Körber Signs Partnership with Libiao Robotics

Autonomous mobile sorting robots from Libiao Robotics expand Körber’s portfolio of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) to tackle the complexity of the supply chain. The two companies have joined forces to provide the latest robotic technologies in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.

(Bad Nauheim; Hangzhou/China) Körber and Libiao Robotics, a global specialist in autonomous mobile robots focused on sorting, have teamed up to provide the latest robotic technologies in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.

Libiao Robotics’ core business focuses on package sorting after order picking. The company is pioneering research and innovation in artificial intelligence and automation for logistics. Libiao Robotics has successfully developed a range of sorting robots, particularly for the so-called “tabletop sorting.” They have also designed a variety of intelligent sorting solutions to meet the unique needs of different industries and companies worldwide. In the past five years, the company has successfully deployed over 15,000 sorting robots globally, covering a variety of industries: postal services, supermarkets, shoes and clothing, medicine, gastronomy, cold storage, jewelry, education, manufacturing, books, and publishing. With Libiao Robotics, Körber expands its unique solution depth and breadth that covers the entire supply chain.

Improving Efficiency and Quality

With the increase in e-commerce and order volumes in general, warehouses are faced with the challenge of improving their efficiency and quality while also dealing with capacity and space constraints. With the autonomous mobile robots from Libiao Robotics, Körber offers the flexibility and scalability that modern businesses need not only to meet today’s customer expectations but also to adapt to seasonality or other peak times. The solution will be offered under the name “K.Move AutoSort Mobile – Powered by Libiao.”

The tabletop robots require only a small footprint and can be quickly deployed, reconfigured, and scaled, making sorting automation more accessible and flexible than traditional stationary automation – from micro-fulfillment centers to large sorting depots.

Automation in Logistics More Urgent Than Ever

Xiao Huiling, founder and CEO of Libiao Robotics, says: “We are excited to expand our relationship with Körber beyond Australia and New Zealand. Körber is a company with very strong integration capabilities. The cooperation with Körber will support the development of Libiao’s global strategy. The current global COVID-19 pandemic is changing market structures and trends. Its impacts and the rapid growth of e-commerce have driven reforms in logistics and the supply chain. Given the labor shortage and a significant increase in health risks, the need to address the challenges of the logistics and supply chain system with automation is more urgent than ever. The flexibility and scalability of sorting systems are also higher to adapt to the changing and diverse market needs and difficulties. For this reason, highly flexible sorting solutions have a wide range of applications, and our cooperation is therefore promising.”

“With autonomous mobile tabletop robots from Libiao Robotics, we lower the threshold for automated sorting without sacrificing scalability. As volume increases, additional robots can be added cost-effectively. Additionally, the solution can be easily reconfigured and relocated as the business changes. Furthermore, our extensive integration experience allows us to reliably integrate these robots into our customers’ back-end systems to deliver a seamless, high-performance solution,” adds Anton du Preez, head of AMR in Europe and the Middle East, Körber Supply Chain.

Strategic Advantage for Customers

“In a competitive logistics environment where flexibility, adaptability, and precision are everything, robotics brings a whole new level of performance to the warehouse,” adds Nishan Wijemanne, Global Head of AMR Solutions, Körber Supply Chain. “The opportunity to deploy Libiao sorting robots alongside our existing AMR solution portfolio gives our customers the strategic advantage of implementing an efficient, cost-effective, and quickly deployable solution, thus achieving faster last-mile delivery. This is just another example of Körber’s commitment to providing the right solutions to turn today’s logistical challenges into a strategic differentiator.”

Libiao Robotics, headquartered in Hangzhou, China, is a global pioneer in intelligent sorting robots and a world-leading provider of flexible, intelligent sorting solutions. The company combines logistics automation with research and development, production, and sales of intelligent equipment.

All products from Libiao Robotics are self-developed, and they have been granted over 90 exclusive invention patents.

Photo: © Körber Supply Chain