DHL eCommerce needed to keep up with growing numbers of shipments and to mitigate labor shortages. It worked with systems integrator AWL-Techniek Holding B.V. to deploy a robotic depalletizer, which uses two Ensenso 3D cameras from Imaging Development Systems GmbH.
About 4.15 billion courier, express, and parcel shipments were sent in Germany alone in 2022, according to the Germnan Parcel and Express Logistics Association. That number could grow to 4.9 billion by 2027.
Part of Deutsche Post DHL Group, DHL said it has about 380,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company wanted to automate the handling of pallets carrying e-commerce orders.
AWL develops RODE
AWL has 200 in-house engineers and seven facilities worldwide. The Harderwijk, Netherlands-based company said it has integrated more than 100 logistics robots since 2019, including the Stark depalletizer with vision developer Fizyr for Arvato Supply Chain Solutions.
DHL Parcel worked with AWL to develop a system that can pick and place parcels from randomly mixed pallets at its facility in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The robotic depalletizer, or RODE, places packages of varying sizes and weights onto a conveyor belt for sortation.
The system must independently recognize the position of the objects in three-dimensional space and decide which package to pick next. RODE must then determine the best gripping position and avoid collision with other parcels or the machine.
“This intelligent robotic solution integrates AI image processing and high-tech gripper technology,” explained Sander Lensen, research and development manager at AWL. “The system recognizes products and can flip the items to ensure that the required long side is leading.”
IDS provides perception for depalletizing
Two Imaging Development Systems (IDS) Ensenso X36 3D cameras provide the necessary image data. They provide 2D and 3D information on products on a pallet measuring 1,200 x 1,200 mm (47.2 x 47.2 in.) and a maximum height of 2,400 mm (94.4 in.).
Each Ensenso X36 consists of a projector unit and two GigE cameras with either 1.6 MP or 5 MP CMOS sensors. AWL chose the 5 MP variant for this project.
The scope of delivery also included mounting and adjustment brackets, three lenses, and sync and patch cables for connecting the cameras to the projector unit. The integrated FlexView2 technology ensures spatial resolution, as well as robust detection of dark or reflective surfaces, said IDS.
While the 3D systems are delivered assembled and pre-calibrated, customers can also use a setup wizard included with the software for calibration. Obersulm, Germany-based IDS compared this with the ease of use of the RODE depalletizer.
The integrated image-processing system enables the depalletizer to identify each package and determine the corresponding position for robust robot-assisted picking, said IDS and AWL.
DHL moves 800 parcels per hour
AWL claimed that its integration experience and DHL’s parcel-handling expertise resulted in a system that is easy to implement and can help customers stay ahead of the evolving world of logistics automation.
When shipments come in from DHL customers, RODE can take parcels from a pallet station and put them on the belt. It is designed to automatically track products or labels, and it can flip packages to make sure the long side is leading.
RODE enables DHL to put up to 800 parcels per hour weighing up to 31.5 kg (77 lb.) each on the sorting belt. The system can continuously process packages without downtime, add shift flexibility while freeing up staffers for other tasks, and improve ergonomics, said AWL.
“The intralogistics market is a growth market. The number of robot solutions required will increase rapidly in the coming years,” noted Lensen. “The type of products that need to be recognized will change constantly. This will be a challenge for all components and the camera requirements.”
“However, image processing is also developing rapidly,” he said. “Smart solutions, in particular, which combine camera technology with artificial intelligence, are on the rise. They hold great potential for tackling both increasingly demanding tasks and the worsening shortage of skilled workers. Carton by carton, parcel by parcel, pallet by pallet.”
“The robot takes over heavier and repetitive tasks,” stated Roelof Hofman, chief operating officer at DHL Parcel Benelux. “Working with the robot makes it more challenging and more interesting for people simultaneously.”
“With this successful first application in our sorting center in Rotterdam, we will also implement the robot in other sorting centers.”