Swisslog is building SynQ around AutoStore and autonomous forklifts at Sumitomo
A July 29, 2025 Sumitomo Drive Technologies project puts Swisslog SynQ across AutoStore storage, 11 autonomous forklifts, and assembly-line kitting in Chesapeake.
Swisslog announced in July 2025 that it would modernize Sumitomo Machinery Corporation of America's warehouse and assembly operation with AutoStore, autonomous forklifts, and SynQ software. Sumitomo separately described the project as a $9.3 million investment tied to a broader warehouse transformation.
The system architecture is specific: Swisslog says the AutoStore portion includes 14 robots and 22,872 storage bins, while the project also includes 11 autonomous forklifts for material movement. That combination makes the deployment more than a dense-storage installation. It connects parts storage, material flow, and assembly support into one controlled operating layer.
The customer context comes through the work itself. Sumitomo's facility supports drive-technology operations where parts availability, kitting, assembly timing, and inventory accuracy affect production flow. Swisslog's SynQ software is meant to coordinate the warehouse system around those movements rather than leave AutoStore and forklift automation as separate islands.
Swisslog has operated as part of KUKA since 2014 and has built a large AutoStore integration practice. Its AutoStore materials describe hundreds of projects globally, while SynQ sits as the warehouse execution layer across automation equipment, human workflows, and inventory systems.
The competitive field includes AutoStore integrators such as Kardex, Dematic, Bastian Solutions, Fortna, and Element Logic, plus autonomous forklift suppliers, warehouse control software vendors, and full-line intralogistics integrators. Swisslog's distinction in this project is mixed-flow orchestration: dense goods-to-person storage plus autonomous pallet movement inside a production-support environment.
The proof boundary is go-live performance. Public material does not disclose actual throughput after commissioning, autonomous forklift uptime, kitting accuracy, labor redeployment, maintenance cost, or how quickly Sumitomo reaches stable operation after training and transition.
If SynQ coordinates AutoStore storage and autonomous forklifts without disrupting assembly flow, Swisslog can position itself around production logistics rather than storage density alone. The Sumitomo project tests whether intralogistics automation can become a manufacturing support system that keeps parts moving with less manual coordination.
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