By Ulrich Schäfer, project engineer, Zasche Handling
Manufacturers today are navigating an increasingly complex balancing act. High-mix production, persistent labour shortages, and stricter safety and ergonomic standards are stretching both operators and processes.
Manual handling can no longer keep pace without risking fatigue or injury, yet fully robotic systems are often rigid, costly, and hard to adapt to changing part types. Between these extremes lies a growing opportunity for solutions that blend human expertise with targeted automation.
Semi-automated bin picking sits squarely in this middle ground. It offers a practical alternative when full automation would require disproportionate investment, yet manual lifting and handling exceed what is safe or sustainable over time. [Read more…] about The view from Zasche: Where human skill meets smart automation – the case for semi-automated bin picking