Swisslog technology helps win major logistics award

Logistics automation company Swisslog has featured in a major international award for its fully automated mixed case retail palletising solution, ACPaQ, which is also currently in use by Coca-Cola Amatil in Australia and New Zealand.

Swisslog’s ACPaQ solution was the key component in an automation solution that won German retail chain dm-drogerie markt the German Logistics Award 2020 for delivering new levels of efficiency to dm-drogerie markt’s distribution centre in Wustermark, near Berlin.

The same ACPacQ technology has already been implemented by Coca-Cola Amatil in Auckland, New Zealand, and is widely applicable to logistics, distribution, food and beverage and retail applications in Australasia.

dm-drogerie markt is a German retail chain that sells cosmetics, healthcare items, household products and health food. Their innovative distribution centre is part of the group’s investment in automation and robotics with a focus on sustainability and competitiveness.

Swisslog’s ACPaQ technology is an evolution of the company’s logistics automation technology, which combines robotics solutions for palletising and depalletising with Swisslog’s CycloneCarrier shuttle technology to create a fully automated process that facilitates high throughput and reliable picking of orders.

“We are very pleased that dm-drogerie markt has won this prestigious award. On behalf of the entire Swisslog team, I would like to sincerely congratulate dm,” said Dr Christian Baur, CEO of Swisslog. “As dm’s automation partner for intralogistics at Wustermark, a lot of passion and innovation has gone into this project. We have worked closely together on the robotics and material flow over the last few years so I am therefore all the more pleased that the distribution centre has been presented with this accolade.”

Dr Baur said the two companies have a longstanding relationship. “The latest collaboration is also special because we were able to test and apply the robotic cell of our system under real conditions for the first time. dm has invested over €100 million in its logistics site in Wustermark, including a valuable investment in sustainability,” he said.

Using the ‘Load Build Manager’ functionality from Swisslog’s SynQ software, the robots perform palletising in a sequential packing order — individually adapted to the depalletising or shelf-filling routes in each dm store, according to the last-in-first-out principle. The overall control of the ACPaQ system is handled by Swisslog’s SynQ software.

Christian Bodi, Managing Director Logistics at dm-drogerie markt, explained: “We have created a digital twin of each dm branch and thus raised our supply chain to a new level.

“The technology allows further growth, ensures the ability to deliver and ultimately contributes to fulfilling customer expectations,” he said.

Coca-Cola Amatil ACPaQ installation

The world’s first Swisslog ACPaQ installation was in New Zealand, for beverage company Coca-Cola Amatil.

Coca-Cola Amatil New Zealand has collaborated with Swisslog on automated storage and receival systems for more than a decade, and sought to make further improvements to their customer service and costs, to meet rising demand for its products.

“Swisslog’s ACPaQ automation solution replaces a manual, voice-directed picking system, and will link with the existing automated pallet store to create a seamless operation,” said Sean Ryan, Head of Sales and Consulting, Swisslog Australia & New Zealand.

The focus of Coca Cola Amatil’s expansion requirements was handling cases and building customer order pallets as efficiently as possible. Additionally, the new order picking system had to fit in the existing Auckland distribution centre and be integrated closely with Coca-Cola Amatil’s warehouse and distribution operations.