipper and 3PL relationships, AI, and the importance of the direct-to-consumer experience. You can download the report after filling in your details.

Advanced automation technologies in manufacturing
A JRC study (3.48 MB) published by the European Commission offers an overview of the advanced manufacturing industry in the EU. It sets out a quantifiable framework that can support policymakers in establishing metrics and benchmarks and monitoring industrial policy objectives. It presents an overview of the key advanced technologies applied to manufacturing processes, as well as a comparative analysis of the EU’s position with respect to foreign competitors, such as China and the US.
Tampere University researchers have studied the crucial role of advanced automation technologies, which collectively enhance food processing and packaging efficiency. The study (29.8 MB) is published in IEEE Access.
A study (771 kB) by the Shri Vashnav Institute of Technology and Science entitled ‘To Integrate and Optimize the Use of Programmable Logic Controller in Development of Horizontal Flow Wrap Packaging Machinery for Industry Needs’ is published in the Journal of Sustainable Development Innovations. The researchers found that the system is beneficial for the automatic packaging process using PLC and the process can be monitored and visualised on a display screen using HMI.

Soft grippers and vision robotics
In a study (2,98 MB) published in The International Journal of Robotics Research, researchers from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) introduce an innovative soft robotic gripper named ROtation-based Squeezing grippEr (ROSE). They optimised its unique wrinkling-based grasping mechanism using simulations. ROSE's soft yet secure grasp can make it a vital tool for agriculture.
 

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