Metro Group uses robot for unloading and palletising

According to Lebensmittel Zeitung the Metro Group has implemented a fully-automated solution for the unloading of shipping containers in its non-food central distribution centre in Unna, Germany.

 The robot-like solution is used for incoming goods and has
been developed by ThyssenKrupp Krause for fully automated unloading and
palletising of loose packages from shipping containers. Previously, this was
carried out manually. The machine is able to unload up to 360 packages per
hour, it piles up the goods, counts the number of articles per pallet and
transmits this information to the warehouse management system. The pallets are
then transported further to the high rack warehouse. Metro Group did not want
to comment on the cost of the robot. However, as the project started in January
2009 and has since then turned out to be successful, the retailer said that it
could imagine a further roll-out of the new system.