Knowles Logistics has invested in a robot to undertake co-packing work in its warehouse.
Supplied by German manufacturer KUKA and customised by Cambridge-based automation firm Granta, Knowles said the robot would significantly enhance its co-packing capabilities.
The haulier said it enabled flexible repackaging of food products and packaging formats to meet customers’ requirements, such as creating multipacks or bespoke promotional configurations.
It is not the first robot Knowles has purchased to help transform warehousing and fulfilment operations.
In the past 12 months, the company has introduced autonomous cleaning bots – the CR700 Robotic Scrubber Dryer and K900 Industrial Vacuum Sweeper Robots.
Operating around the clock, the machines have reduced manual cleaning requirements and freed team members to focus on higher-value operational tasks.
Knowles has also introduced the inventAIRy XL, an inventory management drone to aid its perpetual inventory teams.
By automating the inventory management process, the company said it could offer maximised accuracy and traceability of product movements and boost cycle counts.
Alex Knowles, CEO at Knowles Logistics, said: “This co-pack robot marks an exciting step forward as we continue to embrace automation across our business.
“It provides us with the flexibility to quickly reconfigure product formats to meet customers’ changing needs while simultaneously improving efficiency and productivity.”
