CLS iMation, a company specializing in improving intra-logistic processes, has announced an expansion of its service portfolio through a partnership with German robotics company Magazino. The new addition to the portfolio is Magazino’s flagship product, SOTO, an autonomous supply chain robot equipped with sensors, 3D cameras, and the ACROS.AI operating system. The robot analyzes its surroundings, responds quickly to production needs, and learns to recognize the most efficient procedures for completing tasks.
SOTO is a solution that integrates into a 4.0 context, allowing it to safely support personnel and other solutions in daily processes within existing architecture. The robot can pick up, move, and place multiple containers simultaneously in the production chain. SOTO is fully autonomous and uses natural navigation, enabling it to move and avoid obstacles without requiring special infrastructure for collecting/placing in various production stations.
The robot’s rotating gripper can turn objects 90° or 180° within the robot, making it possible to place full containers on a shelf (e.g., along the long side) while picking up empty containers from the short side. The solution provides optimal handling of small load carriers of various sizes up to 20 kg, thanks to a smart gripping system that can handle multiple movements at once to move containers with different positions and heights.
CLS iMation emphasizes SOTO’s safety features, including laserscanners that enable the robot to navigate at speeds up to 2 m/s safely next to people and other vehicles. The robot slows down or chooses an alternative route as soon as it detects an obstacle nearby. The company claims that SOTO simplifies inventory management procedures, optimizes goods restocking, works 20 hours a day, guarantees efficient processes with significantly lower costs, and ensures a constant supply of materials to the assembly line, leading to a quick return on investment.
