Magazino, a German robotics manufacturer based in Munich, has announced plans to increase its robot fleet in clothing retailer Zalando’s logistics sites to a total of 57 Toru robots, which is reportedly the largest single order in the company’s history.
Toru robots are autonomous mobile robots (AMRS) designed to automate order picking processes, especially in e-commerce environments.
The AMRs are set to be deployed at Zalando logistics centres in Lahr and Erfurt in Germany and Verona in Italy. Specifically, they are intended to support the picking of shoes ordered online and the provision of sorting and packaging applications.
According to Magazino, Zalando last made a significant order for bots at its Lahr site in autumn last year. Magazino also claims that, after a successful suitability test , it will now roll out an additional 29 robots at Zalando’s sites in Erfurt and Verona.
All robots are expected to be delivered by the end of September 2022, with final integration set for Q1 of 2023.
Marcus Daute, director of logistics product and strategy at Zalando, said: “Magazino has already proven that its mobile picking robots greatly support our logistics processes in Lahr.
“They are in use six days a week in three-shift operation and thus cover the base load in shoe box picking.
“The current expansion of the robot fleet not only relieves our colleagues but also ensures that we can continue to offer our customers the best possible service in the future.”
Zalando has said that, after an initial project with Toru bots dating back to 2018, it has seen faster throughput times, a constant 24/7 flow of goods and minimised errors, even during busy periods.
