Since 2019, Sewts has been working on technologies for the automated processing of deformable materials, such as textiles or films. Due to their complex material properties, these materials have so far been excluded from advances in automation technology. With its Velum system, the Munich robotics startupthat it is possible to automate the handling of dimensionally unstable materials in industrial processes in an economically profitable way.
As Sewts has now announced, Velum was already operational at Greif Textile Mietsysteme in Wolfratshausen in November. The startup is thus celebrating its successful market entry and the introduction of robotics into industrial laundries. Furthermore, the commissioning of two additional systems is imminent. A total of 16 deliveries are planned for the current year, according to the company.
For Co-Founder and CEO Alexander Bley The delivery is an important milestone in the development of Sewts:
"With Velum, we have successfully launched a completely new product. We are delighted that we can also open a new chapter in our company's history."
Automation to combat labor shortages
Industrial laundries process large quantities of towels, bed linen, and workwear. Their customers include hotels, hospitals, and nursing homes, as well as laboratories and craft businesses. At Greif Textile Mietsysteme, around 100 tons of textiles are processed per day at its 10 locations. This makes the company one of the largest laundries in Europe. However, Greif struggles to find workers for the manual, repetitive work involved. Velum is designed to solve this problem, currently processing 500-600 textiles per hour.
"Velum's current performance is comparable to that of a human. Over-the-air software updates continuously expand the range of functions, just like with smartphones,"
emphasized Till Rickert, Co-Founder and CPO at Sewts.
Of course, other industries also work with malleable materials, which Sewts aims to support with its developments. In addition to further developing Velum, the startup is already working on developing a second automation solution. This solution, in cooperation with well-known e-commerce companies, will significantly simplify the processing of clothing returns. Alexander Bley explains:
"The need for automation will increase in all sectors in the coming years, as local manual labor capacity is insufficient in many places, while at the same time, dependence on vulnerable and climate-damaging supply chains needs to be avoided. Our technology is designed to be transferred to other applications and can make a huge contribution to this."
