Automation: a key factor in sustainable intralogistics

Green awareness in internal logistics is not only about meeting the responsibility of reducing the environmental footprint of operations, it also represents a strategic opportunity for growth and innovation for companies. In addition, environmental regulations are becoming increasingly stringent, while consumers are demanding greener products and processes.

In this scenario, automation emerges as the key technology to achieve this sustainable horizon in intralogistics. How? Automated solutions are synonymous with less waste, less energy consumption, more savings and less human effort. At the same time, they make it possible to achieve higher product or service quality.

In this post we explore the various automation solutions that contribute to making logistics operations greener. For this, we address the different dimensions of sustainability.

How does automation drive green intralogistics?

To understand the scope of automation technology, let us remember that sustainability is a multidimensional concept, with 3 areas of focus: economic, social and environmental. Consequently, sustainable intralogistics comprises a set of business strategies and practices that seek to efficiently manage resources (raw materials, energy, water, etc.), reduce negative environmental impact, improve the working environment and increase control of the supply chain. Let’s now explore how automation acts on the three pillars of sustainable intralogistics

Economic dimension

Economic sustainability within intralogistics involves optimizing resources and processes to minimize operating costs. How does automation help? Through technological tools that enable companies to improve their profitability and increase their long-term competitiveness. For example, through the automation solutions that:

Manage materials efficiently.
They reduce energy consumption and associated costs.
Reduce labor costs.
Repair costs are reduced.
Real-time monitoring of production operations, order preparation or packaging, etc.

Social dimension

Automation in internal logistics processes is essential to increase operational safety, both to protect the company’s workers and to protect the communities that make up the physical environment of the plant or storage centers. In this area, automation solutions have the ability to:

Perform tasks that are dangerous, repetitive and boring for employees. This means that automation reduces the risks of tragic events and injuries.
Monitoring and controlling emissions. For example, systems for spectral monitoring of gases in cases of storage of hazardous substances. This protects employees from harmful exposures to their health.

Environmental dimension

From another perspective – the best known – sustainability applied in intralogistics focuses on reducing the consumption of non-renewable natural resources and reducing CO emissions2 . In this dimension, automated solutions can help to:

Reduce material waste.
Minimize energy consumption.
Optimize water use.
Reuse materials and packaging. And all this is achieved while improving business agility and adaptability. Automation solutions provide more accurate metrics, help prevent additional costs from operational errors, and facilitate data analysis to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. But… what solutions are we talking about? Let’s look at the main ones.

Green technology: sustainable automation solutions for intralogistics

Intelligent automation enables organizations to integrate ecological aspects into various key operations, such as raw material or product receiving, storage of materials or finished goods, order picking, packaging, etc. At the same time, it helps you ensure process control and maintain, or even increase, your profitability. Some of the most important technologies in sustainable intralogistics are as follows:

1 Automation solutions to reduce energy consumption.

These energy-efficient units are designed with smart technology and thermally efficient materials to control energy use according to the operating load. They are characterized by their ability to manage heat optimally, to reduce friction and, in general, to operate more smoothly. They are equipped with high-efficiency motors, with speed controls, automatic shutdown and energy recovery systems. These automated and eco-efficient solutions can be presented in:

Designs for general operations, related to the heating system or air conditioning system.
Designs to meet the specific needs of each company and sector. For example:
- Hanger counters are high-speed automatic equipment that ensure the traceability of textile and fashion products, eliminate human error and have low energy consumption.

2 Automation solutions that drive the circular economy

The circular economy is an economic model of production and consumption that has among its key principles the reduction of waste and the reuse of materials. The main technological tools that promote this green system are the following:

Automated machines are designed and manufactured with durable materials, minimizing the need for maintenance, parts replacement and repairs. This equipment not only saves money, but also reduces the demand for raw materials and the waste generated in logistics operations.
Automation solutions that facilitate the recycling or reuse of materials, reintroducing them into the logistics flow. For example:
- Automatic carton erectors and case sealers are packaging solutions that allow the second use cycle of cartons, since they operate with both new and used cartons. With this technology it is possible to use boxes received from suppliers for internal storage or for outgoing products.

3 Automation solutions to optimize resources and processes

Among these technological tools are mainly the following:

ERP enterprise resource planning software with inventory management module. This system uses historical data to forecast demand. This allows stock to be kept in balance, replenishment to be managed appropriately and seasonal demand to be planned. How does this help sustainability? In addition to enabling efficient use of the company’s capital. also:
- Helps reduce material waste.
- Optimizes the use of space, avoiding warehouse saturation.
Business Intelligence tools. These are softwares that are responsible for collecting and analyzing large volumes of business data, to convert them into strategic information, presented in a detailed and visually attractive way (maps, graphs, charts, tables, etc.). For example, Tableau, Microsoft Power BI and Qlik Sense.
They can assist in the analysis of data associated with warehouse energy consumption, waste generated or the life cycle of materials or products.

Social responsibility driven by internal logistics automation By implementing automated solutions, a working environment is created in which the safety and health of employees is prioritized. The advantages are as follows:

Reduction of occupational accidents

Automation reduces employees’ exposure to risky tasks. Machines and robots can handle heavy work, repetitive tasks and operations in hostile environments, minimizing the risk of accidents. For example:

The automatic case seal cutter, in addition to speeding up the opening process, makes precise cuts to prevent damage to the contents and eliminates the need for workers to handle blades and other sharp tools.
The case placer on overhead conveyors is an automatic solution that avoids direct contact of workers with the chain systems or moving gear points.

Improved employee well-being Intralogistics automation reduces the physical workload and stress on employees, allowing them to focus more on management or supervisory tasks. For example:

ERP software, which centrally manages each of the supply chain processes. This platform automates administrative processes, reducing the need for employees to perform repetitive and tedious tasks related to data management.
Smart AGVs are state-of-the-art automated vehicles that move independently in production or warehouse environments. They handle internal transport and lifting of goods, shelf reloading, picking, product sorting and code assignment, thus reducing physical strain on employees and preventing musculoskeletal problems related to repetitive and heavy work.