Rebuy buys and sells old books, video games and CDs. In order to prepare the items for resale, they have to be temporarily stored and cataloged. As the online retailer has grown considerably in recent years, the decision was made to build a second warehouse. In view of rising rental prices in the logistics sector, he was looking for a way to store more items while maintaining the same space requirements. The automated vertical storage lifts from Modula proved to be the solution. The lift models reduce the storage space by 90 percent and increase the storage density. The items are stored vertically in special carriers or trays, each 12 meters high. Instead of accessing the range manually and via different levels, the items can be selected via digital control on the lift and automatically transported for removal. The lift control system can be combined with the Rebuy warehouse software used, which simplifies order picking and speeds up picking processes.

At Rebuy, the lifts are used to store products from the so-called C category. These are not among the most frequently ordered items and therefore remain in the warehouse for longer. In addition, the different dimensions of the media require sorting before storage and additional dividers on the shelves. "As our systems are flexibly configurable and very easy to integrate into existing logistics environments, we discussed the necessary model adaptations with Rebuy," reports Max Gigli, CEO and International Sales Director at Modula. As a result, all goods maintenance and picking is carried out via the Rebuy software, to which the lifts are connected via the Modula Link software.

Picking times increased through central storage and retrieval

Due to the space available on site, the ML50 D lift model with a height of 11.7 meters and two opposite removal openings was chosen. The storage itself is no longer carried out manually and the operator is only responsible for pre-sorting and loading the trays. To do this, he selects the desired items and the storage location (lift row/lift number/tray/tray) from prepared boxes within the Rebuy software. The lift automatically prepares the carrier for removal so that the items can be scanned during placement. After a brief confirmation via the mobile control unit, the item is automatically listed in the system and also appears for buyers in the online store. The process is reversed for retrieval. All processes are stored redundantly in the control system and in the copilot or the operator interface on the lift.

A total of 36 lifts will be installed in Berlin, the first of which was installed immediately after the order was placed. A further twelve followed in the course of 2022 and the remaining systems were completed on schedule in May 2023. Around 100,000 items will be stored per lift unit in future. "What really appealed to us during the commissioning process was the flexibility and modular design. The lifts give us the opportunity to expand the warehouse in stages, which is particularly useful when relocating or making other adjustments to the site," explains Philipp Gattner, CEO of Rebuy Recommerce. "The lifts could therefore be put into operation in stages and the logistical processes never had to be completely interrupted while the storage capacity was increased."