US-based Symbotic Completes Acquisition of German Automated Sorting Equipment Company

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 13, US warehouse automation company Symbotic announced the completion of its acquisition of German automated sorting equipment manufacturer cellumation, obtaining its patented intelligent conveying and sorting technology celluveyor. The system uses hundreds of independently controlled omnidirectional mobile units to move, turn, and sort goods on the same conveying platform. After the acquisition, cellumation will continue to operate under its original brand in Bremen, Germany, and Symbotic plans to integrate its technology into its own warehouse robotics systems.

celluveyor uses modular hexagonal units, each equipped with 3 independently driven omnidirectional wheels, controlling the direction of movement, rotation angle, and conveying path of goods through software. Multiple units can be combined into conveying platforms of different sizes and layouts, simultaneously handling sorting and positioning tasks for multiple items. The product is designed for a maximum conveying speed of 1.15 m/s, with a unit protection rating of IP54. When a local unit failure occurs, surrounding units can continue to carry out goods transport tasks.

According to the post-acquisition product integration plan, Symbotic plans to apply celluveyor to the inbound and outbound handling units of its warehouse robotics systems, replacing some traditional conveying and sorting mechanical structures. The related equipment will be used for goods flow control, sorting, and transfer, and the conveying layout of different warehouse facilities can be adjusted through modular configuration. Symbotic also plans to retain celluveyor's independent product sales channel, supplying equipment to end customers and third-party system integrators.

cellumation's existing customers cover postal parcels, e-commerce, manufacturing, and logistics operators, and its intelligent conveying equipment has been deployed in actual logistics facilities in multiple countries. After the acquisition, the company will continue to serve existing customers, with co-founders Hendrik Thamer and Claudio Uriarte serving as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer, respectively, responsible for existing business and product development.

cellumation's intelligent sorting products include cv.CROSSDOCK, cv.SINGULATE, and cv.DEPAL. Among them, cv.SINGULATE uses a modular equipment layout of 3 to 5 square meters, with a product design handling capacity of up to 10,000 items per hour; cv.DEPAL can complete goods layer separation within less than 3 square meters of equipment space, configured with up to 3 discharge directions. The related products will continue to be supplied through cellumation's existing channels and will be included in Symbotic's subsequent technology integration plan for warehouse automation systems.