Potato sales in high-tech mode

In Frankenthal (Palatinate), surrounded by potato fields as far as the eye can see, today's most modern potato warehouse in Europe grew from its beginnings in Mannheim over 100 years ago in the immediate vicinity of the 650 freeway. With this continuous development, the still family-run Kuhn company is a sign of foresight and entrepreneurial spirit. Instead of a team of horses and laborious manual work, today the potatoes are transported to the customer by video-supported, fully automatic sorting and packing robots via a loading zone equipped with the latest technology and using the company's own trucks. Plattenschmidt + Wirth was the general contractor for the entire project.

Perfect truck docking points

With the decision to plan 13 loading points for delivery, Kuhn has created an efficient environment for dynamic truck handling in Frankenthal. Each loading point is optimally equipped with dock levellers, dock shelters and industrial doors. The different truck sizes that dock here have been taken into account with the installation of electro-hydraulic dock levellers. This feed technology optimizes the loading process by also accepting inaccurate docking of the trucks, which usually results in time-consuming manoeuvring. All dock levellers are also equipped with fall protection to prevent accidents involving industrial trucks should the truck move away before the loading process is complete. The loading systems are installed inside the hall.

No loading zone without ramp weather protection

Not only exemplary in terms of energy: doors from PromStahl.

Today, this requirement is generally practiced without exception in all new warehouse projects. Employee illness, damage to the goods to be loaded due to moisture and the waste of energy due to the ingress of cold or warm air, a sensitive issue in temperature-controlled warehouses, mean that no other solution is possible. Kuhn also recognized this very quickly and equipped all 13 docking points with tarpaulin door seals. In addition to other door sealing variants, this version in particular scores highly as a universal type for all truck sizes.

The design of the resilient frame and hard-wearing tarpaulins is so flexible and robust that damage caused by trucks not docking precisely is reliably prevented. An integrated rain gutter in the top tarpaulin drains rain or melt water to the side, for example in the event of snowfall. At Kuhn, even the entire upper part of the dock shelter is designed with a lifting roof for very high truck bodies. So no compromises were made. Height-adjustable bumpers and loading lights round off the loading package.

Highly insulated industrial doors

Kuhn's new construction project stands out due to its very complex division of the individual areas. In addition to the logistics hall, which was equipped with 13 loading points and 13 sectional doors measuring 3,000 x 3,000 mm for delivery, various different work areas such as delivery, washing and sorting facilities, rooms for drying and several storage areas plus intermediate storage for the various products are all under one roof.

These rooms are permanently kept at different temperatures of +4, +8, +10 and +12 degrees Celsius. For this reason, insulated sectional doors were also installed inside the building between the individual rooms. Two of them are even 60 mm thick in order to keep energy losses within the hall as low as possible. For safety reasons, external doors up to 7,450 mm wide and 4,500 mm high were installed at ground level for the spacious delivery area. For three further loading points, which are approached by delivery vehicles in a lowered position, the same dimensions were again chosen in conjunction with dock levellers and door seals as for the 13 delivery doors, i.e. 3,000 x 3,000 mm.

All sectional doors supplied by Promstahl, i.e. external doors and those installed inside the hall, are exemplary in terms of energy efficiency thanks to the thermal separation of the front and rear panels and polyurethane foam. In addition, all sectional doors and the two high-speed doors, which were also supplied by Promstahl, comply with the "Technical Rules for Workplaces ASR A 1.7". The safety standard of the sectional doors is impressive with spring breakage protection and a load-dependent safety catch. The drive is powered by a GFA electric motor and a simultaneous endurance test in the factory with 30,000 opening and closing movements guarantees reliable everyday operation.

All in all, the Kartoffel Kuhn company has set an example with this investment. As a consultant and supplier of the complete loading and door technology, Promstahl played its part as a partner.

www.promstahl.comwww.kartoffel-kuhn.de