DHL Parcel and AWL, a leading robot integrator, have collaborated to develop a cutting-edge robot depalletizer application for logistics automation. This innovative solution leverages advanced robotic picking technology and AI-vision to remove and set up boxes from a pallet onto a sorting installation’s conveyor belt, streamlining the logistics process.
With a robotic gripper that can lift up to 31.5 kg, this automation solution can process 800 packages per hour, saving time and labor costs. This depalletizer’s flexibility allows it to handle packages of various sizes and weights with ease, making it a unique and valuable addition to DHL’s sorting centers. DHL customers can deliver their shipments on pallets, which are then placed in a pallet station for the robot depalletizer to handle. In a tight labor market, logistics automation is critical.
“The robot takes over heavier and repetitive tasks, allowing workers to focus on more challenging and interesting work,” said Roelof Hofman, COO at DHL Parcel Benelux. This successful implementation in Rotterdam’s sorting center has paved the way for future deployments of this cutting-edge technology in other sorting centers.