DSV Tests Robot in Pharma Warehouse
Storing and handling pharma products in a warehouse pose very strict requirements for cleanliness – and for documenting the cleaning processes. It’s time consuming, manual processes that the warehouse in Roskilde now aims to automate with a new robot.
Says Nikolaj Meyland-Smith, Director, Solutions Warehouses: “We are always looking for new ways to optimise our processes. The new robot will clean our floors and document the processes. It tells us in detail when, where and how the floors of the warehouse were cleaned.
“When we automate documentation of the cleaning processes, we will have more time to focus on servicing our customers: handling their goods and performing value-added services.”
Cleaning a warehouse is a process, which is similar in all warehouses. In time, using the cleaning robot across DSV warehouses can help free a lot of resources to focus on servicing the customers.
Said Jan Rudkjøbing, Manager, Warehouse Operations Roskilde: “We already have several other robots, e.g. for packaging of the pharma products and wrapping robots used primarily for display co-packing.
“We generally try to automate processes where we can, so we can spend our time as efficiently as possible. Automation is particularly relevant for pharma, because of the certification requirements”.
However, Jan Rudkjøbing and Nikolaj Meyland-Smith do not see the warehouses being fully automated in the near future.
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“We want to stay flexible for our customers and be able to service their needs, also when their needs fluctuate. Fully automating a warehouse is a cumbersome process that doesn’t happen over-night” explains Meyland-Smith.
“So we’re starting with the processes that can make a meaningful contribution to heightening the level of our services further”, adds Jan Rudkjøbing.
The cleaning robot will be able to clean 8,000-10,000 m2 per day, and the plan is to keep the robot running through the night, and when possible during the day.
Besides relieving a manual process, the robot also uses significantly less water and soap. The robot can accurately dose the needed amounts, for which reason it will also contribute to reducing the environmental impact of a warehouse’s operations.
Jan Rudkjøbing concludes: “We expect to use only half as much water as before and less than one third of the previous amount of soap used in the Pharma warehouse in Roskilde. That will definitely make a difference, especially considering the scalability possibilities for the cleaning robot.”
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