No time to wait for hot water? Swisslog is celebrating the groundbreaking ceremony in Nieuw Reijerwaard, Netherlands, for a highly automated logistics center at Quooker, the specialist that "no more waiting for boiling water from the tap" Speed is also expected from a logistical perspective.
Fast-paced times: Quooker, provider of the world's first boiling water tap, developed in Rotterdam back in 1970 because its inventor, Henri Peteri, who worked for Unilever, found instant soup too slow, has experienced tremendous international growth. The company currently produces 400,000 systems per year, and its revenue doubles every three years. The Dutch company now operates in 15 countries and needed a larger, automated plant to continue its expansion. The contract with Swisslog has been finalized.
The Dutch success doesn't mean others are incapable of heating a bucket of water to around 100°C before pouring it into the sink. The Quooker system, however, consists of a tap on the worktop and a reservoir for boiling water underneath. This reservoir is highly vacuum-insulated, preventing heat loss. This is why the Quooker appears to be very efficient, requiring very little energy (10 watts/hour). The trick is to keep the water in the reservoir at 108°C, instead of always needing to run it until higher temperatures are available.
The high-tech logistics system, for whose development and implementation Quooker chose Swisslog, is also meticulously designed in terms of energy efficiency and overall performance. The experts from Buchs will equip the new logistics center with the over 23,000 square meter system and the "Vectura" pallet stacker crane for high-bay warehouses.
1972 at Unilever: No time, no time...
The highlight of the €20 million package will be a robot-assisted stacking and strapping technology that enables contactless order picking and packing. The project includes an automated storage and picking system capable of holding over 31,000 pallets and controlled by Swisslog's SynQ logistics software. The 30-meter-high, high-density automated pallet racking system is complemented by pallet and lightweight goods conveyor systems.
Cees Luijendijk, Managing Director of Swisslog Benelux: “With our intelligent automation, Quooker will be able to meet the increasing demand for years to come.” The commissioning of the Swisslog automation system is planned for February 2026.
To ensure that no one gets scalded when a Quooker tap is put into operation, a Dutch burn foundation conducted an independent study on the use of boiling water taps and the risk of burns.
RBG Vectura
The study concluded that the boiling water tap, as a replacement for conventional kettles, appears to reduce the risk of burns. An illuminated ring glows red when boiling water is dispensed, similar to an emergency stop switch in machinery and plant engineering.
