16/06/2022
Door Liam
Intralogistics specialist Dematic wins largest contract for autonomous mobile robots (AMR) in company history.
Dematic, with Dutch offices in 's-Hertogenbosch, has received an order for warehouse automation from retailer Radial Europe, part of the Belgian bpost group. The system integrator will deliver 299 autonomous mobile robots (AMR) for the logistics center of Radial in Groningen. For Dematic, this order for AMRs is the largest to date in the EMEA region.
Efficiency in logistics
The transport robots will transport boxes and pallets to the picking and shipping stations. Dematic will also supply 45 stations for order picking and packing. The system, which will be delivered in 2023, will enable Radial to process orders both faster and with minimal errors. This will allow the e-commerce retailer to further improve the service level towards customers.
With the integration of advanced robotic and AI technology into their warehouse processes, Dematic can help Radial improve efficiency, flexibility and future scalability to optimize the employee and customer experience. Dematic can deliver fulfillment solutions tailored to customer needs and continuously expand its solutions with new technologies. Radial benefits from Dematic's knowledge and experience, from concept development through installation and service.
At Radial, a major provider of omnichannel commerce technologies and processes, the nearly 300 AMRs are dedicated to the automated processing of e-commerce orders for women's clothing. Up to now, these have mostly been processed manually. With the new technology, the level of automation will be boosted significantly, making the processes more efficient. The system also enables Radial to anticipate changes in order volumes more quickly and flexibly.
Transport robots
The project consists of the delivery of three types of transport robots or AMRs, from Kion Group's (Dematic's parent company) strategic partner, Quicktron and the installation of 45 picking and packing stations. The AMRs move all pallets from the goods entrance to a buffer location, from there they are transported to transfer stations and the racks for order picking at the packing stations. The same process can also be carried out in reverse.
An AS/RS conveyor transports all boxes between the storage area and the picking stations, while a box elevator moves them from the storage location in the rack to the transfer stations at the bottom of the rack. The racking system has a capacity for about 65,000 boxes of customer orders.
Safety
One advantage of the AMRs is their operational safety. Sensors and cameras detect all obstacles and can reconfigure their routes accordingly. To complement this, the Dematic solution includes extensive control functions and software. This allows the AMRs to make adjustments easily and quickly during their operations.
The AMR solution can be installed both autonomously and integrated with other material handling systems. They work with advanced software algorithms that allow for independent order creation and efficient route selection. The system is relatively easy to implement and can be used within different environments.
Photo: Dematic