Integration

Integration with Customer systems is critical. In a typical installed system, one or more of these items will be present:

1. 1. Customer WMS/WCS/ERP systems.
2. 2. Robot Manager.
3. 3. External interaction, automatic.
4. 4. External interaction, manual pushbutton.
5. 5. Direct robot interaction.
6. 6. Customer wired network infrastructure.
7. 7. Customer wireless {WIFI} infrastructure.

WMS/WCS/ERP link
A link between the Robot Manager and the customer WMS/WCS/ERP system is required if automatic mission handling is required, typically with a minimum of manual involvement. Tasks are delivered, monitored and confirmed over a link configured for the specific WMS/WCS/ERP system in use.

External interaction
There will often be a need to interact with external devices such as production take-off, doors, pallet-wrap machines and a myriad of other devices. External interaction is accomplished with either an Automatic or Manual COMBOX. During the design stage of the system, it will be decided whether a fully automatic interaction is required (common for example with internal roller doors) or a manual push-button system is required (common for end-of-line take-off or packing). With a manual push-button, a human operator pushes a button on the COMBOX, which calls the next available Robotic Forklift Truck to that station ready for collection or deposit of the required materials.

Robot Commands
A Robotic Forklift Truck can take commands one of two ways; either completely automatically over a direct connection to the Robot Manager or via an on-board touchscreen HMI (Human-Machine Interface). As with the type of COMBOX required, the decision for the command style (automatic or manual) is made based on the type of material flow required and the level of manual interaction required.