Storage and order picking technology
New logistics center for electrical wholesalers
Sonepar is opening a new logistics center in Werder (Havel) near Berlin in order to position itself for the future in the greater Berlin area and to optimize the service level of customer deliveries.
As part of this, the electrical wholesaler is investing in a highly efficient AutoStore solution, which is being planned and implemented by intralogistics experts Kardex.
The electrical wholesaler Sonepar offers customers from trade, commerce and industry a huge selection of high-quality electrical products and materials for their daily needs. As a full-range supplier, Sonepar Germany has around 500,000 active articles from more than 2,000 brand manufacturers. The core range consists of over 100,000 items, which are always in stock. In view of these quantities, it is essential for Sonepar to store goods in high density and thus make optimum use of the available space.
New logistics center for all material groups
Sonepar Deutschland GmbH is now building a new logistics center in Werder (Havel) in order to better serve the greater Berlin area. In future, all material groups are to be processed and delivered from this logistics hub. Sonepar has evaluated an automated storage system for processing the small consignments. Due to the very good storage density ratio combined with high throughput, AutoStore was the solution of choice. The intralogistics expert Kardex was commissioned to plan and implement the customized AutoStore solution. In addition to the automation of small parts logistics, cable cutting in the logistics center is also to be automated. Here, Sonepar is relying on the tried-and-tested Mlog technology, which was awarded to Kardex Mlog in parallel with the AutoStore project.
"The Kardex team impressed us above all with their fast and iterative solution development and innovative ideas," says Markus Jahnel, Regional Head of Logistics South at Sonepar Germany. "With our new AutoStore solution at the heart of the logistics center, we will be able to react even more flexibly to customer needs and process orders faster in the greater Berlin area in the future."
High-density storage and efficient processes
Kardex is implementing the flexible and highly efficient AutoStore system on an area of 1900 square meters, optimally adapted to the spatial conditions on site. In the first expansion stage, it offers space for more than 50,000 containers, each with an external height of 330 millimeters. More than 50 "R5 Red Line" robots are used to handle the containers, which move along the grid's rails.
The battery-operated high-speed robots pick up containers, sort them and make them available for replenishment and picking at the ergonomically designed work stations - 32 of which are conveyor ports and eight carousel ports. In addition, four frames are planned as preparation for future expansion with further carousel ports. In addition to container and pallet conveyor technology, a gantry robot is also part of the Kardex solution. This is used for depalletizing and separating incoming empty containers and for palletizing fully picked order containers.
This article appeared in issue 4/23
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