2022-11-21
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Mitsubishi Logisnext Co., Ltd.

Joint Demonstration of Automated Picking Solution Launched inCollaboration with Kirin Group-- Proposal of Logistical Solution for Manual Labor Dependency and Operator
Shortages in Beverage Warehouses -Tokyo, November 21, 2022 – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Mitsubishi Logisnext Co., Ltd., aglobal player within MHI Group engaged in logistic machinery and solution business, will launch joint
demonstration of an automated picking solution for beverage warehouses in collaboration with Kirin
Beverage Co., Ltd. and Kirin Group Logistics Co., Ltd. from the end of this month.
The demonstration includes establishment and verification of MHI’s automated picking system’s operatingprocesses at “LogiQ X Lab”. The demonstration facility is located within Yokohama Hardtech Hub (YHH),
a co-creation space operated by MHI in Yokohama. The ultimate aim is to install automated picking
solutions*1 developed by MHI Group in beverage warehouses, which typically rely heavily on manual labor,
placing a burden on logistics operators. The joint demonstration will continue through the end of June 2023.
Until now, warehouse workers have borne the bulk of responsibility for pursuing increased efficiency intheir picking operations. Going forward, with MHI Group’s automated picking solutions, automation andintelligence can be introduced into the picking process through application of the “ΣSynX” (Sigma Synx)
solution concept*2 currently under development by MHI. Optimized engines and an integrated controlsystem, all developed in-house, together enable efficient coordination of multiple automated guided
forklifts (AGFs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and palletizers*3. This results in fewer picking andtransfer operations, optimized picking processing, and higher throughput.
Within Kirin Group, automation is steadily being introduced on production floors, but logistics in thecompany’s warehouses continue to rely heavily on work performed by manual labor and use of manned
forklift trucks. The need to improve the work environment, especially through measures for picking heavyloads, and shortages of logistics operators, pose significant challenges. In the demonstration now
underway, AGFs, AGVs and palletizers are being coordinated under Kirin Beverage’s warehouse operation
conditions, and optimized control under ΣSynX is being verified in a quest to solve the challenges inherent
in warehouse distribution with optimal safety.
Going forward, through the coordination with Kirin Group in this demonstration program, MHI Group willcontinue to work to solve the diverse distribution challenges faced by the beverage industry.
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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Marunouchi Nijubashi Bldg., 3-2-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8332, Japan
Email: mediacontact_global@mhi.com
Brand Magazine: spectra.mhi.com

Kirin Beverageʼs core product lineup“LogiQ X Lab,” a demonstration facility at YHH

Notes*1: For details, refer to: https://www.mhi.com/news/22083102.html*2: ΣSynX is MHI’s standard platform for synchronizing and coordinating various types of machinery
systems. It consolidates a host of digital technologies that enable optimized operation by making
machinery systems intelligent.
*3: A palletizer is a device that performs automated placement and stacking of products, such as beveragecases, on pallets.

【Overview of the Joint Demonstration】■ Implementation period: November 2022 to June 2023
■ Demonstration site: LogiQ X Lab demonstration facility at MHI’s Yokohama Hardtech Hub (YHH)■ Items included in the demonstration:
・ Verification of MHI’s automated picking solution under Kirin Beverage’s warehouse operating
conditions
・ Proposal of areas of the warehouse best suited to automation or manual labor; establishment ofoperating processes
・ Proposal of equipment and system specifications for Kirin Beverage’s warehouses■ Major characteristics of MHI’s automated picking solution
・ Automated picking system centered on AGFs
In this fully automated work system, AGFs supply items removed from storage shelves to AGVs
and palletizers. After picking, finished items are retrieved by AGV and AGF and transferred tostorage shelves.
・ Proposal of the optimal equipment configuration through logistics simulation prior to system
adoption
Logistical flows are simulated prior to system installation based on Kirin Beverage’s historical
picking data. A proposal is then made of the optimal equipment configuration and layout.
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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Marunouchi Nijubashi Bldg., 3-2-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8332, Japan
Email: mediacontact_global@mhi.com
Brand Magazine: spectra.mhi.com

・Realization of optimal equipment coordination
AGFs, AGVs and palletizers are coordinated efficiently through use of MHI’s integrated
warehouse control system. The adoption of optimized logic responds to the customer’s needs
using the minimal number of palletizing operations.
<Conventional picking flowchart><Automated picking flowchart>

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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Marunouchi Nijubashi Bldg., 3-2-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8332, Japan
Email: mediacontact_global@mhi.com
Brand Magazine: spectra.mhi.com

###About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart
infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense.
MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions
that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world.
For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.

PRESS CONTACT:Corporate Communication Department
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Email: mediacontact_global@mhi.com

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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Marunouchi Nijubashi Bldg., 3-2-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8332, Japan
Email: mediacontact_global@mhi.com
Brand Magazine: spectra.mhi.com