A unique pick: behind Körber’s Layer Picker technology

In the supply chain and logistics industry, order fulfillment is one of the most demanding sectors – regardless of the market participant's size. Whether it's a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) producer, a third-party logistics provider (3PL), or a micro fulfillment center (MFC), to succeed, you need to find the ideal combination of people, premises, and processes. Bearing in mind that all three are costly, they are leading to the increasing need for efficiency and automation in the warehouse. Making the best use of resources and assets calls for decisions to be made in the warehouse. Work smarter, not harder!

For layer picking, the fully integrated solution from Körber has been designed to reduce operating costs by maximizing efficiency, productivity, and the space provided in warehouses and distribution centers. Combined with demands of traceability, flexibility, and scalability, Körber’s Layer Picker technology addresses customers' pain points. These challenges include the increasing overhead and complex nature of manual layer picking due to the rising number and variety of goods and packaging, which in turn can outgrow the space within existing facilities. However, there is also the difficulty of finding warehouse staff in the first place and the limited financial resources to counteract this with much-needed automation. 

This is where the Layer Picker solutions come into play: They help achieve growth and improve quality. Whether with the turnkey solution of the AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robots) in combination with the Gantry, or the Mono Gantry system. More than 700 Layer Pickers by Körber are currently operating worldwide as of 2024, and the numbers are constantly growing. Jan Kristensen, Head of R&D in the Körber Business Area Supply Chain and René Kahr, Senior Product Manager for Product Solutions provide background information on the success story and why there is nothing like it.

The Körber Layer Picker has been around for some decades now. What was the initial trigger for this development at the time?

René Kahr (RK): It was a direct customer request. A world-famous whisky producer needed help de-palletizing its products due to the unique shape of their bottles. We developed a gripper tool no one else had thought of before and subsequently were able to democratize a great variety of different goods. And with that, we'd found a loophole or blue ocean market, and you can say the rest is history. Over the years, we gradually improved it and made it more and more sophisticated. It is still by far the most advanced gripper tool on the market.

Jan Kristensen (JK): Although, we do have competitors. 

René Kahr (RK): The core market segment for our Layer Picker Solutions is in food retail, with perhaps 10.000 or more different items in all shapes and sizes – from very small, delicate, or fragile to heavy, bulky, or unwieldy. They all need to be depalletized. And the more challenging the product, the better for us. We claim we can pick 98% of all retail products. Other manufacturers may achieve a 70 or 80 percent rate but at the cost of more labor. If you're looking for the most automated solution, we’ve got it. 

By now, around 700 machines are in use around the world. What has been the response by the customers over the years? Is there still room for improvement?

RK: We have to admit that our customer feedback has been superb. They are super happy with the overall performance. Our Layer Picker Solutions are reliable, robust, and have low maintenance. When you're working in R&D, of course, you're constantly pushing forward to develop something new or to make what already exists better.

JK: But yeah, there is always room for improvement—more in software and new technologies than engineering. A vital strength of the Layer Picker from the customer's perspective has always been its independence from the product's packaging material. In terms of functionality, this has mostly stayed the same over time. What has improved enormously, however, is the technology behind it. So, we went from lifting devices (such as forklifts) back in the day to first-generation robots in the warehouse, which we then turned into 3D robots. Now, we're speeding them up, making them more energy efficient, teaching them to drive autonomously using AI, and much more.

RK: The future of the Layer Picker is not so much defined by the product it is picking but by the software solutions we add to it. Suppose customers – due to sustainability issues, for example – are changing from thicker to thinner cardboard boxes, swopping aluminum for glass, or renouncing plastic altogether. In that case, the gripper tool simply adapts. Our competitive advantage lies in the ever-evolving technology that we add, such as vision cameras. So even if someone copies our design, the software distinguishes us from the competition. 

What makes it so exceptional from a software specialist's point of view?

JK: The fascination with innovation nowadays lies in digital technological progress. We have developed a series of digital products using the latest technology to future-proof operations. They have all been designed with the operator's eye in mind. Embedded cameras monitor the picking process, enabling the AI to self-learn how to handle potential problems. Körber’s Operator Eye is an AI-based add-on module that connects to the Layer Picker and other machines to automatically detect error patterns such as trailing pallet wrap and problematic slip sheets. As a result, downtime and human intervention are significantly minimized. 

And what are its strengths from the mechanical engineer's perspective?

RK: First and foremost, it is the versatility of our Layer Picker systems technology. It can be paired with high-bay storage, conveyors, cranes, and a warehouse control system. The Gantry system can be adapted to the customer's individual needs, operating from 1,000 to 10,000 layers per day, handling mixed pallets, and automatically picking layers for rainbow and sandwich pallets. It can be easily scaled up or down. 

So, these solutions are not just for substantial distribution centers – or what do you mean by 'scaling down'?

JK: This is particularly interesting for micro fulfillment centers, which will become more widespread due to the increasing pressure to ship from one day to the next, or even better, within one day. To achieve this, smaller distribution centers in close range to the customer are required. With the Mono Gantry, we have just the right solution in our portfolio. It is modular, has a low footprint, and is quick and easy to install.

RK: What makes our Layer Picker unique is its air and vacuum technology combination – it can pick up almost anything. That goes for packets of crisps, punnets of blueberries, and yogurt cups, as well as for beer cans, crates with vegetables, or barrels of whiskey. It can even pick layers with voids thanks to a unique combination of suction and clamping. And as long as you can put it on a pallet, we can depalletize it. 

Sustainability is an increasingly important issue in all sectors, including warehousing. How can the Layer Picker technology contribute to this?

RK: When it comes to ESG, we can contribute to two factors at once: the E and the S in ESG. Increased environmental awareness means reduced packaging. It is changing, diminishing or even disappearing. Goods are becoming more complex to handle for automated systems. We serve the environmental aspect by ensuring that our Layer Picker can handle any packaging material, no matter how fragile. Also, with our latest development, we have equipped the Gantry system with an energy-efficient solution that allows the Layer Picker to reuse the energy or return the energy to your internal grid to power other equipment in your warehouse.

JK: Regarding the social aspect, the Layer Picker takes on the heavy lifting process for hours on end – even for the most complex products, so workers don't have to. In terms of health and safety, this is a significant gain. In addition, we often have to deal with frozen working environments, particularly in food retail, where cold chains must be maintained, and workers are otherwise exposed to temperatures below the freezing point.

RK: Oh, and of course, remember the longevity and durability of our Layer Pickers! Our machines are designed and built to function reliably for 20 years and more – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! We promise high levels of reliability and uptime, which is why the first machines are still running.

So, what does the future hold?

JK: Future solutions must be scalable and capable of growing with increasing demands, particularly in the realm of digital and AI-based technologies. A combination of AMR robots and our Layer Picker solutions is highly flexible, according to the customers’ needs. These solutions enable smaller and mid-sized logistics centers to automate gradually, for instance, by adding additional AMRs step by step. We work in and for an industry that gets bigger and bigger – and more advanced, which is exciting and motivating for us.  

RK: The future for our Layer Picker Solutions looks positive. Equally crucial for the future is our Pallet-to-Tray technology. Linked to the Layer Picker, it automatically transforms full pallets into individual boxes on trays without manual intervention. At the moment, Körber is the only company with this solution.