Inside The New Dematic Solutions Center

Choosing the right technologies for a highly automated warehouse is rarely straightforward. Which technologies are the right fit for a particular operation? How do robotics, software and other automation technologies work together as one system? And how can companies assess all of this before making major investment decisions?

These questions become particularly pressing when companies are preparing to invest heavily in automation. To help customers find the right answers, KION brand, Dematic has opened the new Dematic Solutions Center at its Americas Headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan (USA). The new facility allows customers to experience firsthand how robotics, software and other technologies interact and how different solutions perform as part of a complete warehouse operation.

Confidence Before Investment

“Customers need greater confidence that their technology investments will deliver results,” says Mike Larsson, Dematic president and KION executive board member. The new Solutions Center was designed to provide exactly that confidence by helping customers evaluate integrated solutions, understand what is possible for their own operations and make more informed investment decisions.

The new Solutions Center also marks an important milestone for both Dematic and KION. With an investment of nearly $50 million, it is the first integrated warehouse automation showcase of its kind in North America and is intended to serve customers from around the world.

Automation in Action

At the heart of the nearly 40,000-square-foot facility is a fully functional fulfillment center where automation, robotics, software, AI-driven insights and lifecycle services operate as one connected environment. Visitors can follow complete end-to-end workflows in action, including autonomous mobile robots, goods-to-person systems, robotic piece picking, palletizing and warehouse management software, and see how the individual technologies work together under realistic operating conditions.

“The Dematic Solutions Center helps customers reduce risk and better understand how integrated technologies can solve today’s challenges and support future growth,” says Chris Steiner, senior vice president of product management at Dematic. By experiencing complete workflows before making an investment, customers can see how individual technologies interact, assess whether a solution fits their specific operation and identify potential challenges at an early stage.

Investing in Talent

The opening of the Dematic Solutions Center was also an investment in the next generation of automation experts. As part of the event, Dematic announced a $150,000 donation to the nonprofit For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) , supporting STEM education and workforce development through robotics programs, competitions and student scholarships. Over the past years, Dematic has contributed nearly $500,000 to FIRST.