Case Study: Retrofittable robotic automation system modernizes existing warehouse operations

Warehouses built for automation provide dazzling examples of productivity and efficiency, yet these greenfield facilities are vastly outnumbered by brownfield sites operating successfully with limited or no automation capabilities. 

Incorporating robotic automation systems into existing infrastructure typically involves a range of challenges, particularly when the facility is decades old. The prime alternatives – to rip and replace or start anew – are largely cost prohibitive. 

To help the warehousing and fulfillment industry better meet its need for speed and flexibility, a new robotic system can simplify the implementation of automation in existing buildings and enhance human-machine collaboration. An early adopter of the solution, which unites technologies from Cartesian Kinetics and Rockwell Automation, achieved a 5x productivity boost compared to previous processes and improved fulfillment quality by a factor of 10.

Achieving automation is out of reach for many warehouses

It is said that 80% of U.S. warehouses remain manual despite the availability of and growing need for automation solutions. These warehouses, fulfillment centers, and distribution centers struggle to meet modern performance requirements with aging infrastructure and systems. 

• E-commerce companies are raising the bar on fulfillment speed to stay competitive, and consumer expectations are rising accordingly.
• Warehouses that are 30-50 years old commonly have uneven floors and divots, manual racking systems, and legacy operational workflows.
• Logistics and fulfillment workflows are inherently unpredictable, making leaders wary of implementing automation into existing infrastructure for fear it will not deliver the desired results.
• Infrastructure overhauls are time-consuming, costly, and considerably disruptive to warehouse operations.

Too often, warehouse leaders settled on one of two options: not automating at all or replacing their infrastructure to enable automation. A better solution was needed to deliver reliable, high-performance automation capabilities to existing warehouses, while they are running, with minimal risks and costs. 

Introducing automation without starting from scratch is the goal

California-based Cartesian Kinetics, working in partnership with Rockwell Automation, developed a solution for retrofitting and modernizing existing warehouses with automation that enhances human productivity and business performance. The solution combines three core technologies: a proprietary robotics platform, digital twin software, and advanced motion control technology.

• Carte+ from Cartesian Kinetics is a robotics system that retrofits directly onto existing racks, essentially turning them into automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS). The system is designed to install quickly and scale flexibly, one aisle at a time, adapting to the existing layout, inventory, and workflow. The ability to deliver multiple bins to stationary workers with a goods-to-person (G2P) approach improves warehouse picks per hour (PPH) and accuracy while reducing worker fatigue, cognitive load, and safety risks from heavy lifting or falls.
• Emulate3D from Rockwell Automation enables Cartesian Kinetics to build virtual replicas or “twins” of warehouse operations, allowing customers to simulate, test, and refine real-world scenarios and their impacts, ensuring viability before making decisions to reduce risks and costs.
• Independent Cart Technology (ICT) from Rockwell Automation provides advanced motion control for material movement with built-in anti-collision safeguards. Using magnetic levitation rather than wheels, which need smoother floors, ICT enables precise navigation of existing racking systems.

Improving infrastructure instead of replacing it meets efficiency and quality goals

The collaboration between Cartesian Kinetics and Rockwell Automation allows existing warehouses and fulfillment centers to start small and scale fast, with minimal disruption to ongoing operations, so they can realize the promise of automation and stay competitive.

Results achieved in one customer facility included: 

• 5x increase in worker productivity, facilitating business growth by processing more orders in less time
• 10x decrease in worker error rates, reducing costs associated with returns and increasing customer satisfaction

North Bay Distribution, a U.S.-based third-party logistics (3PL) provider, recently partnered with Cartesian Kinetics to automate its multi-tenant business-to-consumer (B2C) piece-picking fulfillment process. With Carte+, North Bay aims to triple its throughput, support up to five clients per module, and enable real-time SKU tracking from pick to ship.

“Carte+ has immediately elevated the speed and reliability of our fulfillment operations. The ability to deploy advanced robotics without altering our existing infrastructure is a game-changer. We’re now scaling faster, handling higher volumes with greater accuracy, and delivering even better results for our customers,” comments Chris Caouette, CRO of North Bay Distribution.

“Warehouses have long faced a difficult choice between costly overhauls or partial automation,” notes Kimberly Barr, head of business development and strategic partnerships at Cartesian Kinetics. “Carte+ bridges that gap, combining scalability, affordability, and performance.”

The retrofittable solution allows existing warehouses to automate without expensive infrastructure changes, long downtimes, or complex integrations, adds Jayendran Balasubramanian, CEO of Cartesian Kinetics. "The promise of automation is not to take the person out of the equation. The promise of automation is to make their productivity much higher."