Geek+, a developer of mobile robotics for warehousing applications, has partnered with supply-chain partner Körber to deploy more than 20 autonomous mobile robots for wine distributor Hawesko Group.
The robots will automate operations at Hawesko’s Tornesch, Germany, facility, where logistics service provider IWL has said it manages 20 million bottles of wine and champagne annually.
The deployment features 21 order fulfilment robots from Geek+ managing 330 shelves across an expanded 6,000m2 area.
This collaboration continues Geek+ and Körber’s longstanding partnership, which has now seen more than 3,000 robots deployed in 11 countries.
“Compared to the use of conventional automation solutions, the expansion in Tornesch proved to be the most economically effective solution, creating not only additional storage capacity but also the necessary freedom for future expansion,” explained Frederick Paulsen, project manager information logistics at IWL.
“Capacities for up to 100 additional racks, which corresponds to approximately 40,000 additional article items, are possible in the future in the existing space.”
The integration of advanced software and automation has reportedly boosted warehouse performance by 50%.
Körber’s digital logistics platform serves as the operational hub, with the Unified Control System introduced to optimise automated technology and enhance communication interfaces. This has led to more than double the pick performance in the expanded area, Geek+ said in a statement.
Michael Brandl, executive vice president of software EMEA at Körber, emphasised the growing importance of efficient e-commerce fulfilment processes. He noted that the combined WMS, AMR technology and UCS solution has delivered value for Hawesko Group through increased order fulfilment capacity.
