More than 1,000 registered patents and property rights testify to the innovative strength of the family-run company Wenko, which is headquartered in Hilden. The portfolio of the medium-sized company, which markets its range in more than eighty countries, includes around 6,000 products that are used throughout the household. Together with trend scouts, inventors and designers, around 500 new products are developed every year.
Wenko also focuses on innovation when it comes to the distribution of goods: customers from stationary retail, traditional mail order and e-commerce are supplied via the company's own logistics hub, the modern logistics center in Hückelhoven on the Lower Rhine. The distri
The distribution center has been extensively expanded in terms of interim storage and order picking and now has a total area of 30,600 square meters. This ensures that the global flow of goods to customers runs quickly and smoothly.

Automation for greater efficiency
"For our company, an efficient material flow has always been one of the strategic business success factors. Its importance has increased even further due to flourishing e-commerce. At the same time, there is a trend towards just-in-time deliveries, more individual orders and minimization of stocks in the retail sector. We have therefore decided to expand our central logistics center by building an additional hall. The aim was to modernize interim storage and order picking with an automation solution and to design it flexibly to meet the challenges of the future," explains Philip Köllner, Managing Director of Wenko-Wenselaar "Prodlog". "It wasn't just about increasing efficiency and productivity, but above all about even better delivery times and services for our growing customer base."

The system integrator REMA TEC took care of the detailed planning. The company from Bruchsal specializes in material flow solutions for various industries and is part of the international Rolling on Interroll competence network. Peter Dippel, Managing Director of REMA TEC, emphasizes: "Our comprehensive project know-how and our flexibility as a small, medium-sized company enable us to successfully implement even demanding large-scale projects. The trusting cooperation with strong partners such as Interroll and Aditor plays a central role in this."

Perfect interaction of all modules
The technological basis of the solution for efficient interim storage and order picking are the conveyor system solutions from REMA TEC, flow storage applications for pallets and original cartons, as well as the conveyor belts specially developed by Rematec for zero pressure accumulation transport of the smallest carton dimensions, high-performance sorting with a cross-belt sorter and a large number of drum motors, belt curves and conveyor rollers.

A live storage system was implemented as an order picking warehouse, comprising more than 6,600 dynamic live storage lanes for original cartons and 1,050 live storage lanes for pallets as well as 40 return lanes for empty pallets. Goods are stored and picked on four levels, one above the other, in which a total of twenty picking tunnels with highly efficient pick-to-belt conveyor technology have been installed. The pick-by-light display system ensures a high and, according to the company, error-free picking performance in batch picking. Conveyor belts with 127 integrated drum motors and 31 belt curves transport the parcels of different sizes to an Interroll high-performance sorter with a throughput of 3,000 units per hour. The sorter is 110 meters long and has 19 end points (incline conveyors), each 12.5 meters long. All incline conveyors are equipped with the Interroll Magnetic Speed Controller MSC 50.

Modern working environment and more turnover
Before the new solution went live, it was extensively tested. The Wenko employees were actively introduced to the new working environment and the new tasks. The working environment has become more attractive, not least because the system generates only low noise emissions. "The new material flow solution enables us to react much more flexibly to our customers' requirements with the same workforce and at the same time generate more turnover," says Philip Köllner, summing up the project.

About REMA TEC
As a specialist in intralogistics, REMA TEC has been developing and implementing customized, complete technical solutions for logistical material and goods flows for over 20 years. Its customers include companies from the automotive, food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, as well as various retail sectors. REMA TEC's services include Planning and project management, conveyor technology and automation, racking technology and steel construction, as well as assembly, inspection, service and maintenance. The company is certified according to DIN ISO 9001:2008.