CEVA Logistics, a player in third-party logistics, has announced that robots from Boston Dynamics will be used to serve the company’s customers at its newly opened transload facility.
The new 35,000-square-foot site is located near the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and it is the only transload facility in North America to offer a cross-belt sortation device, enabling 10,000 parcels to be sorted every hour based on preselected variables such as size, colour, or preferred carrier.
The facility caters to automotive, consumer retail, and technology companies and was constructed with efficiency and velocity in mind.
CEVA will be one of the first logistics companies in the country to leverage Boston Dynamics’ Stretch robots to unload hundreds of boxes per hour.
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The autonomous robots can operate continuously, improving efficiency and preventing safety concerns associated with using manual labour for the same process.
Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot is also being used for security, patrolling the site. CEVA is also using One Network’s yard and warehouse management systems to ensure end-to-end visibility for its customers.
CEVA expects to process a total of 26,000 floor-loaded containers during the facility’s first year in operation and to double its capacity within three years.
Beyond its capacity, technology, and automation, the site was designed to minimise its carbon footprint. Environmental initiatives, including rooftop solar panels and EV trucks powered by renewable energy sources, will be in service by January 2024.
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In addition to leveraging the Los Angeles transload warehouse, supply chain customers will also have access to CEVA’s drayage fleet and dedicated container chassis when moving product from port to warehouse.
These offerings can alleviate transportation delays and avoid commonly experienced resource bottlenecks. The site features 50 dock doors and parking for 205 trailers.
Ashfaque Chowdhury, Managing Director for North America, CEVA Logistics, said: “The addition of our Los Angeles transload facility demonstrates CEVA’s ongoing commitment to expanding our services in North America.
“The new site builds on our robust network of warehouses across the continent, giving our customers more control and flexibility over their supply chains,” Chowdhury added.
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Kevin Blankespoor, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Warehouse Robotics, Boston Dynamics, said: “We’re excited to deploy our robots at CEVA’s new facility. Stretch is designed to safely and rapidly unload containers, which can be a difficult task to perform manually based on the height and weight of boxes, as well as the often-high temperatures found inside containers.
“Stretch can reach boxes up to 50 pounds in weight, its vision system enables it to adapt to different stacking configurations, and it does not require any pre-programming. The robots are ready to go to work as soon as they arrive.”
More recently, CEVA Logistics announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire 96 per cent of Mumbai-based Stellar Value Chain Solutions.
