The Pharmaceutical Industry is Booming – Here’s How Industrial Manipulators Can Help
By the end of 2021, it’s predicted that the pharmaceutical industry will be worth over $980 billion globally. This is thanks to a year of medical demands for innovation in 2020, including the creation and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines during widespread shutdowns and global PPE shortages.
To contend with increasing expectations, there has been a growing industry-wide transition to digital technology. Paper processes are becoming obsolete, and tools like warehouse management systems and material handlers have helped pharmaceutical facilities around the world become more efficient.
To aid this overhaul, warehouse leadership and facility owners have turned to industrial manipulators to smooth their transition, keep their employers safe and save money on their bottom line.
Let’s first examine the current state of the pharmaceutical industry and then look at how industrial manipulators have made a difference for their facilities:
Challenges Pharmaceutical Warehouses Face
In the past year alone, the pharmaceutical industry has fought an uphill battle to stay on top of rapidly changing medical needs. And even now, as we close in on 2022, the industry is still working to catch up.
On top of the pandemic, the pharmaceutical industry has been hit with additional costs to support whirlwind manufacturing evolutions. At present, pharmaceutical industry players are finding it increasingly challenging to secure philanthropic funding. This financial strain has led warehouse leaders to search for flexible, reusable resources to accomplish more with less money spent in the long run. What’s more, organizations within the sector face labor shortages, supply chain delays and dangerously low working capital levels.
Overall, we anticipate a future in which there will be widespread implementation of automation tools to achieve the industry’s new goal: to focus on adaptability, safety and efficiency to meet the rapidly changing market conditions.
A Solution for Pharmaceutical Facilities
To meet these needs, warehouses needed a way to improve their process fast. This high-pressure industry can’t afford downtime due to employee injuries, unorganized inventory or storage issues. When these areas are overlooked, pharmaceutical companies may find their bottom line, company reputation and – most dangerously for the medical industry – product condition adversely affected.
And, as you may know, warehouse leaders of all industries are struggling to find adequate space – both to rent and to own. Proactive warehouses are thinking carefully about their picking paths and how they use their floor space to maximize productivity – and looking for tools that can help both.
With these objectives in mind, it’s no wonder why so many pharmaceutical warehouses have invested in industrial manipulators and material handlers.
What Industrial Manipulators Offer
Industrial manipulators have made a significant contribution to pharmaceutical warehouses (and facilities across all industries!) These materials can quickly and safely transport products such as bags, small and large drums, containers and rolls. They’re designed to lift, rotate, incline, position or transport items, boosting your production line’s efficiency.
What’s more, they can even be built to include customized applications – something especially appreciated by an industry with so many unique manufacturing needs and processes. These features could include pouring substances from a drum to a vat, stacking and unstacking products, moving products to and from a conveyor belt and handling unusually shaped or hefty items.
To combat a shortage of warehousing space, pharmaceutical companies have also taken advantage of how industrial manipulators can be designed for their specific height and width dimensions.
Beyond answering the demands of product handling, industrial manipulators have proved to be the safest option for pharmaceutical warehouse employees. Material handlers significantly reduce the likelihood of sustained injuries from repetitive motions by taking the physical strain off your employees. They can store and retrieve products on higher shelves, eliminating the dangers of dropping products on team members below. Plus, stainless steel manipulators repel bacteria better than any other materials while keeping your employees at a safe distance to avoid contaminating products.
Hand in Hand
Yes, we’ve spoken before about how industrial manipulators serve different purposes for different facilities, like foundries or warehouses manufacturing plastic. But we’re sure you’ll agree – the pharmaceutical industry has faced monumental challenges within the last year, and it’s been more critical than ever that these manufacturers have the machinery they need to provide the world with the medical treatment and equipment they need.
Dalmec has been proud to aid the pharmaceutical industry with durable, customized handlers that help facility owners and manufacturers keep up with these growing demands while keeping their employees and products protected. Our team of experts will work closely with you to design an adaptable, high-quality industrial manipulator built to last (one that will save you money in the long run!)
Contact our team today if you are ready to learn more about an industrial solution for your pharmaceutical warehouse. We’re here to help you find the answer to your material handling obstacles.