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HelloFresh Expands Chilled Fulfillment Capacity 5X with Cold-Adapted AMRs

Source: Locus Robotics via Business Wire

HelloFresh’s Cold-Adapted AMR Deployment Expands Chilled Fulfillment Capacity Fivefold

Ce qui s'est passé

Locus Robotics has disclosed the results of a customized autonomous mobile robot deployment within HelloFresh’s chilled fulfillment operation. According to the companies, the project enabled HelloFresh to increase its temperature-controlled SKU capacity from approximately 100 products to 500 produits.

Facteur, a prepared-meal brand within the HelloFresh portfolio, initially deployed 13 Locus Origin robots in July 2025. HelloFresh subsequently added another 26 robots within three months, bringing the reported deployment to 39 unités. Support for the EveryPlate brand is planned for a later stage.

The project is notable because it addresses a practical limitation of warehouse automation inside refrigerated environments. Standard battery-powered mobile robots may experience reduced battery efficiency and component-performance challenges at lower temperatures. HelloFresh also required the robots to remain inside the chilled area while both operating and charging, rather than leaving the temperature-controlled zone for battery recovery.

To support this operating model, Locus Robotics developed a heated motor enhancement and modified the charging configuration. The company says these changes allow the robots to operate continuously within the refrigerated fulfillment environment.

Comment ça marche

The Locus Origin robots move customer orders through selected internal fulfillment stages rather than replacing the entire chaîne du froid.

Orders are introduced into the picking workflow and assigned to mobile robots through the LocusONE orchestration platform. The robots then travel through the chilled fulfillment area, coordinate with warehouse employees or picking stations, and transport completed orders toward the appropriate drop-off point.

Locus Robotics reports an average mission time of three minutes and 36 seconds from order induction to box drop-off. The deployment currently supports approximately 12,000 square feet of refrigerated fulfillment space and includes two high-speed meal-kit picking lines. In some workflows, robots move orders directly from induction to drop-off while retaining digital order tracking.

The cold-storage modifications are central to the system. Lower temperatures can affect battery output, charging behavior, lubrication, electronic components and motor performance. Dans cette application, heated motor components and modified charging arrangements were introduced so the robots could remain within the refrigerated zone during operation and recharge cycles.

This differs from a conventional fixed-conveyor installation. Autonomous mobile robots can be introduced into an existing warehouse layout with less permanent infrastructure, and individual units can be rerouted if another robot is unavailable. HelloFresh said it initially considered a larger automation system involving two additional suppliers but selected a focused proof of concept with Locus Robotics to reduce upfront complexity and gain operational experience before expanding.

The reported three-minute-and-36-second mission time should not be interpreted as the total customer-order fulfillment time. It describes a specific movement between induction and box drop-off. Overall fulfillment performance still depends on product replenishment, picking accuracy, emballage, contrôle de la température, dispatch scheduling and last-mile delivery.

Pourquoi ça compte

Chilled meal fulfillment combines high SKU variety with short operating windows and strict product-integrity requirements.

Increasing a product assortment from 100 à 500 SKUs does more than add menu options. It increases the complexity of slotting, réapprovisionnement, batch rotation, séparation des allergènes, picking accuracy, inventory control and expiry management. Any increase in assortment must therefore be supported by faster material movement and more reliable order orchestration.

The case also highlights a broader cold storage automation challenge: equipment designed for ambient warehouses cannot always be moved directly into refrigerated operations without modification.

Cold conditions can affect batteries, capteurs, affiche, cables, lubricants and mechanical components. Condensation may also form when equipment moves between temperature zones. A successful cold storage automation project consequently requires environmental qualification, not only software integration.

The HelloFresh deployment suggests that modular automation can be adapted to an existing refrigerated facility without immediately committing to a large fixed system. According to the source, much of the testing was completed virtually, while final onsite validation required only several days after the robots arrived.

The flexibility is particularly relevant for direct-to-consumer food operations. Meal-kit demand, recipes and SKU combinations can change frequently. A fixed conveyor layout may deliver high throughput for a stable product profile but can be more difficult to reconfigure when product variety or order sequencing changes.

Mobile robots offer another model: capacity can be expanded by adding units, modifying workflows or reallocating robots between operational zones. Cependant, the business case still depends on reliable WMS integration, discipline de réapprovisionnement, employee training and accurate performance measurement.

Impact B2B

Pour les exploitants d’entrepôts frigorifiques, this case provides a useful framework for evaluating automation beyond headline throughput.

Equipment qualification should include expected battery duration at operating temperature, charging performance, cold-start behavior, component temperature limits and maintenance intervals. Operators should also test communication reliability, navigation accuracy, floor traction and emergency-stop performance under actual refrigerated conditions.

Charging locations require particular attention. A charging station installed inside a chilled zone may increase electrical load and introduce localized heat, while a charger located outside the cold room may create additional door openings and condensation exposure. The correct layout depends on the facility temperature, traffic profile and operating schedule.

Food safety and sanitation requirements must also be incorporated into equipment selection. Robots working close to unpackaged or partially packaged food may require appropriate materials, cleaning procedures and contamination controls. Maintenance access should be designed so that repairs do not introduce foreign materials or disrupt hygienic zoning.

For meal-kit companies and food distributors, the fivefold increase in reported SKU capacity shows how internal cold-chain automation can support product variety without relying only on additional building space. Néanmoins, automation does not replace temperature monitoring or shelf-life management. Product temperatures, room temperatures, durée d'ouverture de la porte, inventory age and dispatch dwell time must still be controlled independently.

For systems integrators, the project illustrates the value of phased deployment. A limited proof of concept can validate navigation, battery behavior, employee interaction and WMS connectivity before the system is expanded across brands or additional facilities.

Pour les fournisseurs de technologie de la chaîne du froid, there is an opportunity to connect automation data with operational temperature data. A warehouse may know where a robot and order are located, while a separate platform records cold-room conditions. Integrating these systems could help operators identify whether delays, congestion or repeated door openings are increasing product exposure.

The broader B2B lesson is that refrigerated automation requires both logistics engineering and thermal engineering. The most effective system is not simply the fastest robot. It is one that can maintain predictable performance inside the required temperature environment while supporting inventory accuracy, food safety and reliable order flow.