ID Logistics continues to automate its distribution centres with the aim of ergonomics and increasing comfort and safety at work, as well as operational efficiency. In 2023 alone, nearly 500 robots have been deployed in the operator’s managed warehouses worldwide, including Poland.
In 2021. ID Logistics Group implemented a global CSR strategy based on 3 pillars targeting social, environmental and community support. One of the 10 targets is to reduce the frequency and severity of workplace accidents by 40% by 2027 vs. 2018.
In order to achieve this goal, ID Logistics relies on innovation, implementing modern solutions tailored to its specific characteristics in the managed distribution centres. The ‘Roboost’ robotisation programme, launched two years ago, fits perfectly into this approach. Its aim is to identify, test and implement robotic solutions that will improve ergonomics and working conditions. In 2023 alone, ID Logistics has deployed nearly 500 robots in distribution centres in nine countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Taiwan and the USA. Their task is to support order preparation, transport, warehousing and handling processes.
Now ID Logistics is accelerating the robotisation process and is betting on the use of robotic arms:
– the Pack Mover robot, deployed in 2 warehouses in France, automates the process of palletising parcels in different formats and prepares up to 12 receiving pallets. Thanks to a suction cup system and a camera, it transfers the parcels directly onto the pallets. It handles up to 500 parcels per hour, without human intervention.
– Six Axes, a robot deployed in the USA, facilitates palletisation and is used in the co-packing process. Its 6 axes of rotation give it complete flexibility of movement and thus adapt to all warehouse configurations. It moves parcels weighing up to 6 kg using suction devices to prevent damage. Used for the preparation of homogeneous pallets, the robot can handle up to 2,000 parcels per hour. It is tailored to handle goods for the consumer goods industry.
Automated solutions are also used in ID Logistics’ distribution centres in Poland.
“In Poland, one example is the launch this quarter of a new distribution centre for apparel products in Wrocław, where a large part of the tasks in the process are carried out using mobile robots (AMR), which replace much of the manual work. From 2020, we are working with AGVs (ReachTruck) in Mszczonów, which has a positive impact on service flexibility and quality, while the modern sorter used from 2021 in the e-commerce process in one of our distribution centres in Wrocław efficiently sorts shipments for many customers at home and abroad. The automation of the internal flow for clothing processes at the warehouse in Strykow operates in a similar way,” said Slawomir Rodak, R&D director, ID Logistics Poland.
The use of robots in warehouse operations brings many benefits. Among the most important are: relieving employees from performing routine work, preventing musculoskeletal diseases (related, among other things, to performing repetitive tasks) and a lower accident rate. Robots increase occupational safety and allow workers to focus on more value-added tasks. Additional training is also being provided and new jobs are being created related to the supervision of robotic work, in line with the Group’s approach aimed at supporting the professional development of employees and encouraging them to acquire new skills. Further benefits relate to increased efficiency in logistics operations and reduced order handling times.
“The integration of robots in logistics is not only synonymous with technological advances and productivity, but also a way of improving the comfort of our employees and introducing them to new functions within the company. In this way, the measures taken allow us to create a modern and dynamic image and attract the best talent,” said Eric Hémar, CEO, ID Logistics Group.
