Five warehouses of the future equipped by Exotec

Whether it be ever faster and more reliable delivery, reduced carbon footprint, or less strenuous workload for all operators, warehouses are facing increased demands, pushing supply chains to reinvent themselves. What does a warehouse look like after optimising its processes and investing in technological innovations? Join us on a tour of five warehouses in fashion, industry, healthcare, retail and e-commerce, already shaping their future thanks to automation solutions.

86 autonomous mobile robots to revolutionise picking: Ariat’s distribution centre in Fort Worth, Texas, took a futuristic turn in 2020 with the Skypod system. Shoes, workwear, clothing, accessories…. To meet the growing demands of the fashion industry, robotic order picking is now in place to process each order faster and more efficiently. Space is fully optimised thanks to an automated storage and retrieval system. In this next-generation warehouse, robots deliver products to operators at a rate of 1,958 bins per hour!

The future in figures

Read the full case study: Ariat, supporting growth with AMR

Within this 40,000 ^sqm warehouse in Michigan, 2,665 ^sqm are dedicated to processing the 100,000 SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) and 3.5 million parts that Lane Automotive, Inc. supplies to its customers. To prepare orders, 62 robots are at work, alongside five infeed stations, each equipped with 24 picking cells. The automated warehouse solution from this leading player in automotive distribution also features:

• A system for delivering empty cartons, directing shipping cartons to their picking stations
• Several in-line weight scales for added accuracy and order validation
• Online packing lists with automated packing systems
• In-line label applicators to complete the package

The future in figures

Read the full case study: Lane Automotive, an engine in the warehouse

To speed up the adoption of its innovations in the healthcare sector, bioMérieux has implemented cutting-edge logistics technology in its warehouses. At the Saint-Vulbas international distribution centre, 12 Skypod Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) operate around the clock.

Originally commissioned in 1999, the warehouse has been completely redesigned to optimise storage space, improve working conditions for operators, enhance energy efficiency and comply with all temperature requirements for storing medical products. At the heart of this extensive overhaul was the system’s ability to integrate with existing logistics flows, while improving workers’ ergonomics. Handling conditions were specifically approved by an ergonomist. But it takes more than 12 autonomous mobile robots, an output conveyor and a measuring conveyor to build the future. Modernising the warehouse also hinges on the automated warehouse control system software’s capability to integrate traceability and quality constraints specific that are specific to the healthcare sector.

The future in figures

Read the full case study: bioMérieux, supporting growth through robotisation in the healthcare sector

With a temperature range from 0 to 32 degrees and 13,000 product references, Carrefour Le Plessis’ warehouse of the future is equipped with an automated warehouse conveyor system. Two Skypod systems (a total of 226 AMR, covering almost 20,000 ^sqm and 8 metres in height), operate independently to handle online orders for both fresh and ambient-temperature food products.

Here, the cutting-edge warehouse automation system also incorporates manual integration into orders, so that humans and robots can work together in harmony. The warehouse control system software orchestrates timing and ensures smooth order fulfilment, regardless of the volume: orders are stored in the system until their dispatch time. Once prepared, orders are directed into lines sorted by destination, to facilitate their shipment.

The future in figures

Read the full case study: Carrefour Le Plessis, automated fresh and ambient storage for supermarkets

10,500 order lines per day with only three preparation stations: at Eltra’s warehouse in the Benelux region, the future is being shaped by a revolution in warehousing and order preparation.

Eltra’s autonomous mobile warehouse robots can access any unit in less than two minutes, and the benefit is twofold: meeting urgent order requests and sales peaks, while reducing daily operator travel distances and heavy lifting. One key ingredient for success: the high-density shelving standing 12 metres tall to optimise warehouse space.

The future in figures

Read the full case study: Eltra, successful integration of the Skypod system into an existing warehouse facility

To keep building the future, explore the innovations under development in our R&D lab in Lille. We innovate across all business sectors and supply chain setups to create warehouses that are increasingly agile, flexible and futuristic!