12th October 2026
How AI-Powered Robots Are Transforming Beverage Warehousing at Swire Coca-Cola
Swire Coca-Cola has deployed AI robots at one of its largest bottling plants in the Chinese Mainland since September, 2026. The technological breakthrough addresses a long-standing industry automation challenge: picking heavy, shrink-wrapped packs quickly and accurately for mixed-product orders with AI-robots.
After three years of untiring exploration, Swire Coca-Cola pioneered a safer, smarter and scalable solution for its global bottling network. Now processing live customer orders in Henan province's Zhengzhou plant, SAI is an intelligent picking and sorting system guided by a single AI brain, capable of making decisions on its own to optimise operations.
It sequences customer orders, orchestrates a wider fleet of robots to identify products, pick and sort heavy shrink-wrapped beverages, move them across the warehouse floor and build mixed-product pallets without manual intervention.
Each robot is built on a 40kg-class heavy-load platform and can lift up to four shrink-wrapped packs in a single movement. At peak, it can handle up to 600 cases an hour, operate around the clock and pick with accuracy approaching 100%.
After three years of untiring exploration, Swire Coca-Cola pioneered a safer, smarter and scalable solution for its global bottling network. Now processing live customer orders in Henan province's Zhengzhou plant, SAI is an intelligent picking and sorting system guided by a single AI brain, capable of making decisions on its own to optimise operations.
It sequences customer orders, orchestrates a wider fleet of robots to identify products, pick and sort heavy shrink-wrapped beverages, move them across the warehouse floor and build mixed-product pallets without manual intervention.
Each robot is built on a 40kg-class heavy-load platform and can lift up to four shrink-wrapped packs in a single movement. At peak, it can handle up to 600 cases an hour, operate around the clock and pick with accuracy approaching 100%.
The technological upgrade reduces physical strain and ergonomic risk for Swire Coca-Cola's frontline pickers who would be equipped with new skill sets including robotics maintenance.
This successful commercial deployment in the Zhengzhou plan will be rolled out in Nanjing, Hefei and Guangzhou plants next year, and gradually across our global bottling network.
Karen So, Chief Executive Officer of Swire Coca-Cola, said: "Innovation has long been part of how Swire Coca-Cola solves complex operational challenges. With SAI, we have overcome a world-class beverage warehousing challenge and translated that breakthrough into safer work for our people by reducing physical strain and ergonomic risk on the warehouse floor, while strengthening the speed, consistency and resilience of our operations."
This successful commercial deployment in the Zhengzhou plan will be rolled out in Nanjing, Hefei and Guangzhou plants next year, and gradually across our global bottling network.
Karen So, Chief Executive Officer of Swire Coca-Cola, said: "Innovation has long been part of how Swire Coca-Cola solves complex operational challenges. With SAI, we have overcome a world-class beverage warehousing challenge and translated that breakthrough into safer work for our people by reducing physical strain and ergonomic risk on the warehouse floor, while strengthening the speed, consistency and resilience of our operations."
Beyond improving safety, the AI robots are also helping Swire Coca-Cola respond to a changing consumption landscape in the Chinese Mainland. Consumers increasingly expect drinks to be available wherever they are. At the same time, emerging channels such as snack stores and flash warehouses have grown alongside traditional retail, and the company's product portfolio has broadened. Together, these shifts mean customers are placing smaller and more frequent orders that mix a wider range of products.
Manual picking could no longer match that order pattern in either capacity or consistency, particularly during peak season. By combining cost-efficient automation with scalable deployment, SAI strengthens operational excellent and supports Swire Coca-Cola's long-term growth as customer demand and consumption patterns continue to evolve.
Manual picking could no longer match that order pattern in either capacity or consistency, particularly during peak season. By combining cost-efficient automation with scalable deployment, SAI strengthens operational excellent and supports Swire Coca-Cola's long-term growth as customer demand and consumption patterns continue to evolve.
The project continues Swire Coca-Cola's practice of solving operating problems with specialist partners. In 2017, it worked with Tsinghua University's Building Energy Research Centre on a high-efficiency intelligent refrigeration system. In 2021, it developed a manufacturing information system with Siemens that now covers close to 100 production lines in the Chinese Mainland.
Alibaba Cloud and Tencent support digitalisation across the value chain, while the company's SDRTM route-to-market tool uses geospatial, consumer and outlet data to rank high-potential prospects and contributes over 40% of new customers acquired in the Chinese Mainland in the first half of 2026.
SAI is the latest in a series of Swire Coca-Cola initiatives that apply technology and specialist expertise to solve complex operational problems and establish new benchmarks for the beverage industry.
Alibaba Cloud and Tencent support digitalisation across the value chain, while the company's SDRTM route-to-market tool uses geospatial, consumer and outlet data to rank high-potential prospects and contributes over 40% of new customers acquired in the Chinese Mainland in the first half of 2026.
SAI is the latest in a series of Swire Coca-Cola initiatives that apply technology and specialist expertise to solve complex operational problems and establish new benchmarks for the beverage industry.
