In the logistics center in Löhne, autonomous mobile robots (AMR) are now being used for the first time and are taking over the transport of large pallets with picked goods in the 100,000 square meter facility. Thomas Saltenbrock, Operations Manager of Hermes Fulfilment in Löhne:
“This relieves our employees and elevates the efficiency of our logistics processes to a new level.”
The location in North Rhine-Westphalia is specialized in the logistical handling of large-volume items weighing more than 31.5 kilograms. This includes mainly furniture, large electrical appliances like washing machines and refrigerators, but also upholstered furniture and mattresses. The large items are predominantly stored in racks up to 12.40 meters high. Typically, an order consists of several packages. They are usually picked by hand onto large pallets at ground level.
The load carriers are handed over at the logistics center to the
Hermes Installation Service, which subsequently delivers the ordered goods in a two-man handling process. For the handover to the sister company, low-lift trucks primarily operated by employees are currently used in the logistics center.
Transport like antsIn the future, these vehicles will be supplemented by self-driving mobile robots from the Austrian manufacturer Melkus Mechatronic. They weigh 222 kilograms and can transport up to 1,200 kilograms of payload. Since they can carry multiple times their own weight like ants, the devices are also called Ants at Hermes Fulfilment. The lifting height is 240 millimeters.
The vehicles move autonomously at an average speed of 1.5 meters per second and navigate using laser scanners attached to the mast as well as the skids and sides. To allow the AMR to orient themselves based on environmental features, the building infrastructure was measured, mapped, and stored in
a cloud-based control platform. The coordination of the transports is done via a control center.
Evading and brakingSensors ensure that the vehicles detect obstacles and evade or brake in time if there is not enough space to maneuver around. Thomas Saltenbrock:
“Safety is our top priority in the logistics center.”
Therefore, employees would be trained in interacting with the mobile robots and would also need to adapt to changed right-of-way rules. The self-driving load carriers always have priority – both over conventional industrial trucks and employees moving on foot in the 100,000 square meter logistics center. The internal traffic concept has been adjusted accordingly. Thomas Saltenbrock:
“There are fewer manual transports. The automated material flow ensures more calm in the logistical processes because the robots operate at a consistently low speed.”
This also improves the efficiency of internal processes. Employees who previously
conducted such transports would be relieved and could take on more complex tasks in the logistics center in the future. Thomas Saltenbrock:
“By using the AMR, we create a modern, motivating working environment with future prospects in the logistics sector. This is a crucial factor in light of demographic change, noticeable labor shortages, and the rising retirement age.”
25 robots for 1,000 daily transportsHermes Fulfilment has already successfully integrated 23 battery-powered robots. Two more are to be added. Together, the devices are expected to complete about 1,000 transports daily and cover approximately 30 kilometers in total. About 20 percent of transports will continue to be done with conventional low-lift trucks. After the pilot phase in the Löhne logistics center is completed, the robot solution will also be introduced at the other two-man handling site of Hermes Fulfilment in Ansbach, Bavaria, it is
