The special features of the project: the pallets have to cross a bridge over a road between the existing building and the new building. As part of the overall project, the entire material flow in three different storage areas will be automated throughout. In a later project phase, Kardex Mlog will also be responsible for the modernization (retrofit) of the existing narrow-aisle warehouse. The warehouse serves as a replenishment warehouse for shipping. In addition to the creation of additional storage spaces, the extension, conversion and new construction are primarily intended to optimize the material flow. The scope of supply includes the entire conveyor technology, the storage and retrieval machines, the rack steel construction and the warehouse management including material flow computer by the Kardex Control Center. In addition to order processing, Kardex Mlog is also responsible for coordinating with the peripheral trades. The planning and layout design was carried out together with Motorservice over a period of one year. The commissioning phase will start in the first quarter of 2025.

The centerpiece: four storage and retrieval machines

This is the first project that Kardex Mlog is carrying out together with its cooperation partner Safelog. Safelog is supplying six driverless transport vehicles to supplement the automated conveyor technology. The four-aisle high-bay warehouse is to be operated in three shifts. At its heart are four Kardex MSingle A-1000/20-ZT storage and retrieval machines with aisle equipment and automatic control. The 19.4 m high devices are designed for a load capacity of 1,000 kg and enable around 30 double cycles per hour without repositioning. The load handling device is a telescopic fork with two drives for double-deep storage and retrieval. Around 300 to 400 pallets per day are to be stored in the high-bay racking. An extensive conveyor system with 270 drives and 6 automated guided vehicles (AGVs) will be installed for the connection to incoming goods and dispatch. The pallets will be transported between the high-bay warehouse and the existing building via a bridge in the direction of the new building.

Transparency in the material flow

The entire material flow is controlled via the modular Kardex Control Center warehouse management system. Communication with Motorservice's production data acquisition system (PDA) takes place via an interface. Before goods are received in the high-bay warehouse, all pallets are clearly marked with a label with an ID number. After the pallets are placed on the conveyor system, this label is automatically scanned and the ID number is compared with the storage notification from the customer's PDC system. The corresponding data record is transmitted from the PDA system to the Kardex Control Center. The warehouse management module within the Kardex Control Center can be used to plan and centrally coordinate the allocation of storage locations and the storage and retrieval processes. The Kardex MFlow material flow computer is used to control the conveyor systems and storage and retrieval machines. The complete material flow of all automatic and manual transports is configured in this module. The Kardex MVisu system visualization is another module of the Kardex Control Center. It can be used to graphically display all automatic conveyor systems and stacker cranes as well as their operating statuses.