Leipzig, Germany – July 2026 – Amazon has announced an 18% increase in package sorting speed and 30% lower maintenance costs after integrating the ABB DO880 3BSE028602R output module into its Leipzig fulfillment center. The upgrade, finished in Q3 2026, solved critical inefficiencies in the center’s legacy sorting system—where outdated modules suffered from slow response times and poor compatibility, leading to 2.8% sorting errors and frequent maintenance delays.
The Challenge: Slow Response and Compatibility Issues in High-Volume Logistics
Amazon’s Leipzig center, handling 1.2 million packages daily, faced three major bottlenecks with its old output modules:
- Delayed Conveyor Control: Legacy modules had 80ms signal latency, causing conveyor belts to misalign with sorting chutes—resulting in 2.8% of packages being routed to incorrect destinations.
- Compatibility Limitations: Old modules couldn’t integrate with the center’s new IoT-based package scanners, requiring manual overrides (12 hours/week) and increasing labor costs.
- Frequent Maintenance: Dust and vibration in the fulfillment center caused module failures every 6–8 weeks, each taking 3 hours to resolve and halting 2 sorting lines.
“Our logistics operations depend on seamless coordination between scanners, conveyors, and chutes,” said Markus Weber, Amazon’s Fulfillment Center Operations Manager. “The old modules were slowing us down and causing costly errors—we needed a solution that could keep up with our volume and integrate with modern IoT tools.”
ABB DO880 3BSE028602R: The Logistics-Ready Output Module
After evaluating alternatives from Phoenix Contact and Pepperl+Fuchs, Amazon chose the ABB DO880 3BSE028602R for its speed, compatibility, and rugged design:
- 1ms Ultra-Fast Response: Ensures conveyor belts and sorting chutes adjust instantly to scanner data, eliminating misalignment errors.
- Multi-Protocol Compatibility: Supports Profinet, Modbus TCP, and OPC UA, seamlessly integrating with Amazon’s IoT scanners and AWS-based control system.
- IP67-Rated Rugged Housing: Resists dust, vibration, and temperature fluctuations (-20°C to +70°C), ideal for high-traffic fulfillment centers.
- Self-Diagnostic Features: Built-in sensors monitor module health (temperature, voltage, connection status), sending alerts 2–3 weeks before potential failures.
- 16 Digital Output Channels: Handles multiple conveyor zones and sorting chutes simultaneously, scaling to Amazon’s high-volume needs.
Results: Faster Sorting, Fewer Errors, Lower Costs
Four months after deployment, the Leipzig center’s metrics showed significant improvements:
| Metric |
Before ABB DO880 3BSE028602R |
After ABB DO880 3BSE028602R |
Improvement |
| Sorting Speed |
12,000 Packages/Hr |
14,160 Packages/Hr |
18% Increase |
| Sorting Error Rate |
2.8% |
0.8% |
71% Reduction |
| Module Failures |
6–8/Year |
1/Year |
88% Reduction |
| Maintenance Labor Hours |
624/Hr/Year |
437/Hr/Year |
30% Savings |
| Annual Cost Savings |
— |
€295,000 |
Direct ROI |
“The DO880 3BSE028602R has transformed our sorting operations,” Weber said. “We’re processing more packages faster, with far fewer errors, and maintenance is no longer a disruption. It’s exactly what we needed to scale our logistics efficiently.”
Sophia Becker, ABB’s Product Manager for Logistics Automation Solutions, noted the module’s relevance to e-commerce growth: “Fulfillment centers need output modules that are fast, compatible, and tough enough for 24/7 operations. The DO880 3BSE028602R delivers on all fronts—helping retailers meet customer demands for fast, accurate deliveries.”
Amazon plans to roll out the ABB DO880 3BSE028602R to 12 more European fulfillment centers by 2028, aiming to increase average sorting speed by 15% across its network.
