Exotec®︎, a global warehouse robotics provider, has today announced the commercial launch of the Next Generation of its Skypod®︎ system, offering higher performance, improved storage density, and advanced software features.

The Next Generation of Skypod comes with a number of design improvements, including a new and more compact Skypod robot, a workstation for robot-to-robot picking, a high-throughput exchanger, and denser storage. These redesigns, combined with new software features, improve the throughput at a single workstation by 50%, while enhancing storage density by up to 30% compared to the previous generation.

The key differentiator for the Next Generation of Skypod is the ability to handle both each and case picking, positioning Exotec to better address multichannel needs with a single solution. The system also natively supports a number of value-added logistics features that traditionally require external equipment and complex subsystems. This not only enables customers to simplify the flow of goods through the warehouse, but also significantly shrinks the system footprint by cutting down the need for conveyors, sorters, external storage, and packing stations. Specifically, the Next Generation of Skypod supports:

• Integrated buffer: Next-Gen Skypod handles buffering within the system. Following order preparation at the workstation, completed or semi-completed orders get automatically stored inside the racks until they are ready for outbound, or further consolidation. This helps reduce the need for staging areas or any other external buffer systems.
• Perfect sequencing: Next-Gen Skypod handles strict outbound sequencing before ejecting orders by using robots and the exchanger. The robots group orders and deliver them in a specific arrangement to the exchanger, which then routes the orders to outbound. This enables precise loading of pallets, containers, or trucks based on delivery routes, store planograms, or other unloading requirements, all without the need for external sorting equipment.
• Pick-and-Pack: Next-Gen Skypod handles packing as an integrated part of the picking process. Operators pick directly into fulfilment containers, removing the need for manual packing operations downstream. This functionality pairs extremely well with right-size packaging solutions. These solutions can be integrated with Next-Gen Skypod to enable picking into right-size containers, significantly cutting last-mile costs.

“When designing the Next Generation Skypod, our goal was to create a solution that would set the industry standard of operational excellence and elegance for the next decade and beyond,” said Romain Moulin, CEO and co-founder of Exotec. “We’re already seeing our customers reimagine their entire supply chain around the transformative capabilities of this innovation, from combining case and each picking operations, to leveraging outbound sequencing to improve transportation costs. Witnessing this level of impact has been incredibly rewarding.”

Exotec developed the Next Generation of Skypod in response to evolving market needs and feedback from the existing customer base, which increasingly demands warehouse robotics to address a wider range of processes within the warehouse walls. Over the past two years, Exotec has sold and deployed the Next Generation Skypod system globally in stealth mode. The company has successfully secured over 20 projects worldwide, totalling $400M, to customers including Oxford Industries (Tommy Bahama, Lilly Pulitzer, Southern Tide, etc.) and E.Leclerc, to transform and strengthen their supply chain operations.

“We chose Exotec for its storage density and its operational flexibility. Robotic advancements have enabled us to set up a larger buffer area for prepared orders within the system,” said Maxence Maurice, CEO of E. Leclerc Seclin. “Previously, I estimated that the customer journey, from arriving at the pick-up point to leaving with their groceries, took between 10 and 15 minutes. Today, with the Exotec solution, it takes less than 5 minutes.”

For more information on the Next Generation of Skypod system, please visit www.exotec.com.