Siemens Acquires New Robotic Warehouse System AeroBot for Karlsruhe Location

Siemens AG is expanding their Karlsruhe location in Germany, adding extra storage capacities in the form of an automation solution by KNAPP. The innovative robotic warehouse system AeroBot will increase the location’s degree of automation and optimize internal processes. Siemens will be one of the first companies in Germany to use this innovative storage system, which will go live in 2026.

Warehouse automation to optimize processes

As part of their expansion, Siemens commissioned KNAPP to implement a highly automated logistics solution. At the core of the new installation is AeroBot, a picking and storage system featuring robots that move in three dimensions, which is ideally suited to supply Siemens’ electronics manufacturing lines. The system in Karlsruhe will efficiently store containers quadruple-deep across 30,000 storage locations on 27 levels – fully automatically. In its final form, the system will feature 21 autonomous storage robots, the AeroBots, which make 280 storage and retrieval movements per hour, moving up and down the racks lengthwise, crosswise and vertically, covering every corner of the system redundantly. This maximizes availability and allows stable processes. The AeroBot system will also be connected seamlessly to the existing warehouse system, picking areas and goods-in area using the conveyors on site to reliably supply the work areas during the two shifts and make the internal material flow more efficient.
“With the AeroBot system, we can beef up the performance of the internal logistics processes at our Karlsruhe location. The solution optimally fits the current conditions, while being designed for future growth. The automatic small parts warehouse can be flexibly expanded both with regard to storage capacity and system performance to suit the precise requirements of the location,” says Christian Brauneis-Lieb, Managing Director of KNAPP Industry Solutions.

Network of logistics processes thanks to intelligent software

The new expansion will be controlled by the KiSoft One logistics software, which is connected to Siemens’ SAP® EWM solution through an interface. The modular software manages all processes, controlling the AeroBot system as well as the corresponding warehouse areas, ensuring an optimal material flow. KiSoft and AeroBot mesh perfectly, maximizing system efficiency, transparency and smooth warehouse processes.

Highest storage density and flexibility for a strong partnership

The AeroBot system was awarded Best Product at the LogiMAT 2025 and is one of KNAPP’s most recent technological milestones. Opting for its implementation, Siemens is banking on an outstanding system allowing scalability, highest storage density and a fast, standardized go-live. After the final extension phase, more AeroBots will be added to the robotic warehouse system to make more than 500 storage and retrieval movements possible per hour. Another advantage is that Siemens’ existing containers can continue to be used with the help of trays.

The further development of the Karlsruhe location strengthens the established partnership between Siemens and KNAPP. KNAPP’s Open Shuttle autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have been supplying Siemens’ production areas at the location efficiently for several years. Together with the implementation of the AeroBot system, the AMR fleet will be expanded from three to six AMRs. With the combined use of these automation technologies, Siemens and KNAPP are taking a large step towards smart manufacturing.

About Siemens Karlsruhe

The Siemens location in Karlsruhe is one of the largest in the Siemens AG network and the largest private employer in the city. In Karlsruhe-Knielingen, Siemens is responsible for development, production, international sales, service, and management. The location serves as the international center for process industry and automation within Siemens AG and includes the Manufacturing Karlsruhe plant where products for industrial communication and identification, automation systems, process control systems and industrial PCs are manufactured.

For more information, visit www.siemens.com