Pilot project at Lidl successfully completed - rollout planning in place

The ACP concept makes it possible to fully automate picking processes in distribution centers. The product pallets delivered by the manufacturers are automatically destacked, checked, scanned and buffered in an automated storage/retrieval system in which shuttles from Vanderlande's extensive shuttle portfolio are used for storage and retrieval. The packages retrieved from there are transported to the palletizing area by means of automatic conveyor technology, where they are loaded onto a pallet by a robot equipped with a special gripper. The pallets are automatically shrink-wrapped and labeled and are then ready for dispatch to the stores.

The pilot plant was designed in such a way that the store pallets produced there were introduced into the supply cycle and used under realistic conditions. Lidl's various product groups were tested for their ACP capability and the usability of the ACP was continuously expanded.

Due to the high requirements regarding the quality of the store pallets, particular attention was paid to the Lidl-specific requirements for the central software of Vanderlande's Load Forming Logic (LFL). The underlying software algorithm is the key to being able to pack the packages through the robot in the desired sequence in a stable and store-friendly manner.

During the on-site tests, both Lidl and Vanderlande were able to gain valuable experience, which was incorporated into an expanded concept and is now offered by Vanderlande as ACP 2.0.

"The experience we have gained together has enabled us to take the ACP concept to a new level and significantly increase the added value for our customers. We are delighted to have found a partner in Lidl who puts our developments through their paces under real-life conditions and optimizes them together with us," says Matthias Kramm, Managing Director of Vanderlande Industries GmbH Mönchengladbach.

Lidl decided to subject the concept to this test phase first in order to ensure general feasibility. "The modularity of Vanderlande's ACP system enables us to incorporate the individual needs of our locations into our warehouse planning," concludes Mark Ebeling, Head of Intralogistics. "The ACP is another building block for the logistics concepts of the future."

Vanderlande's ACP 2.0 concept is now being used by various food retailers in Europe, including Leclerc in France and Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, who recently opted for Vanderlande's fully automated picking system.