Kuehne+Nagel has introduced a new robotised order sorting system from Libiao Robotics at its multi-client Châtres warehouse, situated south-west of Paris, France. The new technology is designed to improve productivity, accommodate high volumes during peak times, develop collaborative technologies to support human resources, and reduce repetitive manual tasks.
Logistics provider Kuehne+Nagel is automating its Châtres logistics centre in the Seine-et-Marne region by deploying collaborative autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) supplied by Chinese company Libiao Robotics. Kuehne+Nagel claims it is the first third-party logistics provider (3PL) in France to use automate order sorting in such a way, and the first of its warehouses worldwide to be equipped with the technology.
Dedicated to fulfilling orders for customers in the eCommerce and fashion sectors, the Libiao solution "enables teams to maintain continuity of operations while remaining flexible and responsive, particularly during seasonal peaks or site changes", explains Christophe Vandrome, Contract Logistics Director at Kuehne+Nagel France.
The robots - nicknamed "mini yellows" by Libiao Robotics and its customers thanks to their distinctive colour - receive packed and pre-labelled parcels in their tilting platforms from warehouse operatives and transfer the parcels to the correct bin ready to go out for delivery. As well as saving time, the collaborative technology has led to a reduction in error rate, which is now close to zero, according to Kuehne+Nagel.
The integration of collaborative robots in warehouses is necessary, particularly in sectors where seasonal variations in volumes are significant. Robotic technologies are effective solutions for managing these fluctuations, not least because of their ease of use.
These collaborative robotic technologies "are designed to meet customers' needs while focusing on the well-being and efficiency of employees", adds Vandrome. “Our teams are delighted to have these robots, because they enable them to reduce the drudgery of logistics tasks and concentrate on higher added-value operations such as personalising parcels." The robotisation of the facility is also leading to the creation of new jobs and new skills in areas such as robot maintenance.
With around 50 Libiao AMRs, the Châtres installation was integrated by Körber Supply Chain, Libiao's global partner-integrator for the past three years. The solution is a further building block in a wider project to adopt collaborative, flexible and scalable technologies. In an initial, successful pilot project, Kuehne+Nagel set up a system of nine Libiao robots deployed as part of a Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) approach to help sort parcels, envelopes and goods. Thirty per cent of the orders placed during the last peak season were processed using the sorting robots during this first phase. The company has now gone one step further with a wider deployment of a new generation of robots to consolidate items by order.
