The development and ownership of the property was entrusted to a partner with core expertise in this area, Hamburg-based ECE, which invested around 30 million euros and had two halls with a total area of 27,000 m2 built. The proximity to the production plant was an important location factor, as was the bundling of the previously decentralized large parts warehouse and vehicle dispatch areas. As a result, almost every large purchased part that is installed in the forklifts passes through the logistics center twice: as a component and as a finished forklift.

Pick-by-voice picking of large parts
In the picking area of the new logistics center, large parts required by the plant for the construction of premium forklifts are repacked into containers and picked "just in sequence". This applies, for example, to seats, radiators and tires. Picking the frame and body parts is more complex. "Here, the employees assemble all the steel and sheet metal components from which the industrial truck is built into a 'package'," says Timo Koppe, Logistics Planner at Still. "All parts are then placed in a special container and are assembled piece by piece in production." The staff receive the information required for order picking via pick-by-voice. A shuttle truck then brings all the components needed for the production of a forklift truck to the plant just a few hundred meters away.

Flexibility as a key requirement
The logistics experts at Still have worked intensively on the ergonomic design of the picking workstations - and opted for the Demag KBK light crane system. The basic principle: lightweight cranes move on a carrier system, which the operator can guide with little effort. The user has a program at his disposal that can be adapted to different tasks. The first decision to be made is between rails and bridges made of steel or aluminum rails. Both systems are combined in the Still logistics center. The crane runways and some of the bridges are made of aluminum, while the bridges with higher loads (250 kg to 2 t) are made of steel. Still uses the profiles with internal conductor rails for all KBK systems, which can also be equipped with long crane bridges and traverse large working areas. In this project, up to five cranes are traveling on one track. The handling systems can be implemented without overhang and special requests can also be fulfilled. The system is ideal for Still because it allows increased flexibility. According to Koppe: "Not only do we have to handle a large variety of parts, but we also pick a wide range of different components: large-format sheets as well as smaller but heavy components - all at one workstation. The handling system has to be correspondingly flexible." Although the logistics structure is similar to that in automotive production, the quantities are smaller and the variance is extremely high: every type of forklift is available in different versions. Six KBK systems with two to four crane workstations per lane have been installed in the hall, where order picking also takes place. All are supplied with power and signals via internal conductor rails.

Vehicle dispatch: finishing with KBK and gantry crane
In the dispatch area, the finished appliances are completed for delivery. Still manages here with a KBK system, which is used at five workstations, including for the assembly of forks and load protection grids. A total of seven KBK systems with a track length of 192 meters and 18 crane workstations are installed in the two logistics halls. In addition, a column-mounted slewing jib crane has been set up in the second hall, which also houses block storage for large components. It also enables unpacking and repacking as well as the handling of heavy loads.

Battery assembly with 3.2 ton gantry crane
The planners implemented a special solution from the Demag modular system for the assembly of the battery. As the heavy batteries have to be positioned precisely, Still opted for a 3.2-tonne crane, which was suspended as an overhead crane in a gantry and covers the battery assembly work area. This is possible because no other work is being carried out at the workplace and no long reach is required.

Safe handling of heavy loads
At workstations for handling heavy or awkward loads, operators work with the Demag Manulift. It allows the chain hoist to be operated with one hand, while the operator can guide the load with the other. Koppe explains: "This is a real relief for employees when lifting sheet metal panels for frame construction or handling larger welded structures, for example." Because the Manulift principle has proven its worth, Still has equipped further KBK workstations with it. For this purpose, Demag has realized a special design with an increased load capacity of 500 kg.

High level of in-house planning
The Still logistics specialists planned the workstations largely on their own, but were supported by Demag experts. The operators are completely satisfied with the result. The planner ECE received the "Logix Award 2017" for the project, which is presented every two years for outstanding logistics real estate developments.