Associated Wholesale Grocers has partnered with Universal Logic for multiple installations of Universal’s Neocortex® Robotic Pallet Sorter – technology that provides a revolutionary method for automated pallet sortation using AI-driven robots.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Universal Logic®, the inventor of Neocortex®, the longest-running AI robot control software in the world, has announced a deal for their fully integrated Neocortex Pallet Sorter in several distribution centers of Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG).
Designed for hands-free sortation, it uses an industrial robot, controlled by the Neocortex software “brain”, to distinguish between various pallet types: blue, black, red, and white wood, then separates them into homogeneous stacks. A single operator activates the system through a simple interface then moves on to other tasks, eradicating manual sorting. Throughput exceeds manual sorting, providing high accuracy while generating real-time data metric reporting. Additionally, floor space is significantly reduced. A pallet quality inspection module is available as an upgrade.
“The Neocortex Pallet Sorter is instrumental in improving our distribution supply chain efficiency,” said Richard Kearns, Executive Vice President, Distribution and Logistics of AWG. “Previous pallet handling required human judgment to sort the pallets. That is no longer the case. Universal’s software has resulted in greater efficiency, transparent real-time data metrics, and reduced costs.”
Neocortex has been in use for over a decade, with 280 million cycles in production, handling nearly every type of object that moves through supply chains – from manufactured components to consumer goods. Universal provides full-stack solutions for a host of applications, with the engineering know-how that comes from years of practical experience.
“Every seasoned engineer understands that achieving high reliability requires both best-in-class development and superb integration, borne from years of practical experience,” said David Peters, CEO of Universal. “Universal is ahead of the competition, in measure, due to our rich, nuanced insight that comes from tens of thousands of hours of effort delivering to satisfied customers.”
About Universal Logic: Founded in 2008, Universal provides full-stack automation solutions, used to mimic light-duty, semi-skilled labor on supply chains. The Neocortex software uses sensor data, sophisticated machine control, and inference derived from artificial intelligence, to handle high variability at high speeds. Underneath this broad horizontal software platform are silos of application-specific hardware, including pallet inspection & sorting, palletizing, and depalletizing, each picking, and decanting. For more information, visit www.universallogic.com.
About Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc.: Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. is the nation’s largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets, serving over 1,100 member companies and over 3,100 locations throughout 28 states from 8 full-line wholesale Divisions. The consolidated sales for AWG are $10.6 billion. In addition to its cooperative wholesale operations, the company operates subsidiary companies that provide real estate and supermarket development services, print and digital marketing services, health and beauty care, general merchandise, pharmaceutical products, specialty foods, and natural and organic products. For more information, visit www.AWGinc.com.