A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) has announced its plans to implement an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled robotic solution in its latest UK warehouse in East Midlands.
US-based company, Berkshire Grey (BG), has created the Robotic Shuttle Put Wall System, that aims to considerably automate, improve, and speed warehousing operations in the 685,000-square-foot facility.
The systems can sort orders three times quicker than traditional manual systems, enhance upstream batch inventory pickup by up to 33 per cent, and handle 100 per cent of common stock keeping unit (SKU) assortments, order profiles, and packaging.
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This is expected to boost not just Maersk’s fulfilment service offering’s competitiveness, but also the robustness and flexibility of its clients’ supply chains.
Fergus Whinham, Area Head of the ‘Fulfilled by Maersk’ product in UK & Ireland, said: “Berkshire Grey’s AI-enabled robotic solutions have a proven track record across various industries in North America and we are delighted to tap into these benefits for our customers in UK now.
“This sophisticated, flexible system reflects our commitment to optimising processes and better serving our customers in rapidly evolving markets.”
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The warehouse is scheduled to open in October 2023 as part of the SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway.
The BG Robotic Shuttle Put Wall System will be introduced before the peak season with little disruption to the current warehouse infrastructure.
The SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway includes the UK’s first inland freeport as well as a rail freight interchange with direct rail linkages to Felixstowe, London Gateway and Southampton.
In June 2023, Maersk announced an expansion of its cloud-first technology approach by using Microsoft Azure as cloud platform.
