GXO Pilots 3D Sortation System in Stradella, Italy

GXO Logistics, Inc. today announced that it has successfully deployed GRS (Global Robotics Services) robots in a 3D sortation system at as part of a pilot installation in Stradella, Italy.

The 30-day pilot program took place at a GXO facility in Stradella, Italy, that houses an e-commerce operation. The installation took one week, and more than a dozen 3D sortation robots were programmed to feed 30 trolleys with more than 450 destination bins.

The robots achieved a throughput of 1,200 units per hour — over 3x the speed of the previous solution — and could be further scaled to achieve a significantly higher throughput. The pilot also optimized workforce hours related to the sorting process, reduced sorting errors and increased the traceability of orders.

“GXO invested in a pilot program using robotic sortation technology to increase productivity, accuracy and operational efficiency for one of our major fashion industry customers,” said Alessandro Renzo, managing director, Italy and Switzerland, GXO. “We are constantly looking for and testing innovative technologies to meet our customers’ rapidly evolving needs, and we expect a successful trial to lead to a larger installation at the site.”

GXO's system can be installed relatively quickly

The robotic sortation solution from GRS (Global Robotics Services) can be implemented typically in weeks as opposed to months for alternative sortation technologies, the company said.

The robotics as a service model, or RaaS, makes it an efficient tool for managing spikes in demand, such as during peak holiday season, and dramatically reduces the need for customers’ capital spending and the long lead times required for other solutions. GXO is currently successfully operating this technology at a state-of-the-art facility in the U.S.

GXO leads the industry in automation, generating roughly 30% of its revenue from automated solutions, versus the industry average of 8%.