Chinese mobile robotics company Geek+ has implemented the largest installation of its PopPick shelf-to-person system in Japan.

This is at the Askul value centre in Kansai. The staged implementation, which will include more than 318 Geek+ robots, is more than 70% complete.

Askul is a Japanese company founded in 1993 that has grown to become one of the country’s leading suppliers of office supplies and equipment.

Since 2019, Askul (www.askul.co.jp) has been using Geek+’s standard shelf-to-person system across multiple distribution centres to streamline warehouse operations and boost efficiency. When Askul expanded its product line, the company needed to grow its warehouse automation. It chose the Geek+ PopPick (www.geekplus.com/shelf-to-person-picking) for its efficiency, storage density and cost.

This also enhances the Askul customer experience through a more efficient and effective logistics system.

“The Geek+ PopPick system is designed for high efficiency and can significantly improve the overall productivity of warehouse operations,” said Hirokazu Kato, CEO of Geek+ in Japan. “This implementation will showcase to the market the next generation of warehouse automation, setting a new industry benchmark.”

The PopPick system consists of picking robots that transport movable shelves from storage locations to PopPick workstations, where intelligent robotic arms present totes or boxes to the operator. The system can increase picking speed by up to 500 lines per hour, improve warehouse storage density by 50%, and double throughput capacity.

Geek+ (www.geekplus.com) develops robotics for order fulfilment. More than 1000 global companies use its products to realise flexible, reliable and efficient automation for warehouses and supply chain management. Founded in 2015, Geek+ has more than 1500 employees, with offices in the USA, Germany, UK, Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.