Right now, TRG is tackling a wide variety of robotics projects in Latin America. Here’s what’s happening, and why the rest of the world should be watching closely.
Here’s a fun fact about Fabian Audisio, our VP of Sales in Latin America.
Not only is he TRG’s recognized robotics expert; he’s also a trained classical pianist.
We all love to hear him play; but right now, Fabian and his team in Latin America are making a different kind of music, as they deploy nine separate robotics projects across four different countries.
Here are a few of the highlights:
“I don’t want to show you the catalog. I want to hear your constraints. Show me where the work backs up in your operation and our team can show you how to use robotics to solve the problem.”
- FABIAN AUDISIO, TRG VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES, LATIN AMERICA
The Places & The Projects
Mexico:
2 Automotive Production Projects
Both of these projects are housed inside automotive plants.
The first project handles just-in-time material movement. LiDAR-guided autonomous robots work alongside a karakuri system, which moves material using gravity and simple mechanics rather than motors, to deliver parts and components directly to the line. The robots cover the distance. The karakuri handles the last few feet without drawing any power.
The second manages production-line logistics in both directions. The project is designed and implemented so units from the same fleet can be configured to pull waste off the line or deliver the parts manufacturing needs to keep running, allowing for maximum flexibility.
“An automotive line waits for no one,” said Audisio. “If a part shows up late, the line stops, and everybody in that plant knows exactly who’s to blame, human or robot. We embrace that responsibility.”
Brazil:
2 Production/Warehouse Projects
Across two separate Brazilian manufacturing plants, TRG LATAM is automating the handoff between production and the warehouse.
The system features shuttle robots to move finished goods out of production and into storage. Meanwhile, a robotic Goods-to-Person system picks finished goods from the warehouse for outbound preparation. Together they eliminate some of the most critical bottlenecks throughout these facilities.
Chile:
3 Retail and Distribution Projects
Our three Chilean implementations come at three different points on the maturity curve.
The first is a major expansion of a Goods-to-Person picking operation our team has supported for years. This kind of expansion happens when a system has proved itself over time. The second is a renovation and upgrade of individual Goods-to-Person picking stations for another large retail operation.
The third project is one of the most complex we’ve seen: a sophisticated robotic sortation system combining dimensioning, automated barcode scanning and simultaneous sorting across two different robot models. It distributes product into two separate operational areas and manages 98 sorting destinations.
Argentina:
2 Automotive and High-Density Storage Projects
Last but not least, Argentina, where we are working on two very different projects.
The first puts LiDAR-navigation robots inside automotive production, transporting vehicle doors directly to the line. Doors are large, awkward and easy to damage. The flow is complicated, and the robots share floor space with both people and guided vehicles, adding a great deal of complexity to the project.
The second is a Four-Way Shuttle storage system that delivers AS/RS-class functionality using mobile robots. It manages roughly 11,000 pallet positions, which means pallets move and store without a single forklift. Four-way travel lets the robots run both axes inside the rack structure, so the building gives up far less of its floor to aisles.
Why Latin America is Moving Fast
Demand for robotics and automation projects in LATAM has exploded over the last decade — mostly out of necessity.
As e-commerce continues to raise customer expectations on speed and accuracy, labor availability has stayed tight. Warehouse environments across LATAM also vary enormously in size, age, infrastructure and labor model. And massive expansions of square footage are rarely the fastest answer to either problem.
Integrators working in these conditions have learned to design creative solutions around imperfect facilities as they exist right now. Audisio’s team has installed robots in facilities built decades apart, integrating with whatever systems are already running and phasing the work so teams stay operational the entire time.
“We almost never get a fresh building,” said Audisio. “There is always something there already, and it’s often running 24/7. One of the most important parts of our job is to make the automation solution fit the operation you have today, not to design for perfect conditions that will never arrive.”
The result is a portfolio spanning production-line logistics, Goods-to-Person picking, high-density storage, autonomous material movement and complex robotic sortation.
North America Is Next
Many North American operations face the same pressures and constraints as their counterparts in LATAM. Some may have more flexibility on footprint or total investment. Either way, they can benefit greatly from the experience Audisio and his team have amassed on the front lines of this work.
Right now, TRG operates service centers across the US, Canada, the UK and Europe alongside Buenos Aires and Santiago. In fact, we just opened our newest facility in Phoenix.
That means the team that just scoped nine projects across four countries in Latin America can easily scale to do the same work anywhere in the world.
Looking to get started?
Whether robotics is on your current roadmap, or you’re just trying to figure out where to start, Audisio and his experts are ready to help.
A first engagement usually opens with an assessment of the facility and workflow as they run today. From there it moves to a conceptual roadmap, a high-level look at ROI and a view of which solution architecture fits.
“The first conversation is about your operation,” said Audisio. “I don’t want to show you the catalog. I want to hear your constraints. Show me where the work backs up in your operation and we’ll show you how to use robotics to solve the problem.”
Let’s talk.
/ T H E A R T I C L E I N O N E L I N E
Right now, TRG is tackling a wide variety of robotics projects in Latin America. Here’s what’s happening, and why the rest of the world should be watching closely.
/ T H E S C O R E
Fabian and his team in Latin America are making a different kind of music, as they deploy nine separate robotics projects across four different countries.
/ T H E C O N S T R A I N T
“We almost never get a fresh building. There is always something there already, and it’s often running 24/7.”
/ T H E T A K E A W A Y
That means the team that just scoped nine projects across four countries in Latin America can easily scale to do the same work anywhere in the world.