The unique automated turnkey system solution has been developed to ensure safe, efficient, and volume-optimized palletizing of heavy and bulky items, typical for the furniture sector. The picking module with gantry robots can facilitate efficient handling of an extremely diverse range of items, freeing employees from non-ergonomic tasks and features a high degree of scalability.

“The development of the Flat Pack Picking solution, designed specifically for the furniture industry, is an example of how we at SSI Schaefer continuously innovate to support companies within various markets. We strive to address industry issues and to increase efficiency while improving the working conditions of warehouse personnel”, explains Notker Steigerwald, Head of Business Unit Logistics Solutions at SSI Schaefer.

"Innovating for increased efficiency, accuracy and sustainability is at the core of our mission at IKEA Intralogistics. The development and successful implementation of the Flat Pack Picking solution in Dortmund is a great example of how technology can support these ambitions, for instance by enabling a shift from manual to more value-added tasks for our co-workers”, says Julien Weiß, Automation & Design Leader, Inter IKEA Intralogistics at IKEA Purchasing Services GmbH.

The concept has been nominated for the IFOY Award 2022 and will undergo the three-stage IFOY audit during the IFOY Test Days on March 18–23, 2022.

About the Flat Pack Picking solution:

The solution is at the forefront of technology and IKEA is the first furniture retailer to automate the picking of large products in the field of customer distribution. By installing the Flat Pack Picking solution it will be possible to create a more ergonomic work environment for co-workers and increase the overall productivity of customer distribution units.

Four automatically replenished picking robots will pick for the customer distribution operations. The solution will serve as a pre-pick function to bring heavy products to co-workers. One of the biggest benefits is the modularity of the system. This enables an easy implementation. It is a combination of proven industrial solutions in the market that are customized to IKEAs needs.