Vanderlande has been awarded a new contract to provide DHL Express Germany with an automation solution for their new facility in Cologne which features a new type of sorter called SPOX. The agreement was signed on 21 October at PARCEL+POST Expo 2025 in Amsterdam to mark the first time this innovative sorter has been installed at a DHL facility.
With a capacity to sort 6,000 items per hour, SPOX will enable DHL Express Germany to handle a mixed flow of regular and small parcels in the Cologne facility – including those with a height as low as 5 mm. This revolutionary sorter has been designed and built with sustainability in mind: when components wear out, they can be refurbished and then reintegrated into the system. In addition, the installation project will provide two chutes, nine truck outfeeds and three van lines.
As part of the package, Vanderlande will implement PACE Sort, the company’s high-level sortation control software. This delivers secure host integration and advanced sortation logic to help manage complex parcel flows. It will be the first time this software has been installed at a greenfield site for DHL Express.
“This contract win reflects DHL’s trust in Vanderlande and shows the strength of our longstanding partnership,” says Markus Ehrmann, Executive Managing Director with Vanderlande. “We’re delighted to be installing SPOX, our unique sorting solution that has been manufactured according to the principles of circularity, and which provides customers with improved flexibility and accuracy.”
“Vanderlande’s solution will allow us to handle the parcel flow with increased efficiency, along with the ability to sort a diverse range of items,” adds Christian Knieps, Director of Engineering at DHL Express Germany. “As ever, our team will be working closely with Vanderlande through the installation phase to ensure a seamless integration before go-live, which is set for September 2026.”
Comments are closed.