Improving prospects for automated handling equipment

01 Jun 2019 CW Team

Of the sectors demanding material handling equipment for warehousing, Chauhan observes that the ecommerce, pharmaceutical and food industries are doing well while the automative industry is going through a low.

Asim Behera, Chief Operating Officer, Daifuku India shares that, last year, the demand for fully automated material handling systems, the area Daifuku operates in, was lower than the double-digit growth in previous years, mainly coming from the paint, tyre, food and beverage sectors.

Automated material handling involves a number of systems. A typical warehouse of Amazon India spans 400,000 to 600,000 sq ft. In several such distribution centres, Bastian Solutions has provided about 1.0-1.5 km of conveyors and high-speed lifts with a 10-m reach, which have helped increase throughput from 10-15 warehouse bins per minute to 60-120 bins per minute. “What helps is that 80 per cent of the products that Amazon India deals in fit in the standard warehouse container size (600 mm × 400 mm × 400 mm),” explains Chauhan. “So while the actual picking of the product from the bin and packing is still done manually, the automated retrieval significantly speeds up operations.”

At an ITC warehouse in Trichy, rail-guided vehicles and 19 cranes are helping to store and retrieve about 1,500 finished goods at 20,000 locations. “We have helped the FMCG giant achieve a throughput of 250 trucks a day and remain on call to ensure the system is up and running over the 24-hour day,” says Chauhan.

Behera expects manually operated material handlers to see the highest growth rates in the current year, led by companies consolidating their operations to tap the benefits of GST. He expects demand for fully automated systems to come into its own when companies focus on increasing their ability to store and pick goods and improve their throughputs and operational efficiency.

CHARU BAHRI

"Join industry leaders at RAHSTA Expo, India's premier platform for roads, highways and traffic infrastructure. Register now to explore innovations, network with experts and shape the future of mobility."

Demand for sophisticated solutions, such as high-speed conveyors and sorters and automated storage retrieval systems, has been rising for the past four to five years as large companies look to work more productively and blue-collar workers become hard to find, says SPS Chauhan, Director, Asia & Middle East, Bastian Solutions. “We clocked 30-50 per cent growth in the previous year as against the industry average of 20 per cent.” Of the sectors demanding material handling equipment for warehousing, Chauhan observes that the ecommerce, pharmaceutical and food industries are doing well while the automative industry is going through a low. Asim Behera, Chief Operating Officer, Daifuku India shares that, last year, the demand for fully automated material handling systems, the area Daifuku operates in, was lower than the double-digit growth in previous years, mainly coming from the paint, tyre, food and beverage sectors. Automated material handling involves a number of systems. A typical warehouse of Amazon India spans 400,000 to 600,000 sq ft. In several such distribution centres, Bastian Solutions has provided about 1.0-1.5 km of conveyors and high-speed lifts with a 10-m reach, which have helped increase throughput from 10-15 warehouse bins per minute to 60-120 bins per minute. “What helps is that 80 per cent of the products that Amazon India deals in fit in the standard warehouse container size (600 mm × 400 mm × 400 mm),” explains Chauhan. “So while the actual picking of the product from the bin and packing is still done manually, the automated retrieval significantly speeds up operations.” At an ITC warehouse in Trichy, rail-guided vehicles and 19 cranes are helping to store and retrieve about 1,500 finished goods at 20,000 locations. “We have helped the FMCG giant achieve a throughput of 250 trucks a day and remain on call to ensure the system is up and running over the 24-hour day,” says Chauhan. Behera expects manually operated material handlers to see the highest growth rates in the current year, led by companies consolidating their operations to tap the benefits of GST. He expects demand for fully automated systems to come into its own when companies focus on increasing their ability to store and pick goods and improve their throughputs and operational efficiency. CHARU BAHRI

Infrastructure Urban

06 Jul 2026

ABS Marine Sees CRISIL Credit Rating Upgrade

ABS Marine Services has secured an upgrade to its long term and short term credit ratings from CRISIL, reflecting improved profitability and revenue growth through long term contracts. CRISIL moved the long term rating from BBB+/Stable to A-/Stable and revised the short term rating from A2 to A2+. The action signals strengthened financial metrics and operational resilience. The company benefited from durable client relationships with firms such as ONGC and Schlumberger. The rating decision followed stronger cash flows and an enlarged bank loan facility, which increased from Rs 3,705 million (m..

Infrastructure Transport

06 Jul 2026

Project BRAHMANK Marks 16 Years Of Strategic Roads In Arunachal

Project BRAHMANK is marking 16 years of work to establish strategic road and bridge links across Arunachal Pradesh, maintaining and developing 811 kilometres of roads and nearly 86 bridges that range from small culverts to large steel and arch bridges. These transport links are described as critical for ensuring year-round movement of defence personnel, equipment and essential supplies while improving everyday travel for people in remote villages. The project balances national security requirements with regional development by focusing on reliable access in challenging terrain. Notable enginee..

Infrastructure Transport

06 Jul 2026

Longleng CSOs Give One Week Ultimatum Over Two-Lane Highway

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Longleng district have demanded immediate restoration of the deteriorating Changtongya–Longleng two-lane road and sought a detailed status report on the stalled construction within one week. The demand followed a consultative meeting convened under the Phom Peoples' Council (PPC) to discuss welfare and development concerns. PPC president YB Angam Phom said prolonged non-maintenance had caused hardship to commuters and affected transportation, local commerce and the district's development. The meeting urged authorities to undertake immediate restoration a..