Fast Radius Case Studies Building a next-generation materials handler with additive manufacturing

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	Building a next-generation materials handler with additive manufacturing Fast Radius

Building a next-generation materials handler with additive manufacturing

Fast Radius

Technology Category	Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems Other - Additive Manufacturing
Applicable Industries	Retail
Applicable Functions	Logistics & Transportation Warehouse & Inventory Management
Use Cases	Additive Manufacturing Inventory Management Warehouse Automation
Services	Hardware Design & Engineering Services Software Design & Engineering Services
Challenge	Bastian Solutions, a leading materials handling company owned by Toyota Advanced Logistics, was faced with the challenge of meeting the high expectations of today's shoppers for on-demand fulfillment. Retailers require innovative materials handling systems that can navigate tight warehouse and shelving spaces to fill orders quickly. They also need picking technologies that can handle a wide variety of product shapes, sizes, and densities without having to invest additional capital in multiple custom grippers for the picking arms. To address these complex set of problems, Bastian Solutions set out to engineer an improved solution. This effort resulted in the Bastian Solutions Shuttle System, an advanced, customizable electrical robot arm-and-shuttle combo that autonomously picks and moves a range of differently sized and weighted products. However, creating a new disruptive materials handler like the Bastian Solutions Shuttle System required Bastian Solutions to use a disruptive method—additive manufacturing. But without on-site 3D printing capabilities, Bastian Solutions sought out a partner that could help make their vision a reality. Read More
About Customer	Bastian Solutions is a leading materials handling company owned by Toyota Advanced Logistics. The company is dedicated to providing superior material handling and automation solutions to its clients. Bastian Solutions is committed to providing the best technology, quality, and service to their customers. They strive to innovate and create advanced solutions to complex problems. One of their latest projects is the Bastian Solutions Shuttle System, an advanced, customizable electrical robot arm-and-shuttle combo that autonomously picks and moves a range of differently sized and weighted products. This system is designed to meet the high expectations of today's shoppers for on-demand fulfillment. Read More
Solution	To create the Bastian Solutions Shuttle System, the company partnered with Fast Radius, a company with technology partners like HP 3D Printing and Carbon®. Fast Radius enabled Bastian to make a truly innovative advanced materials handling robot unlike any on the market. Nearly 50 percent of the bill-of-materials was made using additive manufacturing in Fast Radius’ Chicago factory. By using 3D printing for critical parts, Bastian Solutions can quickly scale the robot arm for its customers’ requirements. Once the adjusted design is submitted to Fast Radius’ Virtual Warehouse, the customer receives the additive parts in days instead of weeks or months. This helps customers get their new materials handling systems up and running with little interruption to their business. Additive manufacturing unlocked entirely new engineering opportunities as Bastian Solutions was designing the robot arm. It allowed for a more lightweight machine, increased energy efficiencies, a multi-faceted gripper, and enhanced protective parts. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems

Other - Additive Manufacturing

Applicable Industries

Retail

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Warehouse & Inventory Management

Use Cases

Additive Manufacturing

Inventory Management

Warehouse Automation

Services

Hardware Design & Engineering Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

Challenge

Bastian Solutions, a leading materials handling company owned by Toyota Advanced Logistics, was faced with the challenge of meeting the high expectations of today's shoppers for on-demand fulfillment. Retailers require innovative materials handling systems that can navigate tight warehouse and shelving spaces to fill orders quickly. They also need picking technologies that can handle a wide variety of product shapes, sizes, and densities without having to invest additional capital in multiple custom grippers for the picking arms. To address these complex set of problems, Bastian Solutions set out to engineer an improved solution. This effort resulted in the Bastian Solutions Shuttle System, an advanced, customizable electrical robot arm-and-shuttle combo that autonomously picks and moves a range of differently sized and weighted products. However, creating a new disruptive materials handler like the Bastian Solutions Shuttle System required Bastian Solutions to use a disruptive method—additive manufacturing. But without on-site 3D printing capabilities, Bastian Solutions sought out a partner that could help make their vision a reality.

About Customer

Bastian Solutions is a leading materials handling company owned by Toyota Advanced Logistics. The company is dedicated to providing superior material handling and automation solutions to its clients. Bastian Solutions is committed to providing the best technology, quality, and service to their customers. They strive to innovate and create advanced solutions to complex problems. One of their latest projects is the Bastian Solutions Shuttle System, an advanced, customizable electrical robot arm-and-shuttle combo that autonomously picks and moves a range of differently sized and weighted products. This system is designed to meet the high expectations of today's shoppers for on-demand fulfillment.

Solution

To create the Bastian Solutions Shuttle System, the company partnered with Fast Radius, a company with technology partners like HP 3D Printing and Carbon®. Fast Radius enabled Bastian to make a truly innovative advanced materials handling robot unlike any on the market. Nearly 50 percent of the bill-of-materials was made using additive manufacturing in Fast Radius’ Chicago factory. By using 3D printing for critical parts, Bastian Solutions can quickly scale the robot arm for its customers’ requirements. Once the adjusted design is submitted to Fast Radius’ Virtual Warehouse, the customer receives the additive parts in days instead of weeks or months. This helps customers get their new materials handling systems up and running with little interruption to their business. Additive manufacturing unlocked entirely new engineering opportunities as Bastian Solutions was designing the robot arm. It allowed for a more lightweight machine, increased energy efficiencies, a multi-faceted gripper, and enhanced protective parts.

Impact #1	Rapid manufacturing of custom parts: By using 3D printing for critical parts, Bastian Solutions can quickly scale the robot arm for its customers’ requirements. Once the adjusted design is submitted to Fast Radius’ Virtual Warehouse, the customer receives the additive parts in days instead of weeks or months.
Impact #2	Unlocking new product capabilities: Additive manufacturing unlocked entirely new engineering opportunities as Bastian Solutions was designing the robot arm. It allowed for a more lightweight machine, increased energy efficiencies, a multi-faceted gripper, and enhanced protective parts.
Impact #3	Significant project time and cost savings: Making almost half of their BOM with additive manufacturing not only improved the final product, but it also saved Bastian Solutions considerable time and money. By using Fast Radius’ manufacturing platform and team of application engineers, Bastian Solutions was able to design, produce and test over hundreds of prototypes in fewer than 20 months, cut two years off the project development cycle, and save $100,000 in production costs.

Impact #1

Rapid manufacturing of custom parts: By using 3D printing for critical parts, Bastian Solutions can quickly scale the robot arm for its customers’ requirements. Once the adjusted design is submitted to Fast Radius’ Virtual Warehouse, the customer receives the additive parts in days instead of weeks or months.

Impact #2

Unlocking new product capabilities: Additive manufacturing unlocked entirely new engineering opportunities as Bastian Solutions was designing the robot arm. It allowed for a more lightweight machine, increased energy efficiencies, a multi-faceted gripper, and enhanced protective parts.

Impact #3

Significant project time and cost savings: Making almost half of their BOM with additive manufacturing not only improved the final product, but it also saved Bastian Solutions considerable time and money. By using Fast Radius’ manufacturing platform and team of application engineers, Bastian Solutions was able to design, produce and test over hundreds of prototypes in fewer than 20 months, cut two years off the project development cycle, and save $100,000 in production costs.

Benefit #1	Cut two years off the project development cycle
Benefit #2	Saved $100,000 in production costs

Benefit #1

Cut two years off the project development cycle

Benefit #2

Saved $100,000 in production costs

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Overview

Building a next-generation materials handler with additive manufacturing

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit