Amazon Australia’s Robot Operated Warehouse

Amazon Australia’s Robot Operated Warehouse is set to be completed in Sydney – not only will this be the biggest Warehouse in Australia but the largest in the southern hemisphere – by the end of 2021.

With more steel than the Sydney Olympic stadium and more space than Taronga Zoo, the Amazon warehouse will be home to more than 11 million items that will be housed on site.

“It’s the equivalent of 24 rugby league fields,” Amazon Director of Operations Craig Fuller told reporters on Tuesday.

With the ability to sort up to 11 million items at a rate of 25,000 packages (SKU) per hour, the facility will service 85 per cent of the population and cement the online giant’s warehousing services in Australia.

Luke Rector, program manager for the new Amazon Robotics fulfilment centre, says advanced robots are set to do most of the heavy lifting at the Goodman/Brickworks’ Oakdale West Industrial Estate in Sydney’s west.

“We’re at the point we’ve got the shell of the building but as of tomorrow it really represents the next step in evolution,” he said on Tuesday.

But it won’t only be robots manning the space at the new facility. People will work hand in hand with robots. Robots will be sorting and selecting products after they are purchased online, and then the items will be handed over to humans to pack and ship out. While advanced robotics technology will help workers in the purchase and delivery process, more than 1500 jobs will be created by the new Amazon Fulfillment Centre.

The job opportunities available once the warehouse opens will range from IT to engineering, logistics, HR, customer service, robotics, and more. That’s on top of more than 1700 jobs that would have been created for the construction and fit out of the facility. Amazon says that Western Sydney locals are preferred to fill the roles.

“We’re are pleased to confirm we are on track to open our first Amazon Robotics site for Australia in Western Sydney this year delivering more than 1500 local jobs with the opportunity to work alongside advanced robotics,” said Fuller.

“As we expand our roots here in Western Sydney, we remain committed to enriching and giving back to the local communities and look forward to working with Penrith Council and local schools and groups to contribute and support the community around our new facility in a meaningful way,” he added.

“This will be our fifth Amazon Fulfilment Services Centre In Australia and will effectively double our operational footprint in Australia, providing our customers with wider selection and faster delivery when ordering via Amazon.com.au.

“Utilising advanced technology, the robotics will enhance the efficiency of our operations as well as the safety of our associates, helping to support our Amazonians as they pick, pack and ship the millions of items housed within the Fulfilment Centre to customers around the country.

Amazon expands its Melbourne operations

The online behemoth Amazon last year announced that it would be opening a second distribution centre in Melbourne’s outer suburbs that’s expected to create 500 jobs. Construction has begun on the new Melbourne warehouse at Ravenhall, about 20km west of the city. Covering 37,000 square metres – almost double the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground – the facility will have enough capacity to house up to six million items. The project will generate 200 jobs during construction and 300 jobs when it opens in late 2021.

“Amazon’s investment in a second fulfilment centre will bring hundreds of jobs to the western suburbs of Melbourne, providing local employment opportunities in suburban growth areas,” Treasurer Tim Pallas said in a statement in October last year.

“We welcome this investment as a clear indicator of confidence in the state and attracting investment from significant global companies, such as Amazon, is critical to drive our economic recovery.”

Amazon also has a 24,000 square metre distribution centre in Dandenong South, which was the first to open in Australia in 2017.

The company said the expansion across the two sites would increase the proportion of items it could ship commercial freight directly to its Victorian customers from Melbourne and enable quicker delivery.

“We have invested significantly in our Victorian operations this year to ensure we can continue to improve delivery promises to customers in the state,” Fuller said last year.

“This Australian fulfilment centre will also provide additional capacity for Victorian-based small and medium-sized businesses who utilise the Fulfilment By Amazon service to benefit from our expanded capability and seamlessly serve customers across the country.”

Australian Freight Company – Across the Ocean Shipping is well experienced in organising Amazon shipments for their clients. Contact one of our professionals today for more information on Amazon warehousing and/or shipping. +61 3 9427 0015

Credit: https://7news.com.au/technology/inside-amazon-australias-mammoth-warehouse-that-will-be-operated-by-high-tech-robots-and-humans-c-2371140