As SAP EWM general contractor, IGZ Automation GmbH is responsible not only for the complete planning of the intralogistics, but also for the realization of the very demanding logistics project. In addition to implementing the warehouse management and material flow system with SAP EWM/MFS (Extended Warehouse Management), IGZ is supplying the entire conveyor technology for the pallet area, including the high-bay storage and retrieval machines (SRMs), the miniload SRMs including container conveyor technology and the extensive electric floor conveyor (EBB). It connects four of the six halls with pinpoint accuracy and runs over two storeys. IGZ implements all processes, including large and small parts picking at ergonomically designed workstations, in SAP EWM, integrates its own PLC control system for all warehouse technology trades and coordinates the mechanical sub-trades until the project is completed.

"For IGZ, the overall service package to be delivered represents the most extensive general contractor project to date," explains Alfred Meyer, Managing Director of IGZ Automation GmbH. "In addition to our expertise in the area of SAP EWM/MFS, we were able to convince the bilstein group in particular with our innovative logistics planning and our service package true to the motto 'SAP EWM, PLC and mechanics - everything from a single source'." The bilstein group's project manager, Felix Wortmann, can also confirm this: "With IGZ, we have a strong partner at our side whose holistic and future-oriented concept exactly reflects our way of thinking and acting."

Finalization of the building is largely complete, meaning that in-house assembly work has already begun. The partners involved have been working on the structural steelwork for the HBW since June 2020 and in August of the previous year, work also began on the
steel construction for the miniload and, a few weeks later, the installation of the platform construction including container and pallet conveyor technology. Parallel to the racking, the building services such as the façade, roof waterproofing, roof drainage, sprinklers, lighting and heating are being installed in close coordination,
sprinklers, lighting and heating are installed in and around the racks in close coordination. The travel and guide rails required for the SRMs are also installed at the same time. In November and December 2020, the AKL SRMs were installed and the SRMs were brought in via high-bay warehouse roof openings. Thanks to the fact that the assembly of all trades was completed within the planned time frame, the commissioning of the first trades of the intralogistics system also started on schedule in mid-January 2021.

Commissioning parallel to installation
While assembly is still underway in certain areas of the halls, commissioning is already underway in other sections. Everything follows a very tight and closely interlinked project schedule. "This parallelism of assembly and successive commissioning enables the project to be completed quickly and streamlines the schedule so that the entire system can go live around six weeks earlier according to the current planning status," says IGZ project manager Matthias Hecht. "To further shorten the time until the go-live of the entire system, we ran an extensive test setup with all key elements of the system in our company back in May 2020, so that process reliability could be demonstrated at an early stage."

In addition, the bilstein group was intensively involved in the test setup in order to carry out optimizations together with IGZ and to combine the picking stations, the upstream sequencing lifters and their supply via EBB into a harmonious whole. This test system, consisting of conveyor technology elements, sample vehicles, robots and picking stations, was dismantled in December 2020 and moved to Gelsenkirchen. "With the perfect integration of the new logistics center into the supply chain, the bilstein group will be ideally equipped for future requirements," says Alfred Meyer. The new additional site is scheduled to go live at the beginning of 2022.