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New Amazon Machines Can Pack 600 Orders Per Hour, Could Replace Thousands of Jobs

posted by Fnord666 on Sunday May 19 2019, @04:34PM   Printer-friendly
from the high-turnover-positions dept.

realDonaldTrump writes:

foxnews.com/tech/amazon-machines-replace-thousands-of-jobs

The machines, which were being tested in a few warehouses in recent years, are able to scan goods coming down a conveyor belt and put them in custom-built boxes a few seconds later.

The machines can pack up boxes at a rate of 600 to 700 per hour, or four to five times as fast as human workers, according to Reuters, which first reported the development.

Also at: Reuters

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday May 19 2019, @07:11PM (8 children)

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Sunday May 19 2019, @07:11PM (#845297) Homepage

    Machines such as those break down all the fucking time and often work poorly when they are in service -- ff you thought Mexicans were poor freight handlers then you ain't seen nuthin' yet. Amazon could earn brownie points by retraining their best unskilled workers into maintenance mechanics, it would be a perfect opportunity to learn skills and those workers would probably stay out of loyalty after having received free training. Because we're a good 20-30 years away from machines repairing each other. I worked in a printing press so I have seen everything that can go wrong with packaging-style machines.

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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday May 19 2019, @07:21PM (1 child)

    by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Sunday May 19 2019, @07:21PM (#845303) Journal

    The new machines, known as the CartonWrap from Italian firm CMC Srl, pack much faster than humans. They crank out 600 to 700 boxes per hour, or four to five times the rate of a human packer, the sources said. The machines require one person to load customer orders, another to stock cardboard and glue and a technician to fix jams on occasion.

    The machines don't have to be error-free. They just need to replace 25 workers with 3-5 or whatever.

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    • (Score: 3, Funny) by krishnoid on Monday May 20 2019, @04:42AM

      by krishnoid (1156) on Monday May 20 2019, @04:42AM (#845422)

      I bet they could save even more by standardizing on either glue *or* jam, without having to use both.

  • (Score: 2) by RamiK on Sunday May 19 2019, @07:25PM

    by RamiK (1813) on Sunday May 19 2019, @07:25PM (#845304)

    I worked in a printing press so I have seen everything that can go wrong with packaging-style machines.

    Unless you're typing this look-ma!-no-hands! using your nose or something, no you haven't: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/6537600/Fonterra-fined-over-cheese-machine-accident [stuff.co.nz]

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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by krishnoid on Monday May 20 2019, @02:12AM (2 children)

    by krishnoid (1156) on Monday May 20 2019, @02:12AM (#845387)

    Particularly with those shoes getting wedged in them all the time. Really tends to clog up the works.

    • (Score: 1) by redneckmother on Monday May 20 2019, @04:22AM (1 child)

      by redneckmother (3597) on Monday May 20 2019, @04:22AM (#845415)

      Really tends to clog up the works.

      I see what you did there...

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      • (Score: 1) by redneckmother on Monday May 20 2019, @04:28AM

        by redneckmother (3597) on Monday May 20 2019, @04:28AM (#845418)

        ... also, nice (subtle) reference to "sabot".

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  • (Score: 2) by Osamabobama on Monday May 20 2019, @06:31PM (1 child)

    by Osamabobama (5842) on Monday May 20 2019, @06:31PM (#845588)

    ff you thought Mexicans were poor freight handlers then you ain't seen nuthin' yet.

    Is that a thing? I mean, I don't associate Mexicans with freight handling, nor am I aware of any such stereotypes.

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    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 20 2019, @08:58PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 20 2019, @08:58PM (#845639)

      it's just the fast, half-assed way mexicans (in the US) do everything. they needn't be freight handlers to demonstrate this characteristic. they have to be illegal and still scared of being deported, though. the more americanized mexicans do a half-assed and slow job...