Every German eats around eight kilos of pasta a year per capita. Even in normal times, Erfurter Teigwaren GmbH therefore works around the clock. The company does not sell its own brands. However, anyone who reaches for a brand of pasta in a supermarket or discount store is very likely to put pasta from Erfurt in their shopping cart. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, demand has exploded once again.

Cooperation based on trust
In order to meet the demand for pasta in times of corona, modern facilities and efficient processes are needed. Erfurter Teigwaren GmbH has both. The new Plant 2 was built right next to the old production facility as recently as 2017. They produce spaghetti, fusilli, penne, rigatoni, tagliatelle and soup noodles here around the clock - to name just the most common types. They are packaged fully automatically in 500 gram bags, packed in boxes, palletized and transported to the warehouse using conveyor technology. From there, Maintrans Logistik GmbH takes over the organization. It has been responsible for all logistics within the pasta factory since 2010. The cooperation between Erfurter Teigwaren and Maintrans is close. The partners have mastered the growth and expansion of recent years hand in hand.

Space-saving storage
With the decision to build Plant 2, it was clear to both partners that a new warehouse was also needed. The previous solution with an external warehouse, which was approached by forklift trucks in shuttle traffic, no longer seemed sustainable with expanded capacities. The new building was to be directly connected to both the old and new production facilities and cover finished goods, stock and reserve storage in one. The provision for outgoing goods also had to be accommodated here. All this in a small space. Only 5760 square meters of floor space were available for the new warehouse on the site in the Erfurt city area.

Intralogistics solution from Jungheinrich
Hamburg-based Jungheinrich AG was awarded the contract to provide efficient and space-saving warehouse logistics from a single source. From the very beginning, automation and digitalization of the processes were key objectives of the project. Maintrans wanted to achieve a high level of process reliability, especially for recurring routine processes. The Jungheinrich experts developed a solution for this that they claim is unique in this form. At its heart is a compact shuttle warehouse, which is supplied by EKS 215a automated guided vehicles in fully automatic operation.

Shuttle operation in the compact warehouse
The new warehouse is 130 meters long and 55 meters wide. In the middle is a long aisle in which two EKS 215a automated guided vehicles take over the automated pallet transport. To the right and left of this, the compact shuttle warehouse rises up to a height of 14 meters. A total of 26,000 pallet spaces in 691 pallet channels. The highlight: up to 38 pallets can be buffered one behind the other in each pallet channel. The pallets are transported within the lanes by so-called Under Pallet Carriers (UPC). These shuttles independently drive under the pallets, lift them and move them back and forth within the channel. Although this requires a fixed sequence to be followed when storing and retrieving the pallets, the available space can be utilized to the maximum. Compared to other racking solutions, significantly more pallets can be stored on the same floor space.

Semi-automatic storage and retrieval of pallets
The entire storage and retrieval process works according to the following principle: EKS 215a AGVs take the pre-packed pasta pallets from the conveyor system, which extends from production to the warehouse, and transport them to the point where the respective pallet is to be stored in the rack. Manual push mast stackers of type 320 take over the pallets and place them in the channel specified by the WMS. The drivers are supported by the semi-automatic lift height preselection lift navigation, which makes storage and retrieval at great heights easier. After all, operations are carried out at heights of up to 14 meters.

Under Pallet Carriers handle transportation within the pallet channels. There are a total of six of them in the Erfurt warehouse. They are also placed in the pallet lanes by the reach trucks. There, they move independently under the pallets and store or retrieve them within the aisle. Once the order has been completed in one aisle, the reach truck moves the shuttle to the next aisle.

The UPCs are connected to the warehouse management system via the Jungheinrich logistics interface. This specially developed middleware enables the exchanged information to be translated and makes integration into existing system environments quick and easy without functional changes to the WMS. Their respective orders are transmitted to the UPCs via a bidirectional radio link in the registration-free ISM band. Lithium-ion batteries power the shuttles for up to ten hours of operation. They can be charged at any standard 230 V socket. To ensure round-the-clock operation, Jungheinrich has designed the battery container so that the batteries can be changed in seconds.

Driverless transport systems relieve employees
The EKS 215a, which handles automated pallet transportation between the incoming goods area and the warehouse, is an automated guided vehicle based on a Jungheinrich electric vertical order picker. The vehicle navigates through the warehouse with the help of a laser. Reflectors distributed throughout the warehouse show it the way. Supplemented by these automation and navigation components, the EKS 2015a is able to carry out its transportation tasks without a driver. They are therefore particularly suitable for carrying out recurring standard tasks. The EKS 215a is suitable for mixed operation with manual vehicles and pedestrians. The TÜV-certified CAN bus control system and personnel protection scanners in the drive direction and load direction guarantee safety for the warehouse, people and goods by scanning the path in front of the automated vehicle for obstacles depending on the speed.

Full service around the clock
Maintrans has concluded a full service contract with Jungheinrich for all trucks to ensure round-the-clock availability. Jungheinrich customer service technicians are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If there is a problem somewhere, Jungheinrich employees are on site no later than four hours after the call.