SSI Schaefer buys majority share in RO-BER

SSI Schaefer is a versatile provider of warehousing and logistics solutions, including automation and RO-BER specialises in gantry robot systems.

The move represents SSI Schaefer underlining its robotics ambitions and pressing ahead with an Industry 4.0 focused strategy.

Elmar Issing, vice president robotics & innovations at SSI Schaefer, explains the strategic commitment by saying: "High-performance robotic applications are now a key factor in integrated automation solutions in intralogistics. Our involvement with RO-BER increases the range of solutions for our customers in another key future technology, and completes the product portfolio in robotics with intelligent control technology." Both partners want to make specific use of the synergies from their complementary technology portfolios to implement customer-specific, integrated intralogistics concepts. The kinematic properties (concerning the geometry of motion) of gantry robots is said to allow and solutions to be developed with regard to sorting, buffering and linking functions.

As an independent developer and manufacturer of gantry robot systems for picking and sequencing, as well as for storing, buffering and linking, RO-BER has already been a reliable project partner to SSI Schaefer for many years.

"In the market, SSI Schaefer and RO-BER have a lot in common with regard to customers and industries," says Dr Hans Gerd Severin, managing director of RO-BER. "The inclusion of our standardised robot systems in their concepts complements the SSI Schaefer product portfolio perfectly, especially for end-of-line palletising and in picking systems."

The partners have completed major projects in recent years, such as a drinks warehouse for German supermarket Edeka which utilised a gantry robot-assisted, fast mover picking system.

RO-BER will continue to operate on the market as a fully independent company.