GLS Spain Madrid Parcel Sorting Hub

Project Overview

GLS Spain faced the challenge of continuous growth in parcel flows and made the strategic decision to centralize their operations in the important Madrid region. This project represents a significant investment in parcel logistics infrastructure designed to enhance competitiveness through increased capacity and operational efficiency.

The implementation of Körber's state-of-the-art technology enables GLS Spain to handle large volumes of parcels per hour, which is decisive for maintaining competitiveness in the rapidly growing Spanish logistics market. The Madrid hub serves as a central processing facility for parcel distribution throughout Spain.

The project's ambitious goal was to implement a system capable of processing 12,000 parcels per hour, representing a major technological challenge that required advanced automation solutions and sophisticated system integration.

Technical Solution

Visicon AI Vision Systems

The system incorporates five Visicon systems featuring revolutionary AI-based vision technology. The Visicon Simulator reliably transforms bulk parcels into a stream of simulated items, precisely detecting and recording the shape, size, and position of each parcel on the conveyor belt in real-time. This information enables the system to calculate critical parameters including separation, orientation, and exit direction.

Key Features

The system's total capacity exceeds 50,000 parcels per hour, representing a milestone achievement in the Spanish logistics sector and providing GLS Spain with significant competitive advantage.

The AI-based Visicon vision systems provide revolutionary parcel detection and tracking capabilities, enabling precise handling and sorting based on real-time shape, size, and position data.

The multi-line configuration with specialized irregular lines ensures comprehensive parcel handling capability, accommodating both standard high-volume items and non-standard parcels requiring special processing.

Results & Benefits

The implementation has increased platform capacity to handle over 50,000 parcels per hour, supporting GLS Spain's continuous growth and positioning them for estimated business growth of 10-15% in the Spanish market.

The advanced sorting technology has raised operational standards, ensuring an efficient and highly accurate sorting process that minimizes errors and maximizes throughput.

Despite global challenges including the Ukraine war causing raw material delivery delays, the project successfully met deadlines and achieved operational targets, demonstrating effective project management and technical execution.

Challenges & Solutions

The continuous growth in parcel flows requiring centralized operations was addressed through the implementation of this advanced sorting hub in Madrid, leveraging Körber's state-of-the-art technology to create a high-capacity processing center.

The technical complexity of implementing a system capable of handling 12,000 parcels per hour was overcome through the comprehensive solution featuring multiple sorting lines, AI vision systems, and integrated scanning and weighing technologies.

Global supply chain disruptions caused by the Ukraine war presented significant challenges for raw material delivery, but through effective project management and partnership between GLS Spain and Körber, the project successfully met all deadlines.

System Integrator

Körber served as the system integrator, providing their expertise in sorting technology and solutions for goods and delivery flow optimization. Their commitment to customer service and flexible approach to problem-solving, combined with their global experience and local implementation capability, enabled the successful delivery of this complex project. The partnership focused on shared objectives of system efficiency and performance, with Körber accompanying GLS Spain from initial needs assessment through to system implementation and optimization.