High-Density Automation Reshapes E-Commerce Fulfillment

Hai Robotics has been selected by a major European fashion retailer to equip a new 30,000-square-meter e-commerce fulfillment center with its automated case-handling mobile robot technology. The installation utilizes the HaiPick Climb double-deep system to manage high-volume inventory workflows and support rapidly growing online order volumes.

Participant Roles and Operational Challenge
Hai Robotics serves as the automation technology provider supplying robotic hardware, fleet management software, and system integration architecture. The operational challenge involves managing high-density inventory storage while maintaining continuous throughput in an e-commerce environment characterized by fluctuating demand and strict delivery schedules. Traditional manual picking methods lack the vertical space utilization and speed required for large-scale omnichannel distribution, necessitating an automated goods-to-person framework.

Technical Architecture and System Responsibilities
The deployment relies on the HaiPick Climb system, which features autonomous rack-climbing robots capable of navigating vertical storage structures to retrieve and transport totes. The system integrates over 1,500 robots within a single unified control software architecture, managing traffic control, battery charging cycles, and task allocation across the warehouse grid.

The infrastructure accommodates 1.2 million double-deep storage locations. The onboard navigation and lifting mechanisms interface directly with industry-standard racking systems, allowing the robots to scale vertical heights and access multiple storage depths without requiring specialized facility modifications.

Deployment and Infrastructure Integration
Implementation occurs within a newly constructed 30,000-square-meter fulfillment facility in Europe, building upon the retailer's previous deployments of smaller HaiPick systems. Engineering teams integrated the robotic fleet with existing warehouse management software via standard application programming interfaces, ensuring synchronized order batching and inventory updating.

Applications and Operational Impact
The solution targets high-volume e-commerce fulfillment and fashion distribution sectors where storage density and order velocity directly influence operational costs.

The installation achieves a system throughput exceeding 24,000 totes per hour. By utilizing vertical rack-climbing mechanics, the facility maximizes cubic storage capacity within a compact footprint. Automated goods-to-person routing reduces travel times for operators, minimizes picking errors, and ensures consistent workflow stability across peak demand cycles.

Edited by Sucithra Mani, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.hairobotics.com