The Movu system, which will go into operation in June 2024, ensures a reliable and efficient automated flow of goods with high-density storage in a six-level silo that can hold more than 5,000 pallets of frozen vegetables.

Minimized aisles for effective use of space

Westhof Bio processes around 10,000 tons of fresh products every year and produces an organic frozen range. The new climate- and resource-friendly organic freezing facility gives the company room to expand and represents a major step forward for the company. The automated freezer warehouse stores the frozen vegetables to enable them to be delivered on pallets to organic food and baby food producers all year round.

The company was looking for a high-density storage system for the vegetables in its minus 24 degree Celsius warehouse that would offer reliability and scalability as well as an efficient and precise flow of goods.

The solution includes six Movu atlas shuttles, one of which transports pallets on each of the six levels of the silo, which was created using racking from the warehouse and is 60 meters long, 31 meters wide and 17 meters high. The silo provides deep channel storage for multiple pallets and maximizes space by minimizing the number and width of aisles - this facility has only one.

Scalable and flexible

The Movu atlas plug-and-play system is quick to set up and can be flexibly adapted to buildings. Even if a shuttle breaks down or requires maintenance, it can be easily removed and replaced with a new shuttle within a day, with Westhof BIO's WMS directing the goods to one of the other silo levels. The easily scalable atlas system allows shuttles to be added to increase throughput and store larger quantities of vegetables during peak periods.

Stefan Pieters, CEO of Movu Robotics, said: "We are delighted to be able to successfully hand over another Movu project to our customer. With the combination of storage silo and Movu atlas 2D Shuttle, Westhof Bio was able to rely on consistently high engineering and project management standards with a reliable project lead time. The Movu atlas 2D Shuttle is a true example of simpler and powerful plug-and-play automation in demanding cold storage environments. Its scalability provides Westhof BIO with automation that can handle peaks and easily adapt to future requirements."

Berit Carstens-Lask, Managing Director of Westhof Bio, adds: "We are extremely satisfied with the automation solution implemented and with the development and implementation of the project. We hope that Movu's automation solution will make a significant contribution to optimizing our entire production and storage processes when it goes into operation, making them much more efficient and flexible."