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Day: 13 May 2021

Riske: “KION better positioned than ever”

Posted on by Keith McKinley

At its Annual General Meeting, KION Group reflected on a financial year in which the Group managed to navigate the coronavirus pandemic in robust shape: “The KION Group has remained on course even through choppy waters. Our structure is resilient and we operate with a focus on the future,” said Gordon Riske, Chief Executive Officer of KION Group AG, in his report to shareholders. The encouraging results for the first quarter of 2021, published by the Group at the end of April, provide very solid foundations for the current year.

“Our KION 2027 strategy, our resilient financial position, and our flexibility in capitalizing on market potential are paying off,” emphasised Riske. “We are now better positioned than ever and remain on-track for growth.”

The CEO paid tribute to the hard work of the Group’s more than 36,000 employees in the last financial year: “The pandemic has also brought tremendous personal challenges and stresses for our employees. I am therefore all the more impressed by the extraordinary commitment of our teams. In a situation unlike anything that anyone of us had ever experienced, we all pulled together.”

Riske added that it had been an enormous challenge to keep the Group’s supply chains going in order to ensure that it was ultimately able to deliver to its customers. “And sometimes, we are still having to operate in difficult circumstances when we provide services to our customers, and when we install new systems and bring them on line,” Riske pointed out.

The Company always regards the health and safety of every single employee as its number one priority. In early March 2020, the KION Group developed and implemented a package of health and safety measures. Riske explained that these measures were adapted continuously to reflect changes in the course of the pandemic and new scientific findings.

Growing demand for material handling technologies

2020 also created opportunities for the KION Group: The boom in e-commerce coupled with automation technology in warehouse logistics boosted growth in the Supply Chain Solutions segment. Software-driven solutions for global supply chains proved to be an important stabilising factor. The Group’s structure with two strong operating segments, Industrial Trucks & Services and Supply Chain Solutions, has proven its worth.

“The challenges were – and still are – immense,” said Riske. “And yet we still managed to increase the value of our order intake by 3.6% year-on-year to around €9.4 billion in 2020. That is a new record for the KION Group. And our employees are rightly very proud of that!” Despite the pandemic, the Group continued to invest in bringing new products to market, expanding global production capacity, and developing the sales and service network, in order to ensure that the business is well positioned for the future.

Key trends: digitalisation and automation

In his report to shareholders, Gordon Riske also emphasised the significance of industry trends in the fields of automation, digitalisation, and energy. “We all see it, every day: The digital transformation and the increasing degree of automation are game changers in intralogistics. The acquisitions of Dematic in 2016 and the software company DAI last year have thus been tremendous additions to our business.” Riske expects that the trend toward fully automated warehouses will gather further pace. He explains that rapid, reliable, and efficient supply chains are the backbone of the web economy.

New energy systems were also a particular focus of research and development in the KION Group. From internal combustion engines to various types of electric drive systems and fuel cells – the products of the brand companies Linde Material Handling, STILL, Baoli, Fenwick, and OM, along with Dematic’s material handling solutions, offer customers the full range of drive technologies: “Our intelligent trucks, our data management, and our automated storage systems keep supply chains running smoothly all over the world – which is particularly important at the current time as we continue to live with the pandemic,” said Riske.

Sustainability is an integral element

Aspects of sustainability are having a growing influence on the way in which businesses are operated. In his report, Riske highlighted their importance: “We are taking responsibility.” The KION Group further developed its strategy in the past financial year with a focus on people, products, and processes, as set out in the recently published sustainability report.” We aim to be an employer where people feel motivated and recognised,” said Riske.

“Health and safety in the workplace is absolutely fundamental for us.” The KION Group’s products and solutions are highly efficient and could thus improve not only the environmental footprint of customers but also their safety. And last but not least, the Group’s processes have been designed in a way that limits their impact on the climate as much as possible.

Riske: “KION better positioned than ever”

Posted on by David Priestman

At its Annual General Meeting, KION Group reflected on a financial year in which the Group managed to navigate the coronavirus pandemic in robust shape: “The KION Group has remained on course even through choppy waters. Our structure is resilient and we operate with a focus on the future,” said Gordon Riske, Chief Executive Officer of KION Group AG, in his report to shareholders. The encouraging results for the first quarter of 2021, published by the Group at the end of April, provide very solid foundations for the current year.

“Our KION 2027 strategy, our resilient financial position, and our flexibility in capitalizing on market potential are paying off,” emphasised Riske. “We are now better positioned than ever and remain on-track for growth.”

The CEO paid tribute to the hard work of the Group’s more than 36,000 employees in the last financial year: “The pandemic has also brought tremendous personal challenges and stresses for our employees. I am therefore all the more impressed by the extraordinary commitment of our teams. In a situation unlike anything that anyone of us had ever experienced, we all pulled together.”

Riske added that it had been an enormous challenge to keep the Group’s supply chains going in order to ensure that it was ultimately able to deliver to its customers. “And sometimes, we are still having to operate in difficult circumstances when we provide services to our customers, and when we install new systems and bring them on line,” Riske pointed out.

The Company always regards the health and safety of every single employee as its number one priority. In early March 2020, the KION Group developed and implemented a package of health and safety measures. Riske explained that these measures were adapted continuously to reflect changes in the course of the pandemic and new scientific findings.

Growing demand for material handling technologies

2020 also created opportunities for the KION Group: The boom in e-commerce coupled with automation technology in warehouse logistics boosted growth in the Supply Chain Solutions segment. Software-driven solutions for global supply chains proved to be an important stabilising factor. The Group’s structure with two strong operating segments, Industrial Trucks & Services and Supply Chain Solutions, has proven its worth.

“The challenges were – and still are – immense,” said Riske. “And yet we still managed to increase the value of our order intake by 3.6% year-on-year to around €9.4 billion in 2020. That is a new record for the KION Group. And our employees are rightly very proud of that!” Despite the pandemic, the Group continued to invest in bringing new products to market, expanding global production capacity, and developing the sales and service network, in order to ensure that the business is well positioned for the future.

Key trends: digitalisation and automation

In his report to shareholders, Gordon Riske also emphasised the significance of industry trends in the fields of automation, digitalisation, and energy. “We all see it, every day: The digital transformation and the increasing degree of automation are game changers in intralogistics. The acquisitions of Dematic in 2016 and the software company DAI last year have thus been tremendous additions to our business.” Riske expects that the trend toward fully automated warehouses will gather further pace. He explains that rapid, reliable, and efficient supply chains are the backbone of the web economy.

New energy systems were also a particular focus of research and development in the KION Group. From internal combustion engines to various types of electric drive systems and fuel cells – the products of the brand companies Linde Material Handling, STILL, Baoli, Fenwick, and OM, along with Dematic’s material handling solutions, offer customers the full range of drive technologies: “Our intelligent trucks, our data management, and our automated storage systems keep supply chains running smoothly all over the world – which is particularly important at the current time as we continue to live with the pandemic,” said Riske.

Sustainability is an integral element

Aspects of sustainability are having a growing influence on the way in which businesses are operated. In his report, Riske highlighted their importance: “We are taking responsibility.” The KION Group further developed its strategy in the past financial year with a focus on people, products, and processes, as set out in the recently published sustainability report.” We aim to be an employer where people feel motivated and recognised,” said Riske.

“Health and safety in the workplace is absolutely fundamental for us.” The KION Group’s products and solutions are highly efficient and could thus improve not only the environmental footprint of customers but also their safety. And last but not least, the Group’s processes have been designed in a way that limits their impact on the climate as much as possible.

Survey: e-commerce consumers have high delivery expectations

Posted on by David Priestman

GreyOrange, a global software provider that leverages artificial intelligence, machine learning and smart robots to optimise fulfilment operations, has revealed the results of a new survey which shows that almost half (45%) of consumers across EMEA expect online orders to be delivered within two days.

The survey, which polled 1,500 consumers from the U.K. and Benelux, found that the pandemic has accelerated consumers’ demand for immediacy when it comes to delivery options, and that poor and slow delivery options are impacting their choice of retailer. Almost half (49%) of the respondents agree that shipping and delivery options are factors they consider when making a purchasing decision, with the 45% claiming they expect their order to arrive within two days.

More than half of the consumers (57%) stated that three late orders would be enough to put them off purchasing from the same retailer again. Yet, despite this 22% of consumers stated that up to three-quarters of their online orders were delivered late last year.

With four-in-five (79%) consumers shifting the majority of their shopping to online during the pandemic, and almost half (45%) claiming they expect to keep their shopping online post-pandemic, these findings emphasise the importance of fast and efficient fulfilment as retailers look to kickstart their post-pandemic survival.

Terrie O’Hanlon, Chief Marketing Officer GreyOrange, said: “These survey results emphasise the importance of fast and efficient fulfilment operations. Consumers are spoilt for choice when it comes to making a purchase, with an abundance of different retailers all able to deliver to them the same, or similar, products.

“This means offering a strong customer experience, which includes delivery options that meet the customer’s expectation, is an even more important factor for retailers to consider as they look to retain current customers and attract new ones.”

“Retailers need to have a resilient and agile fulfilment operation in place that enables them to pivot seamlessly between channels to meet consumer demand – whether that be in-store, online, or a mix with buy-online, pick-up in-store or at-curb or at-locker. Without this, the data suggests retailers will be simply be left behind,” O’Hanlon added.

Survey: e-commerce consumers have high delivery expectations

Posted on by Keith McKinley

GreyOrange, a global software provider that leverages artificial intelligence, machine learning and smart robots to optimise fulfilment operations, has revealed the results of a new survey which shows that almost half (45%) of consumers across EMEA expect online orders to be delivered within two days.

The survey, which polled 1,500 consumers from the U.K. and Benelux, found that the pandemic has accelerated consumers’ demand for immediacy when it comes to delivery options, and that poor and slow delivery options are impacting their choice of retailer. Almost half (49%) of the respondents agree that shipping and delivery options are factors they consider when making a purchasing decision, with the 45% claiming they expect their order to arrive within two days.

More than half of the consumers (57%) stated that three late orders would be enough to put them off purchasing from the same retailer again. Yet, despite this 22% of consumers stated that up to three-quarters of their online orders were delivered late last year.

With four-in-five (79%) consumers shifting the majority of their shopping to online during the pandemic, and almost half (45%) claiming they expect to keep their shopping online post-pandemic, these findings emphasise the importance of fast and efficient fulfilment as retailers look to kickstart their post-pandemic survival.

Terrie O’Hanlon, Chief Marketing Officer GreyOrange, said: “These survey results emphasise the importance of fast and efficient fulfilment operations. Consumers are spoilt for choice when it comes to making a purchase, with an abundance of different retailers all able to deliver to them the same, or similar, products.

“This means offering a strong customer experience, which includes delivery options that meet the customer’s expectation, is an even more important factor for retailers to consider as they look to retain current customers and attract new ones.”

“Retailers need to have a resilient and agile fulfilment operation in place that enables them to pivot seamlessly between channels to meet consumer demand – whether that be in-store, online, or a mix with buy-online, pick-up in-store or at-curb or at-locker. Without this, the data suggests retailers will be simply be left behind,” O’Hanlon added.

Cargo up 72% at Brussels Airport

Posted on by David Priestman

Cargo traffic through Brussels Airport in April 2021 continued its strong growth, with a 72% increase on the same period in 2020. But it handled only 250,065 passengers, down 89% on April 2019. This very low number is due to the ban on non-essential travel which remained in effect until 18th April and the array of travel restrictions and conditions.

The very good start of the year with strong growth in cargo volumes continued and even accelerated through April, largely due to the high demand for air cargo across Europe.

Contrary to the passenger figures, cargo volumes compared to the 2020 figures as the COVID pandemic has had only a limited impact on 2020 volumes.

The growth of air freight compared to 2020 is remarkable in all segments, in the integrator segment (+ 55), the full-freighter segment (+59%) and even in belly cargo, which rebounded from very low volumes in April 2020 (+492%).

In the full-freighter segment, Brussels Airport records general growth in the activities of all existing clients. Four new cargo carriers have come to strengthen the logistics platform at Brussels Airport by opening new routes to Asia: Azul, Japan Airlines, SpiceJet and China Central Longhao Airlines. The activity in the integrator segment structurally remains at a higher level than in previous years thanks to the strong increase in online purchases.

Import and export volumes have increased, especially inbound volumes coming from Asia and North America.

Covid-19 vaccine shipments to and from Brussels Airport continue, with several tens of millions of vaccines handled at Brussels Airport to this day, making Brussels Airport an important hub in the global distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.

Passenger traffic down by 89%

250,065 passengers passed through Brussels Airport in April, a decrease of 89% compared to April 2019. Although this is a very poor number, it is slightly higher than the number of passengers recorded in February and March 2021. After the ban on non-essential travel was lifted on 19th April, passenger traffic at Brussels Airport picked up in the second half of the month, a trend that is expected to continue through May.

However, the array of conditions imposed on travellers, e.g. testing and especially the quarantine requirements for travellers returning from a red zone, as well as the fact that several countries refuse travellers, have a negative impact on passenger numbers.

Passenger numbers are compared to those of 2019 because, in April 2020, Belgium was on lockdown and the number of passengers was limited to a minimum because of the travel ban. As a result, the number of passengers recorded in April 2020 was already much lower than it would have been in normal times (17,042 in 2020 compared to nearly 2.3 million in 2019).

In April 2021, 25% of the passengers were transfer passengers, thanks to the network operated by Brussels Airlines and its partner airlines between North America, Europe and Africa. The share of intercontinental passengers is again at a high level of 30%. The majority are transfer passengers and passengers who travel for essential reasons. The travel ban imposed by the Moroccan government on the other hand will continue to have a negative impact until the 10th of June at best.

Flight movements

The total number of flight movements decreased by 70% in April 2021 (5,879 movements compared to 19,710 movements in pre-COVID April 2019). The number of passenger flights decreased by 83%. The average number of passengers per flight was 85.

The number of full-freighter flights remains well above the level forecast for 2020, with a high number of additional flights operated with passenger aircraft used to carry cargo only. Proportionally, there is no increase in night flights or the use of noisy wide bodies. Several airlines continue to use these aircraft to provide additional cargo capacity to compensate partially for the loss of belly capacity on normal passenger flights.

Cargo up 72% at Brussels Airport

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Cargo traffic through Brussels Airport in April 2021 continued its strong growth, with a 72% increase on the same period in 2020. But it handled only 250,065 passengers, down 89% on April 2019. This very low number is due to the ban on non-essential travel which remained in effect until 18th April and the array of travel restrictions and conditions.

The very good start of the year with strong growth in cargo volumes continued and even accelerated through April, largely due to the high demand for air cargo across Europe.

Contrary to the passenger figures, cargo volumes compared to the 2020 figures as the COVID pandemic has had only a limited impact on 2020 volumes.

The growth of air freight compared to 2020 is remarkable in all segments, in the integrator segment (+ 55), the full-freighter segment (+59%) and even in belly cargo, which rebounded from very low volumes in April 2020 (+492%).

In the full-freighter segment, Brussels Airport records general growth in the activities of all existing clients. Four new cargo carriers have come to strengthen the logistics platform at Brussels Airport by opening new routes to Asia: Azul, Japan Airlines, SpiceJet and China Central Longhao Airlines. The activity in the integrator segment structurally remains at a higher level than in previous years thanks to the strong increase in online purchases.

Import and export volumes have increased, especially inbound volumes coming from Asia and North America.

Covid-19 vaccine shipments to and from Brussels Airport continue, with several tens of millions of vaccines handled at Brussels Airport to this day, making Brussels Airport an important hub in the global distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.

Passenger traffic down by 89%

250,065 passengers passed through Brussels Airport in April, a decrease of 89% compared to April 2019. Although this is a very poor number, it is slightly higher than the number of passengers recorded in February and March 2021. After the ban on non-essential travel was lifted on 19th April, passenger traffic at Brussels Airport picked up in the second half of the month, a trend that is expected to continue through May.

However, the array of conditions imposed on travellers, e.g. testing and especially the quarantine requirements for travellers returning from a red zone, as well as the fact that several countries refuse travellers, have a negative impact on passenger numbers.

Passenger numbers are compared to those of 2019 because, in April 2020, Belgium was on lockdown and the number of passengers was limited to a minimum because of the travel ban. As a result, the number of passengers recorded in April 2020 was already much lower than it would have been in normal times (17,042 in 2020 compared to nearly 2.3 million in 2019).

In April 2021, 25% of the passengers were transfer passengers, thanks to the network operated by Brussels Airlines and its partner airlines between North America, Europe and Africa. The share of intercontinental passengers is again at a high level of 30%. The majority are transfer passengers and passengers who travel for essential reasons. The travel ban imposed by the Moroccan government on the other hand will continue to have a negative impact until the 10th of June at best.

Flight movements

The total number of flight movements decreased by 70% in April 2021 (5,879 movements compared to 19,710 movements in pre-COVID April 2019). The number of passenger flights decreased by 83%. The average number of passengers per flight was 85.

The number of full-freighter flights remains well above the level forecast for 2020, with a high number of additional flights operated with passenger aircraft used to carry cargo only. Proportionally, there is no increase in night flights or the use of noisy wide bodies. Several airlines continue to use these aircraft to provide additional cargo capacity to compensate partially for the loss of belly capacity on normal passenger flights.

Wooden pallet industry sets sustainability goals

Posted on by David Priestman

European manufacturers of wooden pallets and packaging are working towards setting targets for their use of sustainable, certified timber within the next few months, according to the European Federation of Wooden Pallet & Packaging Manufacturers (FEFPEB). The move is one of the next steps in the organisation’s initiative to increase usage of certified wood and highlight the sector’s sustainable and environmentally friendly credentials.

At FEFPEB’s spring meeting, held online at the end of April, Secretary General Fons Ceelaert (pictured) said following a successful pilot scheme with PEFC in the Netherlands, FEFPEB is now defining a strategy through its working group on sustainability and certification.

The goals will be set with the help of national associations across Europe. They will focus initially on manufacturing (not repair) and will vary according to awareness of sustainability issues and the market dynamics of different countries.

“Working closely with our national member associations, we are looking to ascertain how much certified wood is currently used to manufacture pallets and packaging and together set ambitious but realistic targets. The industry is already well on the way to using mainly certified timber, but we intend to accelerate this trend,” said Ceelaert.

“Our aim is to ensure we have an increasing trend across our membership so we can demonstrate clearly the environmental credentials of our business, in the same way as the B2C sector is doing already.” He added that the next step would be to set concrete European targets.

There followed a presentation on the opportunities and threats to the wooden packaging industry of the New Circular Economy Action Plan (NCEAP), led by Roeland Moens, member of the FEFPEB Executive Committee and Chairman of FEFPEB’s pallet pools section. Moens detailed the main changes in progress under the Sustainable Product Initiative – which aims to ensure the high environmental credentials of all products on the EU market – and the forthcoming legislation under the Packaging Waste Directive in quarter 4 of 2021. He stated that FEFPEB has been proactive in representing the industry in both processes.

Two sessions during the meeting focused on the exceptional and worsening availability and prices in global raw materials markets.

Sampsa Auvinen, President EOS and elected President CEI Bois 2021-2022 highlighted a Russian ban on log exports which will start on 1st January, 2022 and is expected to cause ‘aggressive’ competition for other sources of logs, particularly from buyers in China, making an already difficult global wood supply situation worse. This, combined with ongoing factors such as the bark beetle outbreak in central Europe, an imbalance in the movement of shipping containers, and general international pressure on availability, will likely keep prices high for the foreseeable future.

Alessandro Sciamarelli, Director of Market Analysis and Economic Studies at EUROFER, which represents the European steel industry, outlined the continuing availability issues and price rises in this raw material, which is another key input into the wooden pallet and packaging industry.

Brent J McClendon, President and CEO of NWPCA in the US gave a presentation to the meeting on how collaboration across the international wooden packaging sector – including through the Global Wood Packaging Forum – was progressing its common goals on issues such as the environment.

Other presentations during FEFPEB’s three-hour meeting included:

  • ISPM15 implementation status in FEFPEB’s member countries, compiled as part of its submission to the EU on the harmonisation of the standard, focusing on pallet repair, re-heat treatment and marking rules.
  • Developments in the lightweight packaging market by Olivier de Lagausie, secretary general of SEIL/GROW (France), including environmental and hygiene credentials.
  • FEFPEB updates including European statistics, finances and composition of its Executive Committee.

Wooden pallet industry sets sustainability goals

Posted on by David Priestman

European manufacturers of wooden pallets and packaging are working towards setting targets for their use of sustainable, certified timber within the next few months, according to the European Federation of Wooden Pallet & Packaging Manufacturers (FEFPEB). The move is one of the next steps in the organisation’s initiative to increase usage of certified wood and highlight the sector’s sustainable and environmentally friendly credentials.

At FEFPEB’s spring meeting, held online at the end of April, Secretary General Fons Ceelaert (pictured) said following a successful pilot scheme with PEFC in the Netherlands, FEFPEB is now defining a strategy through its working group on sustainability and certification.

The goals will be set with the help of national associations across Europe. They will focus initially on manufacturing (not repair) and will vary according to awareness of sustainability issues and the market dynamics of different countries.

“Working closely with our national member associations, we are looking to ascertain how much certified wood is currently used to manufacture pallets and packaging and together set ambitious but realistic targets. The industry is already well on the way to using mainly certified timber, but we intend to accelerate this trend,” said Ceelaert.

“Our aim is to ensure we have an increasing trend across our membership so we can demonstrate clearly the environmental credentials of our business, in the same way as the B2C sector is doing already.” He added that the next step would be to set concrete European targets.

There followed a presentation on the opportunities and threats to the wooden packaging industry of the New Circular Economy Action Plan (NCEAP), led by Roeland Moens, member of the FEFPEB Executive Committee and Chairman of FEFPEB’s pallet pools section. Moens detailed the main changes in progress under the Sustainable Product Initiative – which aims to ensure the high environmental credentials of all products on the EU market – and the forthcoming legislation under the Packaging Waste Directive in quarter 4 of 2021. He stated that FEFPEB has been proactive in representing the industry in both processes.

Two sessions during the meeting focused on the exceptional and worsening availability and prices in global raw materials markets.

Sampsa Auvinen, President EOS and elected President CEI Bois 2021-2022 highlighted a Russian ban on log exports which will start on 1st January, 2022 and is expected to cause ‘aggressive’ competition for other sources of logs, particularly from buyers in China, making an already difficult global wood supply situation worse. This, combined with ongoing factors such as the bark beetle outbreak in central Europe, an imbalance in the movement of shipping containers, and general international pressure on availability, will likely keep prices high for the foreseeable future.

Alessandro Sciamarelli, Director of Market Analysis and Economic Studies at EUROFER, which represents the European steel industry, outlined the continuing availability issues and price rises in this raw material, which is another key input into the wooden pallet and packaging industry.

Brent J McClendon, President and CEO of NWPCA in the US gave a presentation to the meeting on how collaboration across the international wooden packaging sector – including through the Global Wood Packaging Forum – was progressing its common goals on issues such as the environment.

Other presentations during FEFPEB’s three-hour meeting included:

  • ISPM15 implementation status in FEFPEB’s member countries, compiled as part of its submission to the EU on the harmonisation of the standard, focusing on pallet repair, re-heat treatment and marking rules.
  • Developments in the lightweight packaging market by Olivier de Lagausie, secretary general of SEIL/GROW (France), including environmental and hygiene credentials.
  • FEFPEB updates including European statistics, finances and composition of its Executive Committee.

RMGroup partners with ASTI Mobile Robotics

Posted on by David Priestman

Robotics and automation specialist RMGroup has announced a distributor partnership with ASTI Mobile Robotics, a leading European manufacturer of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). The move will see RMGroup include AGVs and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in its extensive product portfolio of packaging machinery and robotic automation solutions.

ASTI Mobile Robotics Group, with offices in Spain, Germany, France and United States, provides automated intralogistics solutions for large manufacturers, helping them to optimise productivity, streamlining production processes and cutting operational costs.

The company specialises in the engineering of Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs), serving global blue-chip customers across a wide range of sectors, including automotive, aerospace, food, e-commerce, pharmaceutical and cosmetics. As part of its commitment to excellence and continuous improvement of its products and services, ASTI Mobile Robotics invests heavily in research and development year after year.

Having recently become the first integrator in the UK to be accredited under the RIA/BARA Robot Integrators’ Certification Scheme, the RMGroup supplies and manufactures a wide range of manual and automated packaging systems, including manual bagging machines, weighing systems, robot palletising systems, bulk filling and material handling systems, as well as supplying high-speed form fill and seal packaging lines.

Operating in the food & beverage, horticultural, aggregates, chemicals and agricultural industries, the company’s partnership with ASTI Mobile Robotics will provide a complementary offering.

Commenting on the partnership, RMGroup’s Rosie Davies, said: “Becoming a partner of ASTI Mobile Robotics provides a natural extension of our automation capabilities, meaning that we can now offer a seamless, integrated solution for all product and pallet handling requirements. Together we have a shared desire to remain the leaders in innovation within our respective fields, which will in turn provide a unique and unrivalled platform to support our customers.”

“We have key synergies with the RMGroup, who share similar core values. We very much look forward to developing our relationship in the future and creating opportunities to add value,” added Borja González López, ASTI’s partner network manager.

RMGroup partners with ASTI Mobile Robotics

Posted on by David Priestman

Robotics and automation specialist RMGroup has announced a distributor partnership with ASTI Mobile Robotics, a leading European manufacturer of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). The move will see RMGroup include AGVs and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in its extensive product portfolio of packaging machinery and robotic automation solutions.

ASTI Mobile Robotics Group, with offices in Spain, Germany, France and United States, provides automated intralogistics solutions for large manufacturers, helping them to optimise productivity, streamlining production processes and cutting operational costs.

The company specialises in the engineering of Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs), serving global blue-chip customers across a wide range of sectors, including automotive, aerospace, food, e-commerce, pharmaceutical and cosmetics. As part of its commitment to excellence and continuous improvement of its products and services, ASTI Mobile Robotics invests heavily in research and development year after year.

Having recently become the first integrator in the UK to be accredited under the RIA/BARA Robot Integrators’ Certification Scheme, the RMGroup supplies and manufactures a wide range of manual and automated packaging systems, including manual bagging machines, weighing systems, robot palletising systems, bulk filling and material handling systems, as well as supplying high-speed form fill and seal packaging lines.

Operating in the food & beverage, horticultural, aggregates, chemicals and agricultural industries, the company’s partnership with ASTI Mobile Robotics will provide a complementary offering.

Commenting on the partnership, RMGroup’s Rosie Davies, said: “Becoming a partner of ASTI Mobile Robotics provides a natural extension of our automation capabilities, meaning that we can now offer a seamless, integrated solution for all product and pallet handling requirements. Together we have a shared desire to remain the leaders in innovation within our respective fields, which will in turn provide a unique and unrivalled platform to support our customers.”

“We have key synergies with the RMGroup, who share similar core values. We very much look forward to developing our relationship in the future and creating opportunities to add value,” added Borja González López, ASTI’s partner network manager.

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