How robots can help the pharmaceutical industry rejuvenate warehouses

A graph showing the 2016-2030 global pharmaceutical market size statistics.
The global pharmaceutical market will grow from 2016 to 2030, say industry analysts. | Source: Mushiny

In 2022, total revenue in the global pharmaceutical market reached $1.48 trillion, and it could reach $1.6 trillion by 2028. That market’s compound annual growth rate will be 6.12% from 2023 to 2030, predicted market research firms. Between 2023 and 2028, the pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow by 5.9% annually.

According to data and forecasts from Grand View Research and Fortune Business Insights, the global pharmaceutical industry will continue to grow steadily in the coming years. They said this trend is driven by technological innovation, an increase in the number of patients with chronic diseases, and an increase in global medical expenditures.

Mushiny Co. said autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) such as its T Series can help the pharmaceutical industry keep up with this growth. The Suzhou, China-based company makes customized systems for logistics and warehousing, as well as its iRES goods-to-person (G2P) and iRMS robot management software.

T Series AMRs include power management

Mushiny’s T Series is made up of two robots, the T6-800, with an 800 kg (1,763.7 lb.) payload, and the T6-1500, with a 1,500 kg (3,306 lb.) payload. The AMRs use a recently upgraded LFP (lithium-ion phosphate) battery equipped with a built-in heating element.

The heating system has a regulating function to ensure that the cell temperature is within the normal range, which ensures the battery is working normally at -20ºC (-4ºF). The battery also includes flame-retardant housing, consistent with the UL94-V0 standard.

The system’s battery management meets both IEC62619 and UL2271 standards. It has a comprehensive battery life of up to 6 hours and a single charge time of up to 1.5 hours.

The system also has built-in temperature and smoke sensors, obstacle-detection radar, dual electronic safety edge protection, and audible and visual alarms.

Mushiny offers multiple charging options, including two-step charging, charging pile, and negative electrode charging. It said these AMR features provide increased flexibility for its pharmaceutical customers.

Mushingy’s T6-800 AMR. | Source: Mushiny

Mushiny serves pharmaceutical customers

For example, Mushiny deployed 22 sets of AMRs and three automatic charging piles in a 1,300 sq. m (45,909 sq. ft.) facility in Kanto, Japan. The system handles 5,000 different SKUs and can count and generate custom reports based on specified SKUs.

In total, the pharmaceutical warehouse holds 15,000 items. The system also includes 440 of Mushiny’s storage PODs.

In a different Japanese deployment, Mushiny implemented 67 AMRs and 12 automatic charging piles into a 1,380-sq.-m area (48,734.2 sq. ft.). Users can configure the PODs and storage space as two modes: mixing and no mixing.

Because it is handling drugs, users have to strictly observe goods-storage rules. Mushiny said its software allocates the batch of goods according to the principle of delivery first to meet the quantity required for the order.


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Storage software offers increased flexibility

Mushiny claimed that its Intelligent Robot Execution System (iRES) and the Synall iRMS help customers build their mobile robot fleets.

First, the iRES software is designed to be modular so it can provide a full storage management suite, according to the company. It can connect with customers’ upstream systems, cover the whole process of orders, and improve efficiency in scheduling and path planning, it asserted.

The system also includes high-precision authority control, flexible configuration strategy, and simulation functions. It can support sequential picking and zoning emergency stops, optimize storage operations, and improve management efficiency, Mushiny said.

iRMS, on the other hand, is a fully self-developed and open full-scene, multi-robot, hybrid scheduling system. Mushiny said the system can easily manage mobile robots from different brands. It supports the European VDA 5050 interoperability standard and private protocols.

In addition, iRMS supports docking various automation equipment and third-party software. Mushiny said it also includes:

  • Hybrid scheduling capabilities: Synall’s multi-robot hybrid scheduling system can manage mobile robots from different brands, the company claimed.
  • Docking capabilities: Mushiny said it carefully developed its general protocol interface to connect with software including enterprise resource planning (ERP), warehouse control systems (WCS), warehouse management systems (WMS), and manufacturing execution systems (MES). This can help users integrate with Mushiny’s Miniload automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) while fully ensuring the data security and privacy of customers.
  • Flexible and fast deployment capabilities: iRMS has an intuitive user interface that can be quickly deployed to various platforms and supports hybrid cloud deployment, asserted Mushiny. It also has functional modules and support for task customization to meet a variety of non-standard requirements. The product’s “no-code” design promises flexibility for business process changes.
  • System stability: Mushiny also offers highly available clustering and cloud technologies ensure continuous system operation and expansion. The plug-in platform is easy to expand, supports secondary development, and realizes mixed scheduling in the full scene, the company said.
Written by

Automated Warehouse Staff