Chinese E-Commerce Giant First Reveal Its Use of Forklift AGV in its Unmanned Warehouse

Abstract: Forklift AGV is first introduced in a fully automated warehouse in Nanjing owned by Suning, one of the largest e-commerce retailers. It can transport pallets between storage and sorting area, and collaborate seamlessly with the Tianji system, stereoscopic warehouse and other types of AGVs.

Suning unmanned Warehouse

It is reported that during 818 shopping event in 2019 (one of the largest shopping festivals in China), Suning tested its new unmanned warehouse in Nanjing Yuhua Logistics base. The result shows that their picking efficiency can reach over 600 pieces per hour, and commodity can be delivered out of the warehouse as fast as 20 minutes. This time forklift AGV from VisionNav Robotics is responsible for handling pallets. It is also the first time that forklift type AGV has been used in a Chinese forklift e-commerce unmanned warehouse.

Driven by consumption and capital, ecommerce giants all invest in unmanned warehouse

In recent years, with mobile devices popularization, online payment development, O2O retail penetration and the driving force of vigorous consumption, e-commerce business has is on its way to even more robust growth globally. Industry insiders predict that the global e-commerce total sales in 2019 will reach $ 3.3 trillion.

Global e-commerce investment and funding continued to rebound since 2018. With the support of capital, big data can accurately forecast the consumption, making it possible to deploy production and inventory of the goods in advance. E-commerce warehousing and logistics present a trend of pre supply chain. And e-commerce giants begins to increase investment in unmanned warehouses.

 

JD.com’s Asia No.1

Cainiao’s Future Park

Rebuild warehouse logistics scenarios to start a new journey for unmanned technology

The key focus ecommerce future development is to the reconstruction, experience and delivery of warehousing and logistics scenarios. At the launch of 818 conference, Yao Kai, CEO of Suning Logistics Group emphasized that "Suning Logistics have to become a logistics infrastructure platform driven by technology and efficiency." In the coming year, unmanned warehouses should gradually replace traditional warehouses. A new start for e-commerce logistics is coming soon.

Unmanned warehousing means there is no human working in the entire logistics processes from storage, placing on shelves, order picking, replenishment, to packaging, inspection, delivery. It usually consists of auto-stereoscopic warehouse, AGVs, shuttles, sorters, robots and other intelligent facilities. Unmanned warehousing can truly realize automated operations, operational digitalization and decision-making intellectualization. Order picking accuracy can reach 99.9% and delivery efficiency can be 5-10 times higher than traditional manual methods.

Suning’s Super Cloud Warehouse

Unmanned forklift AGV connects AS/RS and sorting robots seamlessly

After autonomous heavy truck Xing Long One, automatic vehicle Wo Long one, AGVs and drones, a new member has been join the automation army: unmanned forklift from VisionNav Robotics.

Auto picking at the end of AS/RS

Automatic scan and transmit information

Collaborate with other AGVs

Vision navigation unmanned forklift from VisionNav Robotics can pick and place goods accurately. This is because when combining spatial perception and strong algorithms, vision technology can help to locate precisely without making any changes to the onsite environment. Such forklift AGV can not only intelligently transport goods in large bulks, but also connect sorting robots and AS/RS. In addition, the integration VisionNav Robotics’ latest storage location monitoring system and central control system and Suning’s Tianji system also facilitate goods dispatch.