en.Wedoany.com Reported - Food retailer REWE has automated fresh food operations at its logistics center in Oranienburg, north of Berlin. The system supplies the metropolitan area north of Berlin, covering over 370 supermarkets and 580 stores. To achieve this, REWE partnered with intralogistics automation company Cimcorp to deploy a robotic system aimed at improving the efficiency, reliability, and workplace well-being of fresh order fulfillment.
Each day, the facility processes up to 650,000 fresh items, including fresh fruits and vegetables in plastic crates. Matthias Menzel, Managing Director of the Oranienburg distribution center, stated that every minute counts in fresh food logistics, and missing delivery windows can lead to significant financial losses. Therefore, investing in automation to provide absolute reliability and real-time control is key. The intralogistics solution provided by Cimcorp integrates robotics, conveyor technology, and advanced software. Through the Dreamfield system, it achieves full automation from inbound barcode scanning, depalletizing, and inventory management to outbound labeling and shipping, while ensuring traceability of every product and system-wide transparency.
Cimcorp's Warehouse Control System (WCS) coordinates robots, conveyors, and inventory management, overseeing all processes from inbound to outbound, including First-In, First-Out (FIFO) or First-Expiry, First-Out (FEFO) inventory strategies. The system is designed with redundancy mechanisms, with dual robot cells and transfer carts ensuring continuous operation. The open floor design eliminates the need for shelving, facilitating cleaning and improving hygiene conditions.
This automation system also helps alleviate labor shortages. Menzel noted that physically demanding tasks in the warehouse, particularly the heavy handling of fruits and vegetables, are becoming increasingly difficult to staff each year. The Cimcorp system handles heavy lifting, replacing manual picking with system supervision and process management, providing employees with a safer, more ergonomic work environment that aids in recruitment and retention.
In terms of sustainability, automation reduces environmental impact by streamlining processes. Optimized truck loading improves space utilization and reduces traffic volume. A faster supply chain extends the shelf life of fresh products, reducing food waste. The service agreement with Cimcorp also enhances sustainability by extending the system's lifespan.
The Dreamfield solution features a modular design that can be scaled to meet growth demands, making it suitable for optimizing material flow in the fresh food, liquid dairy, bakery, and beverage industries. Similar systems have been deployed for Alimerka and Mercadona in Spain, as well as Edeka and Netto in Germany. This facility redefines the operation of food retail logistics through its automation system.
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