Walmart to deploy robotic cranes at milk facility
Walmart plans to automate key workflows at a proprietary milk processing facility it is opening in 2026.
The discount giant will open its third owned and operated milk processing facility in Robinson, Texas, with groundbreaking later this year a target launch in 2026. The facility will process and bottle a variety of milk options for Walmart’s Great Value and Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark brands and serve more than 750 Walmart stores and Sam's Clubs throughout the South including Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and parts of Arkansas and Mississippi.
Walmart will install a Swisslog automation solution at the milk hub with the goal of enabling seamless material flow and increasing uptime. It will be the third Walmart milk processing facility to deploy the Swisslog automated storage and retrieval solution (ASRS) featuring SynQ software and Vectura cranes.
According to Walmart, the solution continues the company's commitment to building a more resilient and transparent supply chain. It brings together five Vectura pallet stacker cranes with KUKA palletizing and de-palletizing robots and a ProMove pallet conveyor system, as well as a conveyor system for small loads.
The automation solution operates on synchronized intelligence from Swisslog SynQ software, which provides warehouse management, material flow and automation control in a single, modular platform. SynQ management software is designed to optimize the flow of equipment to increase efficiency and accuracy, and also orchestrates the operation of multiple sub-systems.
In addition, the project includes 24/7 technology support from Swisslog IT Managed Services.
Walmart also uses Swisslog automation technology in the milk processing plant it has operated in Fort Wayne, Ind. since 2018, and will deploy it the solution in a milk facility it is scheduled to open in Valdosta, Ga. in 2025.
"We are honored that Walmart continues to put their trust in our automation solutions and our people behind those solutions," said Sean Wallingford, president and CEO of Swisslog Americas. "This has been a very collaborative relationship as our two teams work together to create value for Walmart and ensure our automation solutions and software enable the company and its farmers to bring fresh, transparently sourced dairy to market."
Based in Bentonville, Ark., Walmart Inc. operates more than 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries.