Technology
BAUHAUS Partners with XYZ Robotics to Fully Automate Goods Receiving at German Central Warehouse
BAUHAUS, a leading European home improvement retailer, has partnered with XYZ Robotics to implement a fully automated goods receiving system at its central warehouse in Krefeld, Germany. The solution, which utilizes XYZ Robotics' RockyOne and RockyOne SE mobile manipulation robots, automates the entire workflow from shipping container unloading to sorting and palletizing. This end-to-end automation is designed to improve operational consistency, reduce manual labor, and allow warehouse staff to focus on more strategic, fulfilling tasks within the facility.
The Krefeld center processes thousands of inbound shipments daily across more than 10,000 different SKUs, with cartons that vary significantly in shape, weight, and stacking configuration—posing challenges that conventional automation systems cannot easily address. XYZ Robotics' system tackles this complexity with a coordinated robotic workflow: the RockyOne robot autonomously enters shipping containers to unload loose cartons of diverse sizes and orientations. As cartons move through the system, an integrated barcode scanner identifies each item for real-time sorting, while the RockyOne SE robot builds pallets according to customer-defined patterns, creating stable, storage-ready loads.
Manual container unloading is physically demanding, involving repetitive lifting in confined spaces and often harsh temperatures, which leads to high staff turnover and injury risks. By deploying the Rocky robots, BAUHAUS workers have transitioned from heavy physical labor to supervising the automated system via a simple tablet interface, a role that requires minimal training. According to Torsten Winter, Vice President Operations (Warehousing & Transport) at BAHAG / BAUHAUS AG, the system has operated reliably around the clock without manual intervention since going live, and the company is already exploring additional applications for the technology across its network.
Following the successful deployment in Krefeld, XYZ Robotics is expanding its European presence to serve more warehouse and distribution operators, offering full lifecycle support through local teams. This partnership highlights the growing trend of intelligent robotics adoption in logistics to solve complex operational challenges while improving workplace safety and efficiency. For BAUHAUS, which operates over 290 specialty centers across 19 countries, the automation project represents a significant step in modernizing its supply chain and maintaining its commitment to quality and efficiency in serving customers.
