GreyOrange announced Monday its GreyMatter Smart Zone Transfer application and Ranger MoveSmart robots have been implemented at an Active Ants e-fulfillment center in Roosendaal, Netherlands. The 20,000-square-meter warehouse is using 65 autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to move and sort inventory.
AMRs are working alongside employees in the Roosendaal warehouse. Forty special robots bring goods to employees. Workers then select the right products and place them in empty boxes carried by AMRs. From there, the AMRs take boxes through packaging, sorting and shipping zones. According to GreyOrange, its Ranger series robots outperform add-on robots in terms of efficiency, safety and total cost over time.
“Smart Zone Transfer happens autonomously as GreyMatter software orchestrates the complete process flow as Ranger MoveSmart robots convey inventory to various workstations,” the press release stated.
GreyMatter’s Command Center interface gives companies the flexibility to change their workflows easily. “The power to quickly adapt is what gives retailers an edge in today’s world, and it’s a foundational design principle of our GreyMatter Fulfillment Operating System and family of Ranger robots,” said Akash Gupta, co-founder and chief technology officer at GreyOrange.
Gupta said companies don’t want to have to commit to the same infrastructure for 10 to 15 years. Previous FreightWaves articles explored how COVID-19 has impacted supply chain flexibility and warehouse robotics investments.
The automated system can store up to six times more stock per square meter, according to GreyOrange’s website. The company said its Ranger robots can carry up to 1,300 pounds at a time, transporting goods five times faster than workers. GreyOrange AMRs are programmed to avoid traffic jams and plug into charging stations when they are not needed for short periods of time. The robots recycle their own energy so the amount of electricity they need is minimal, GreyOrange said.
Active Ants said its specially designed sealing machine has a built-in printer that can adjust package printing on an individual level. This prevents stockpiles of preprinted boxes and reduces the ecological footprint while giving small and large online retailers the opportunity to customize packaging.
Active Ants and GreyOrange will highlight their partnership in a webinar at 9:30 a.m. EST Wednesday. The companies will discuss how AI and robotics can solve fulfillment challenges.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Alyssa Sporrer.
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