Berkshire Grey Inc., a developer of AI-enabled robotic systems that automate supply chain processes, has announced the fourth generation of its BG Robotic Sortation system. The company said its latest version brings together engineering and insights from its decade of experience in warehouse production picking.
The BG Robotic Sortation system is aimed toward the next generation of order processing and fulfillment in the industry, said Berkshire Grey. The Bedford, Mass.-based company claimed that the system can help businesses facing increased challenges around labor shortages and escalating business constraints.
“Our team at Berkshire Grey is excited to introduce the fourth generation of our top-selling BG Robotic Sortation solution to the market,” said ,” Paul Ambruso, vice president of product at Berkshire Grey, in a release. “This innovative product has been meticulously engineered to address the pressing challenges faced by modern warehouses, and we are already hearing from customers that their KPIs [key performance indicators] show this new generation will set the standard for efficiency, flexibility, and reliability.”
Key upgrades to the BG Robotic Sortation system
The BG Robotic Sortation system (BG RPS/RSPS) can pick and sort single units and inner packs for each, less-than-case, break-pack, and split-case operations. The system picks items from homogenous containers, and it can place items into designated outbound containers for store and wholesale replenishment and large e-commerce order fulfillment, according to Berkshire Grey.
The company highlighted five key aspects of its upgraded system:
- Lower operational costs: The BG Robotic Sortation system allows users to choose between robotic or manual induction operations. Berkshire Grey said this can mitigate labor shortages with an up to 50% reduction in labor requirements compared with traditional sorters.
- Maximize efficiency: The system can maximize rates by picking all donor container items needed per order in one touch, the company asserted. It also offers zero-walking pick/pack or zero-learning robotic induction, sorting directly to store containers with container utilization and automated takeaway and exchange.
- Extending the life of buildings: The system can double performance per square foot, optimizing space utilization. Users can also install it into brownfield sites or on mezzanines. This flexibility can facilitate the processing of hundreds or thousands of orders simultaneously.
- Flexible configuration: The BG Robotic Sortation system can handle increasing demands as operations scale, said Berkshire Grey. It said it offers close to 100% SKU coverage, advanced orchestration enabling dynamic store allocation, and the ability to add modules to accommodate growth.
- Equipment-agnostic: The updated system can integrate with existing building equipment, including conveyors, automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), totes, and more, for a comprehensive approach to automation, said Berkshire Grey.
Berkshire Grey systems are already at work
Leading retailers are currently using the BG Robotic Sortation system in their warehouses, according to Berkshire Grey. Customers using the system were able to pick two times more units in 2023 than they did in 2022. This enhances customer order-processing efficiency, keeping retailers ahead in a quickly changing market, according to the company.
Last year, it announced collaborations with Locus Robotics and Hy-Tek Intralogistics, as well as a deployment with Maersk.
Also last year, Berkshire Grey said that it had reached a final agreement to merge with SoftBank Group Corp. in a cash deal worth about $375 million.
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