Tag: automation|materials handling|sortation

Intelligent automation specialist Dematic has started its pilot installation for Kesko, the second-largest grocery retailer in Finland. Dematic has begun work at the K-Citymarket Ruoholahti hypermarket site to install and implement an automated order fulfilment system.

Dematic’s solution will be the first automation-assisted order fulfilment solution in Finland to be built onsite at a grocery store. It is based on a micro-fulfilment concept and will be implemented right next to the store premises. The system consists of store picking zone, two picking zones with pallets and shelves for fast moving goods, two AutoStore subsystems (one for ambient products and another for chilled), and comprehensive warehouse management software.

The installation will meet growing demand with a four-fold improvement in efficiency and provide Kesko with greater flexibility in fulfilling orders. During the pandemic, Kesko has seen demand for online grocery shopping grow exponentially. The K-Citymarket Ruoholahti location was chosen for the pilot installation because it is among the busiest K Group stores for online grocery orders with its urban location in Helsinki.

Steffen Thierfelder, VP & Market Leader – UK/Ireland at Dematic, says: “We are pleased that this project is now underway and will soon be helping Kesko grow their market share. As a strategic partner, our mission is to support and guide Kesko as they navigate their automation roadmap.”

Pekka Tala, Development Director at Kesko, adds: “This project is a pioneering one for Finnish online grocery fulfilment. The Dematic solution will allow us to scale as we grow, providing us greater flexibility for fulfilling online orders. It will also enhance the shopping experience for our instore customers by removing the majority of online order picking from customer areas.”

The pilot installation is part of a multimillion-euro investment in automation technology by Kesko, which anticipates deploying additional automation-assisted order fulfilment solutions across its operations in the coming years.

 

For its new logistics centre in Bad Homburg, Ellen Wille, a European market leader for second hair products, has commissioned the system integrator Element Logic to design and implement an AutoStore system with 62,500 bin locations as a central automated storage and picking system for small parts storage.

Ellen Wille, The Hair Company is the European market leader for second hair products. The company regards logistics as a key function for further development and adaptation to the growing complex demands and planned sales increases. With this in mind, the established trading company based in Schwalbach am Taunus near Frankfurt/Main is building a new logistics centre at its branch in Bad Homburg.

An AutoStore system will be installed there, serving as the central automated storage and order picking system. The contract for the design and implementation of the project has been awarded by Ellen Wille to the system integrator Element Logic, the world’s first official AutoStore partner.

“After an intensive comparison of technologies, we decided in favour of small parts storage in an AutoStore system because this scalable system offers us enormous storage capacity on a small storage area and maximum flexibility,” explains Ralf Billharz, CEO of Ellen Wille. “The decision to go with Element Logic was based on its experience and the company’s extensive references as a proven AutoStore partner.”

For the logistics centre in Bad Homburg, Element Logic has developed a system that is precisely tailored to the requirements of the retailer. The system’s aluminium grid will provide 62,500 bin locations. The 220mm-high bins allow a load of up to 30kg with internal dimensions of 603 x 403mm. On the surface of the grid, 40 R5 robots, so-called Robots, take over the storage, transfer, and retrieval processes. Fourteen workstations, so-called ports, are integrated to load the system and pick orders, 10 of which are carousel ports for higher storage throughputs plus four conveyor ports for lower throughputs.

“Overall, the AutoStore system with the integrated workstations offers a 60-70% improvement in space utilisation compared to conventional miniload solutions,” summarises Joachim Kieninger, Director of Strategic Business Development Element Logic Germany. “At the same time, the options for further future expansion in terms of performance and storage capacity offer maximum flexibility and ensure the future viability of the facility. This puts Ellen Wille in an excellent position for further growth in demand and volume.”