Deutsche Post opens first mechanised parcel delivery centre
Deutsche Post has opened the first of a new generation of highly automated parcel delivery centres, in Braunschweig, northern Germany. The new “MechZB” is the first of 25 new facilities due to go live by the end of next year in Germany, to modernise the postal service’s parcel network.
It is part of a EUR 750m investment Deutsche Post is making in making its parcel network more efficient by 2015.
The 16,500 square metre facility developed at a former freight depot can sort parcels ready for delivery, automating a process that had previously been carried out manually.
The new technology will mean a big increase in productivity for the parcel network, the company said.
The Braunschweig centre will process parcels ready for 100 delivery staff to distribute in the local area
Uwe Brinks, head of production at Deutsche Post DHL, said: “By processing the parcels directly at the delivery base we save time and allow faster deliveries to the customer.
“The new system is better ergonomically as well and has been met with approval among the employees.”
More than 100 staff will be delivering parcels from the centre to addresses in Braunschweig and the surrounding area.
Along with the 25 new automated parcel centres being developed, Deutsche Post has already expanded the capacity at 19 of its 33 existing parcel centres, increasing its capacity to process 28,000 to 30,000 parcels per hour.
Construction of the company’s biggest parcel centre yet is underway in Obertshausen, near Frankfurt.
In all of our parcel centres we are now able to deal with the high throughout in the period leading up to Christmas, and in the process we have increased our total capacity significantly,” said Brinks.
