Fra 1.oktober 2023 overtager STL Lagerteknik A/S salgsansvaret for følgende produktlinje fra SSI SCHÄFER:

Product & Equipment (PE):

• PR 600 pallereolsystemer, herunder PR 600 mezzaninsystemer i flere etager

• R 3000 reoler, herunder R 3000 reolbårne mezzaninsystemer i flere etager

• Grenreolsystemer

• Fritstående mezzaninsystemer

• Tilbehør til ovennævnte reol-/hyldesystemer

• SSI plastkasser i kombinerede projekter

• Mobilreoler

• SSI Orbiter lagershuttle-systemer

• SSI LOGIMAT® lagerautomater

• Alt serviceansvar og alle kontrakter for SSI LOGIMAT (starter i 2024)

Som nævnt ovenfor vil STL Lagerteknik A/S dermed overtage håndteringen af alle PE-projekter og salg af produkter på det danske marked. Med dette nye samarbejde bliver STL Lagerteknik A/S eksklusiv salgsdistributør for de nævnte produktlinjer i Danmark. Dette strategiske samarbejde er indgået for at styrke tilgængeligheden og adgangen til udstyr fra SSI SCHÄFER, samtidig med at det sikrer lokal dansk kundeservice og support.

SSI Schäfer, en førende global leverandør af logistikløsninger, fortsætter som totalleverandør af semi- og fuldautomatiserede lagerløsninger. Deres lokale in-house team med applikationsingeniører, projektledelseseksperter og softwareudviklere vil fortsat understøtte kunder i regionen og sikre problemfri integration og effektiv drift af systemer fra SSI SCHÄFER.

Samarbejdet markerer en betydelig milepæl i bestræbelserne på øget lokal opmærksomhed og dermed ekspertise i den danske lager- og materialehåndteringsbranche. Både STL Lagerteknik og SSI SCHÄFER har fokus på at levere banebrydende løsninger og exceptionel service til vores kunder.

"Vi er glade for samarbejdet med STL Lagerteknik A/S om distributionen af vores anerkendte produktlinje," siger Michael Hillström, administrerende direktør i SSI SCHÄFER. "Deres store erfaring og markedskendskab gør dem til den ideelle partner til en udvidelse af vores lokale fokus i Danmark, hvilket vil give os et løft i vores fælles markedstilstedeværelse og dermed vil kunne servicere vores kunder effektivt.

"Vi ser frem til at påtage os dette ansvar og bidrage til SSI SCHÄFERS vækst i Danmark," siger Carsten Normann-Poulsen , administrerende direktør i STL Lagerteknik A/S. Carsten Normann-Poulsenhar 15 års erfaring med SSI SCHÄFERS produkter og det danske materialehåndteringsmarked. "Med kombinationen af SSI SCHÄFERS fremragende produkter og vores salgs- og serviceekspertise ser vi frem til at imødekomme vores kunders forskelligartede behov og forbedre deres lagerdrift," afslutter Carsten Normann-Poulsen.

Besøg https://www.ssi-schaefer.com/da-dk for mere information om produktlinjen og for at udforske det store udvalg af SSI Schäfer-udstyr.

Om STL Lagerteknik A/S

Carsten Normann-Poulsen har 15 års erfaring med SSI SCHÄFERS produkter. Centrale medarbejdere hos SSI SCHÄFER vil fortsætte deres arbejde i SSI-afdelingen hos STL Lagerteknik A/S. Medstifter Ole Madsen vil støtte Carsten Normann-Poulsen i opbygningen af en stærk SSI PE-tilstedeværelse i Danmark. Ole Madsen er tidligere administrerende direktør for SSI SCHÄFER, Nord- og Østeuropa.

STL Lagerteknik A/S er et nyt forretningssegment i SystemTeknik-koncernen. Koncernen består af ST Logistics, der distribuerer Geek+ AMR-robotter til lagerautomatisering. SystemTeknik beskæftiger cirka 100 fuldtidsansatte i Danmark og Polen og arbejder inden for elektrisk ingeniørarbejde, eltavler og software til materialehåndteringssystemer. 

Som den nye distributør i Danmark vil STL Lagerteknik A/S fortsætte og udvide SSI Schäfer-produkternes solide fodaftryk i Danmark med et stærkt engagement i kundetilfredshed. Virksomheden har opbygget et solidt omdømme i branchen for sin professionalisme, pålidelighed og store udvalg af løsninger

SSI SCHÄFER-koncernen – om virksomheden

SSI SCHÄFER-koncernen er en af verdens største totalleverandører og producenter af systemer og løsninger til lager og intern logistik. Virksomheden beskæftiger cirka 10.000 medarbejdere på sit koncernhovedkontor i Neunkirchen (Tyskland), på mere end syv indlandske og internationale produktionssteder og i cirka 70 verdensomspændende operative datterselskaber. SSI SCHÄFER udvikler innovative koncepter og branchespecifikke løsninger til sine kunder, og spiller dermed en central rolle i at forme fremtiden for intern logistik.

Virksomheden planlægger, designer og producerer systemer til lagre/logistikcentre og fabrikker samt manuelle og automatiske lager-og transportløsninger samt plukke- og sorteringsanlæg. Affaldshåndtering og recyclingløsninger fuldender virksomhedens portefølje. SSI SCHÄFER er nu også en førende leverandør af modulopbyggede koncepter, som kan integreres optimalt i allerede eksisterende systemer og software, der opdateres regelmæssigt, til interne materialeflow. De mere end 1.000 topuddannede IT-specialister, fordelt rundt omkring i hele verden, udvikler højtydende applikationer og giver kunderne detaljeret rådgivning om den intelligente kombination af software og internt logistikudstyr. De omfattende softwareløsninger med WAMAS® og SAP håndterer alle processer fra lagring til håndtering af materialeflow. SSI SCHÄFER tilbyder flere softwareløsninger, blandt andet den egenudviklede standardlogistiksoftware WAMAS®, og SAP-løsninger, der sørger for perfekt afstemte lager- og materialeflow i alle processer.

SSI SCHÄFER tilbyder ligeledes meget avancerede nøglefærdige systemer. Som international aktør kan virksomheden levere komplette løsninger i alle fire verdenshjørner. Den store portefølje omfatter design, planlægning, rådgivning og kundespecifik eftersalgsservice og vedligeholdelse.

Acquisition of Shares Successfully Completed

• Shares in DS AUTOMOTION fully acquired by SSI SCHAEFER following approval by the Federal Competition Authority in Austria

Neunkirchen, Germany / Linz, Austria March 2, 2023 – At the end of January 2023, it was announced that the SSI SCHAEFER Group, a leading international provider of modular warehousing and logistics solutions employing approximately 10,000 people, and DS AUTOMOTION GmbH, a leading provider of mobile robotics (AGV - Automated Guided Vehicles and AMR - Autonomous Mobile Robots) headquartered in Linz, signed an agreement under which SSI SCHAEFER will acquire all shares in DS AUTOMOTION GmbH. The acquisition of the remaining shares was successfully completed and came into effect yesterday, March 1, 2023, following completion of the review by the Austrian Federal Competition Authority.

SSI SCHAEFER is thus expanding the minority interest it has held in DS AUTOMOTION since 2018 to reflect the growing importance of autonomous and mobile robotics and the AGV business in intralogistics. The management team, led by Managing Directors Manfred Hummenberger and Wolfgang Hillinger, will remain. DS AUTOMOTION will continue to operate independently with its well-established brand.

“The partnership with DS AUTOMOTION is an important milestone in the expansion of the technology leadership of the SSI SCHAEFER Group, and strengthens our competitiveness and innovation power in robotics and automation, which are leading the future for intralogistics,” says Steffen Bersch, CEO of the SSI SCHAEFER Group. “We are pleased to announce that the full share acquisition became effective yesterday, March 1, 2023.”

Previous News:

To speed up logistics processes and reduce costs, partial automation options are worth considering. As your partner, SSI SCHAEFER is available to advise you. An intralogistics specialist, SCHAEFER not only provides equipment for complex logistics centers, but also offers intelligent combinations of logistics solutions for smaller and medium-sized companies interested in taking their first steps towards automation with straightforward “Plug & Play” components and at attractive prices.

In any warehouse, the processes and workflows are designed according to specific requirements that can change over time. The number of items can increase and lead to storage space bottlenecks; walking distances and item searches can take too much time. Perhaps picking also becomes too slow and error-prone, negatively impacting the satisfaction of the customers the warehouse supplies. Fluctuating demand and increasingly dynamic markets, as well as a shortage of skilled workers, are making day-to-day warehouse and logistics operations even more difficult. Partial automation of certain areas and processes offers many benefits, such as faster processes, lower error rates, more effective space utilization, more ergonomic workflows and lower costs.

The first step: Introducing simple technology

Partial automation of one process or area can serve as the first step. For example, workstations can be connected more efficiently through a short conveying section. The conveying system can also lead directly to a vertical lift module, which is perfect for compact storage and rapid picking of small parts. However, installing a conveying system demands a fixed storage area, which may not be an option in some locations. In such cases, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) offer a more flexible option that does not interfere with flexible space utilization. They are also equipped with intelligent sensors, allowing safe use in manual warehouses with mixed traffic.

Intelligent system combinations for typical storage requirements

With intelligent combinations of storage and picking systems, SSI SCHAEFER makes it easier for smaller and medium-sized companies to take their first steps towards semi-automated logistics processes – with a simple “Plug & Play” approach and attractive prices. Semi-automated systems allow optimization of the following typical warehouse requirements:

Space savings thanks to mobile racks and AGVs

When existing warehouses need to be upgraded or new buildings require smaller dimensions due to other limiting factors, more and more companies opt to use mobile racks in combination with automated guided vehicles. Both systems allow flexible integration into the existing layout of the hall, save space, enable a constant material flow around the clock and help to permanently reduce operating costs.

Small parts picking in tight spaces with WEASEL® and SSI LOGIMAT®

The WEASEL is a cost-effective solution for your first steps towards automation of internal transport and can be combined with the SSI LOGIMAT vertical lift module to create an efficient storage and picking solution. This approach increases storage density and throughput and significantly improves picking quality.

Fast picking times with SSI mobile robots and static rack systems

Static racks in combination with mobile robots can significantly reduce picking and order throughput times, are ideal for e-commerce, can be installed quickly in existing properties, are easy to scale up at any time and reduce logistics costs in the long term. In addition, this innovative solution handles work steps with poor ergonomics, heavy goods and repetitive, tiring tasks so warehouse employees don’t have to.

State-of-the-art logistics software for optimal process control

However, automation doesn’t necessarily have to start with technical components – another option is a warehouse management system. SSI SCHAEFER's WAMAS® logistics software allows seamless integration into companies’ system infrastructure and connects upstream and downstream systems into an intelligent overall system. It supports order consolidation and inventory and controls all stock movements in transparent processes.

Whether software or technical components – the step towards automation doesn’t mean a complete about-face. Instead, it involves incremental partial automation and digitalization of selected warehouse areas and processes in order to adapt storage and logistics to the company’s development. The advantages offer greater efficiency and lower costs, bolstering the company’s competitiveness.

The EDEKA Group of Companies Northern Bavaria-Saxony-Thuringia is one of seven regional groups of companies within the cooperatively organized EDEKA Group. It supplies around 900 grocery stores in northern Bavaria, northern Baden-Württemberg, Thuringia and Saxony, making it the largest local grocery supplier in the region. The Gochsheim location supplies some of the EDEKA stores in northern Bavaria with items from the dry goods line, frozen goods, delicatessen products, as well as fruit and vegetables. Expanded warehouse space is in demand given the rate of steady growth in the past plus the projected growth in years to come. The general contractor SSI SCHAEFER was awarded the contract to implement the warehouse expansion in 2020.

“SSI SCHAEFER’s excellent concept planning and potential for cost optimization helped us right from the sales phase,” says Dr. Stefan Winter, Project Manager Logistics at EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen mbH. “We were also impressed with the expertise in logistics solutions for food wholesale.”

More Warehousing Capacity

Given the limited amount of space available for expansion, the objective was to implement an economical solution that required little space while creating the greatest possible additional capacity for fast movers. Therefore, an automated high-bay warehouse was ideal for the available space because the capacity expansion was achieved by constructing higher. SSI SCHAEFER built the 4-aisle high-bay warehouse in Gochsheim in 2020/21 with a floor area of approx. 100 m x 32 m and a height of 28 meters. It provides space for more than 10,000 pallet locations and is designed for single- and double-deep storage of the dry goods line. The concept already accounts for projected growth. The silo construction, i.e. the wall and ceiling cladding, is directly connected to the high-bay racks, saving construction costs for EDEKA. SSI SCHAEFER supplied all the components of the intralogistics solution from a single source and in-house, including the steel construction for the high-bay warehouse as well as storage-retrieval machines, pallet and roller container conveying systems, and the corresponding logistics software as well.

Increased Picking Efficiency

Goods from EDEKA’s suppliers arrive at the regional warehouse in Gochsheim. After goods-in, the pallets are transported via pallet conveying systems to the high-bay warehouse, where intermediate buffering of the goods takes place. The special aspect of the high-bay warehouse is the picking supported by the WAMAS® logistics software using Pick by Voice across two levels, which SSI SCHAEFER has integrated into the steel construction. This increases the number of picking stations and the transparency of the processes on the given floor space, allowing the space to be used efficiently. The pallets retrieved by the storage-retrieval machines are transported directly to the ergonomic workstations on the respective level via gravity roller conveyors, in what is known as tunnel picking. Here, the picking processes occur bundled on the levels, which in turn increases ergonomics and optimizes process efficiency. In addition, significantly fewer forklifts are needed in picking, which increases the transparency of picking processes. At the material-supply areas of the high-bay warehouse, the cases are then manually picked directly onto the corresponding roller containers and pallets, from where a special roller container conveying system transports them to the goods-out area. If a store requires single item pallets, they are removed from the high-bay warehouse and automatically transported directly to the goods-out area via the pallet conveying system.

Suitable Solution for Food Retail

The intralogistics solution from SSI SCHAEFER also features a high degree of customization. It adapts to the special requirements in EDEKA’s food retail and covers all customer-specific requirements. For example, the WAMAS logistics software, the modules of which have been specifically tailored to meet customer needs, is impressive because of its strong functional depth and has been setting standards in the EDEKA Group for a large number of retail stores throughout Germany since 2003. WAMAS stands for perfect interaction between the warehouse management and material flow system, all from one source. The core tasks of the WAMAS warehouse management software include the administrative functions, inventory and storage location management and the mapping of the logistics processes. The main focus is always on centralized organization across the locations. Within the hierarchy, the WAMAS material flow system is located below the warehouse management system, responsible primarily for allocated transports. Control and optimization functionalities and the corresponding interfaces to the subordinate control and external systems ensure a continuous, uninterrupted mapping of the flow of goods. In Gochsheim, a number of special features were implemented in line with the storage units, including the item-dependent speed of the storage-retrieval machines: The speed of the storage-retrieval machine is adjusted according to the pallet system, system utilization and load. This means absolute safety for the storage location. In addition, a plausibility check of the pallet height is performed via the quantity and number of layers. Another advantage of the load-dependent speed of the storage-retrieval machines is the reduced noise level for warehouse staff.

Moreover, the intralogistics solution scores with the maximum availability of the system, even at peak times. Projected business growth has already been factored into the planning so that it can be handled by the new system. In addition, EDEKA can rely on technically reliable components. The installed components all come from SSI SCHAEFER’s own production, which ensures the consistently high quality of the product. Should a malfunction ever occur, the service contract specifies fast response times in case of need to ensure the high performance of the system.

Four SSI Exyz storage-retrieval machines are used in the high-bay warehouse, which are characterized by their energy efficiency and thus contribute to sustainability. On the one hand, the extremely compact design of the SSI Exyz and the optimized control system ensure 5% more space after installation as compared to high-bay warehouses with conventional storage systems. This means that the SSI Exyz eliminates many cubic meters that would otherwise have had to be built, heated or air conditioned. On the other hand, a counterweight integrated in the mast completely saves the energy for the lifting gear from the outset. Conventional storage-retrieval machines can only recover this energy incompletely and with poor electrical efficiency. Standards at SSI SCHAEFER include drive dynamics and drive curves optimized for demand, energy-efficient drives and internal and external energy recovery.

After a realization period of just twelve months, the home stretch has been reached: Thanks to the expansion of the logistics center at the Gochsheim location, EDEKA can supply its stores in northern Bavaria extremely reliably.

“The high-bay warehouse has allowed us to make the best possible use of the available space, and the two picking levels have increased the number of picking locations in the area,” says Dr. Winter in summing it up. “In the course of automation, we now benefit above all from optimized process efficiency – from goods-in to pallet replenishment and the reduction in forklift transports.”

• The dynamics of the e-commerce market and the small nature of the shipments can only be handled with high-performance omnichannel logistics concepts.

• SSI SCHAEFER recommends complete intralogistics solutions consisting of flexible modules to serve all sales channels from one system.

• Smart service concepts ensure trouble-free operation even during peak times

Every year, Black Friday heralds the global peak season in retailing. However, the days of this sales campaign, with lots of discounts, being limited to only the Friday after Thanksgiving, and even to selected products or product groups, are very much over. More and more frequently, vendors are expanding their sales tactics and discount battles over an entire Black Week and seamlessly transitioning into the hot final phase of Christmas trade with Cyber Monday and other offers.

How will buying behavior fare in challenging times?

This year, many retailers are relying on more inventory. They have ordered early to have enough stock, unlike last year. In the USA and Asia in particular, the industry traditionally expects increased consumer demand at Christmas time. In Europe, consumer sentiment has been dampened to some extent due to the rise in energy and living costs, high inflation and general uncertainty surrounding the war in Ukraine. With the discount battle of Black Friday, the industry nevertheless expects increased demand, which needs to be managed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Efficient intralogistics for standard and peak times

In order picking and shipping, seasonal peaks could previously be realized by reorganizing the warehouse to set up fast-moving pick zones and by increasing staff. The latter in particular is becoming increasingly difficult. However, the extension of discount campaigns to large parts of the existing range or additional seasonally purchased goods also increases the complexity and dynamics in the warehouse. Added to this are problems in replenishment due to delivery difficulties or transport bottlenecks, price increases and increased sick leave in the warehouse.

Successful e-commerce and omnichannel retailers have positioned their warehouse logistics accordingly for the future. In order to be able to achieve higher throughputs, warehouse, transport and picking processes are automated as precisely as possible, but also flexibly and sustainably. SSI SCHAEFER supports companies all over the world as an intralogistics partner with decades of experience and an enormous product range – from the SSI LOGIMAT® vertical lift module to AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and robotics applications, from SSI Carrier overhead conveyor technology to the high-performance 3D-MATRIX Solution® automated warehouse and the modern software solutions with WAMAS® and SAP.

E-Grocery - omnichannel logistics solution for grocer Lotus's in Thailand

A best practice example from the growing global e-commerce grocery segment is Lotus's, a hypermarket operating in Thailand with over 2,000 stores, 15 million customers, and an online platform. In order to respond to growing demand and omnichannel consumer behavior, the grocer implemented an innovative material flow concept with partial automation at its largest unit load distribution center, in WangNoi, together with SSI SCHAEFER. The main objective of the project was to develop a more cost-efficient solution for unit load storage and single item picking on the existing floor space, in order to increase labor productivity and handle orders more efficiently. The solution included a multi-level manual picking system with carton flow racks for storing fast-moving items and carton and bin conveyor technology connecting all picking zones and workstations. In addition to retrofitting the warehouse's hardware, all processes within the existing Oracle WMS environment were integrated into WAMAS via an IT interface, without re-engineering for a completely new WMS. The result is a flexible logistics solution from order start to picking and shipping sortation.

Electrical engineering supplier Fust invests in omnichannel solution

To prepare for its growing e-commerce business, Swiss Coop subsidiary Dipl.-Ing. Fust AG, the largest supplier of household electrical appliances, consumer electronics and computers in Switzerland, has invested in modernizing and expanding its logistics site in Oberbüren, Switzerland. The goal was to centralize the warehouse capacities as well as to align the logistics concept, which was previously focused on store deliveries, with the changed requirements in both the B2B and B2C business. Together with SSI SCHAEFER, the company has implemented a highly efficient and extremely flexible multi-channel solution, which has already proven itself in the Corona pandemic with the rapid increase in online orders, with high process and fail-safe reliability.

Over a construction period of only two years, the logistics floor space was doubled to 50,000 m²; at the same time, the required storage capacities have been tripled. The scalable solution mix consists of a bin warehouse with the SSI Cuby single-level shuttle system, a high-bay warehouse, solutions for manual areas, and the WAMAS logistics software including a Warehouse Control System to control all automated warehouse resources in a sequenced and synchronized manner. Through optimized processes, productivity in small parts picking could be increased by a remarkable 40%. The SSI Cuby makes an important contribution here by providing the picking bins to the workstations in an efficient manner. Whereas previously about 1,800 shipping packages could be produced per day for store deliveries and the online business combined, Fust is now able to send a total of 4,000 shipments per day for both sales channels.

Department store retailer Stockmann successfully handles sales campaigns online and offline thanks to high-availability logistics.

Since 2016, Finnish retailer Stockmann has been handling all deliveries to stores and e-commerce customers from a highly automated logistics center in the greater Helsinki area. The assortment includes hanging goods, lay-flat goods, and other items, all of which are stored in the automated, multifunctional distribution center. The system developed by SSI SCHAEFER is designed for a throughput of 55,000 order items with 180,000 individual parts per day. While all the hanging goods are transported and sorted via the energy-efficient overhead conveyor system, SSI SCHAEFER implemented the 3D-MATRIX Solution for the flexible handling of the flat goods. This is an 8-level shuttle warehouse with 130,500 storage locations for double-deep storage and 45 lifts for parallel storage and retrieval of bins. The connected order picking zone for hanging garments accommodates 9 picking workstations. The hanging garment picking area is arranged on 3 levels and accommodates over 350,000 garments.

The entire solution was designed with potential expansion in mind. This means that the layout of the warehouse is capable of integrating additional parts to the system for both hanging garments and flat garments, if required, to accommodate the company's growth and possible future changes. Furthermore, Stockmann relies on SSI SCHAEFER's comprehensive maintenance service "SCHAEFER Maintenance Philosophy (SMP)", which supports both seasonal sales peaks and the handling of daily standard quantities. SSI SCHAEFER's Residence Maintenance (RM) team is on site every day, monitoring the performance of the systems and ready to immediately resolve any challenge that arises to prevent disruption to the facility. During peak and off-peak seasons, 5 to 6 RM employees are on duty for Stockmann; during peak times of year, the team is expanded to 6 to 8 technicians.

Conclusion

A total intralogistics solution to serve all distribution channels from one system offers many advantages for omnichannel providers. For example, they have access to their entire inventory at all times and can service every order, regardless of whether it originates from the store or from an e-com customer. With the help of powerful and flexible automation solutions, warehousing, transport and picking processes can be handled efficiently and changing requirements and seasonal peaks can also be managed reliably. An important benefit for employees is also ergonomic workstations with IT-supported and intuitively designed processes and automatic support for particularly stressful activities. To ensure the highest availability of the systems, SSI SCHAEFER offers a broad portfolio of services using smart technologies that are individually tailored to the customer's needs.

Looking to the future, efficiency in the processing of online orders is becoming increasingly important in order to meet the increased demands of online retailing, as higher energy and purchasing prices, together with transport costs, are increasingly squeezing retailers' profits.

To speed up logistics processes and reduce costs, partial automation options are worth considering. SSI Schaefer stands by as an advisory partner in this situation. The intralogistics specialist, offering intelligent system combinations for typical requirements in smaller and medium-sized companies, with a straightforward Plug & Play approach and at attractive prices. SSI mobile robots are a good choice for faster picking in combination with shelving systems. 

Adapting Intralogistics Structures to Dynamic Markets

Markets and customer requirements undergo continuous change, yet their dynamics have reached unprecedented levels. This is particularly noticeable in e-commerce. While more and more frequent orders are being placed, order quantities are falling – sometimes as low as a batch size of 1. Many retailers have to adapt their intralogistics structures to rapidly increasing order volumes. However, due to inadequate space utilization, the existing warehouse capacity may already be full. Other challenges include a lack of planning certainty, rising fixed costs and staff shortages.

Rapid Picking with SSI Mobile Robots and Shelving Systems

Decision-makers in logistics should consider whether partial automation could be a solution to increasingly challenging requirements. SSI SCHAEFER is available for consultation and can draw on a very broad range of products. SSI SCHAEFER’s combination solution consisting of mobile robots (so-called RackBots) and shelving systems can significantly reduce picking and order throughput times while minimizing error rates. This system combination is ideal for e-commerce, can be installed quickly in existing facilities, is easy to scale up at any time and reduces logistics costs in the long term.

One Partner for All Systems

The components of SSI SCHAEFER systems match perfectly to ensure reliable functionality. “SSI SCHAEFER can handle the interface coordination; they also draw on a broad range of products, so they’re never pushing one specific product. Customers appreciate having a single partner that can do all that,” says Markus Külken, Vice President for Product Line Material Flow at SSI SCHAEFER. 

Streamlining Processes and Reducing Costs with Partial Automation

Companies that choose partial automation of repetitive processes with shelving systems and mobile robots benefit in many ways. The Plug & Play solution allows straightforward, cost-effective automation of storage and picking processes. The goods-to-person principle (GtP) minimizes walking distances and search effort in the warehouse while reducing physical strain on employees. This can achieve a fourfold productivity increase in picking while ensuring delivery accuracy, even during seasonal peaks. At the same time, their process costs have been reduced and failure risks minimized. This approach also achieves optimal utilization of existing space. The systems are integrated precisely into existing buildings, resulting in an 80 percent increase in storage density.

The Perfect Combination of Shelving Systems and SSI Mobile Robots

Mobile robots make efficient human-machine cooperation possible. They have up to eight buffer stations, are designed for around 35 to 45 double cycles per hour and cover warehouse areas with a maximum height of just under 10 meters. Both the number of robots and the design of the shelving system can be customized and adapted as needed. Thanks to the frame system with a plug-in design, the shelving systems can be assembled quickly and easily. Reusable containers from SSI SCHAEFER or cartons are suitable for storage on and retrieval from the rack.

More Options for Partial Automation

Additional process sections can also be automated as needed. For example, a conveying section with connected workstations can be integrated for greater picking performance, as can the space-saving SSI LOGIMAT® vertical lift module in combination with the WEASEL® automated guided vehicle system for rapid replenishment. Mobile robot ports can also be used, which make bin storage and retrieval faster. This approach allows incremental automation of various processes – from goods registration to goods staging in shipping – for the company’s long-term intralogistics strategy.

Lean Processes and Integrated Software Expertise for Greater Efficiency in the Flow of Goods

Fluctuating demand and a shortage of skilled workers pose mounting challenges for many companies. In order to translate multi-layered requirements into efficient logistics structures, companies need flexible logistics systems that work together perfectly. SSI SCHAEFER offers a solution in the form of an intelligent combination of space-saving pallet channel storage with an SSI Orbiter channel shuttle and automated guided vehicles (AGV) – a solution that also provides a gradual entry into automation. In parallel, the system guarantees 24/7 availability of goods, helping compensate for the ongoing labor shortage. Operators can start with a manually operated SSI Orbiter environment and then introduce a control system with manually operated ground conveyors, gradually integrating AGVs as needed.

Improved Performance, Even With Space Restrictions

Increasing time and cost pressures are another reason companies are considering process automation for their warehouse logistics and production supply. This is where volume-optimized channel storage systems for pallets come in. Thanks to high storage density, they require less logistics space than static racks or conventional floor block storage. Johan Kagerö, Global Product Line Manager at SSI SCHAEFER, is familiar with other benefits of this combination: “The solution doesn’t require a large initial investment – it can grow as the company develops, making it especially attractive for small and medium-sized enterprises. Thanks to the high volume utilization rate, customers get more storage capacity in the warehouse, can systematically adjust their resources to the daily order volume and can significantly increase their throughput.”

A Powerful Combination Keeping Costs and Processes Under Control

The turnkey combination of SSI Orbiters and AGVs is especially practical where SKU variance is low, particularly in the food and beverage industry. In addition to a space-saving design, which allows easy integration with the stock system, the channel shuttles can potentially save significant energy. Manually operated bin stackers can be integrated flexibly to cover temporary peaks. The combination with AGVs offers additional advantages providing basic transport capacity, reducing the error rate and ensuring material flow consistency thanks to continuous availability, even in a three-shift operation. “This is especially important in countries experiencing critical shortages of skilled workers and high labour costs,” emphasizes Johan Kagerö. “Staff can instead be deployed more efficiently in regular operations and assigned to plan further process optimization.”

A Smooth, Software-Supported Interplay

SSI SCHAEFER offers the system solution together with a warehouse control system (WCS), which handles the coordination of transport orders. In addition to the channel shuttles, a fleet controller is coupled to this system to control the AGV network, with optional fleet management for manually operated ground conveyors. For example, in the storage process, transport orders are first generated via the host, which sends the orders to the WCS. When the transport order is transferred to the fleet control system, resources are automatically aligned with priorities. The transport order is then assigned to a vehicle according to the retrieval strategy, prioritization, sequencing or bundling rules and the AGV availability. The AGV picks up the loading unit and transports it to the storage cube. The specially tailored WCS ensures that the assigned destination rack is already equipped with a channel shuttle to eliminate waiting time. Once the transport order is completed, feedback is simultaneously sent to the host, and the vehicle is now available for its next deployment.

WCS for Even Greater Flexibility and Performance

“Using the WCS we offer gives operators even greater flexibility,” adds Johan Kagerö. “The software offers options such as applying FIFO/FILO (‘first in, first out’ / ‘first in, last out’) handling principles, performing sequencing and using KPIs for further performance optimization.” Interface compatibility with all common customer systems and their interface technologies also guarantees flexibility. With this foundation, integrating a WCS-supported combination of SSI Orbiters and AGVs is possible not only in greenfield environments with a high degree of design freedom – integration even into existing (brownfield) structures poses no difficulty. This allows companies to gradually switch from manual processes to partially automated processes at reasonable cost. Other warehouse areas, such as static racks, mobile rack systems, vertical lift modules or conveying systems, can also be integrated flexibly to create a tailored logistics solution.

One Partner for Planning, Implementation and Support

SSI SCHAEFER supplies the entire system as a turnkey solution from a single source. This eliminates the need for complex coordination of different systems and risks. “The intelligence the software includes is what makes our solution so special,” adds Johan Kagerö. “The solution lets our customers adapt their intralogistics to up-to-date requirements at any time. That makes it ideal for a kanban approach to production supply, for equipping and supplying production lines and for use at the interface between outgoing goods and truck loading, for example.”

SSI SCHAEFER offers operators a comprehensive portfolio of services from a single source, through implementation and beyond, and its Customer Service & Support (CSS) helps ensure continuous system availability. This allows companies to upgrade their intralogistics step by step with transparent costs. This can be achieved with additional channel shuttles and automated guided vehicles. A WCS takes most control tasks off their plate and handles them automatically. Thanks to the Schaefer Maintenance Philosophy (SMC), customers can fully rely on SSI SCHAEFER’s skilled experts for maintenance, too.

MISUMI, a global manufacturer and leading provider of mechanical components and indirect materials for special machine construction and assembly automation, has commissioned SSI SCHAEFER to implement a new logistics center in Frankfurt/Main. Until the beginning of 2020, the distribution center with a capacity for 450,000 items on more than 10,000 m2 of storage area will be built in several stages. Core elements of the system are an automated shuttle warehouse, a four-storied rack system, ergonomic work stations connected via a conveying system and the logistics software WAMAS®.

MISUMI was founded in Tokyo in 1963 and today has selling agencies all over the world. The business model of the company is based on highest quality, low costs and short delivery times. In the logistics center in Frankfurt stock items, standard components from its own production and third-party suppliers and make-to-order (MTO) parts are handled. MTO parts are currently produced in particular in Japan, China and Vietnam. For the turnover of MTO parts, MISUMI uses the cross-docking principle: After arrival, items are directly consolidated with the existing stock and sent to the customer the same day – without being stored. The short delivery time resulting from this approach is important because innovation cycles in mechanical engineering constantly decrease and therefore less time remains for product development. In order to be able to process the increasing number of orders in even shorter times in the future, MISUMI counts on a state-of-the-art automation solution from SSI Schaefer.

Tailor-made logistics solution for efficient make-to-order processes
For storing the items, a four-storied platform rack system for 250,000 items and a 10-aisle shuttle warehouse with a capacity for 200,000 items are realized. In the latter, Cuby single-level shuttles within a double-deep storage concept will take care of the high-efficiency storage and retrieval process in the future. Four goods-in work stations, four work stations integrated into the platform rack system and four multi-functional work stations will support the distribution and sortation process of incoming items and the make-to-order business. Picking will be performed at five ergonomic Pick to Tote work stations and a pick wall with a clearing station. Before leaving the logistics center, orders will pass one of the ten packing stations. All work stations are connected to the system with a high-performance conveying system. For the coordinated process control of the material flows, the logistics software WAMAS by SSI SCHAEFER is used.

"Quality, competitive prices and high speed are our recipe for maximum customer satisfaction. With efficient logistics structures, we will reinforce these principles in the future. The entire investment volume emphasizes the high potential that we see at the location in Germany and in Europe", comments Jörg Gonnermann, General Manager Logistics Service Platform of MISUMI, the assignment of SSI SCHAEFER.

Cost optimization thanks to reliable storage and picking processes through ergonomic system solutions with WEASEL® LITE and SSI LOGIMAT®

Fluctuating demand and a shortage of skilled workers pose mounting challenges for many companies. In order to translate multi-layered requirements into efficient logistics structures, companies need flexible logistics systems that work together perfectly. The objectives of future-proof intralogistics can be met through a coordinated interaction of one or more SSI LOGIMAT® vertical lift modules with WEASEL® Lite automated guided vehicles from SSI SCHAEFER. Storage density is increased, technical performance and picking quality improve and downtimes during operation caused by slow material supply or incorrectly supplied parts are almost excluded.

Identifying potential for improvement and solving challenges of small load carrier handling

The intralogistics sector offers many cost-saving opportunities. Reducing costs while increasing process reliability with the shortest possible cycle times has become a task which is almost impossible to achieve in conventional, manual warehouses. Standardized and repetitive processes are particularly suitable for automation. Employees can then handle these processes without extensive training or lengthy instructions. At the same time, the use of vertical lift modules for the picking of small parts, which are supplied with the required materials by automated guided vehicles, allows for process transparency and efficiency on a new level. This benefits companies directly:

• 50% time savings during entire picking

• Increase in availability speed by 90%

• 120 m² storage space on a footprint of 11 m² possible

• Constantly timed flow of goods

• Improved workload

• Reduction of buffered stock

• Error reduction

Another aspect companies increasingly focus on is the creation of an ergonomic work environment. By using modern warehouse solutions, employees are relieved of monotonous and health-damaging lifting activities and engage in an attractive, system-supported environment, in which they are guided safely through the tasks assigned to them.

WEASEL® Lite – ensures constant flow of goods

In combination with the WEASEL® Lite automated guided vehicle for small load carriers, SSI SCHAEFER’s SSI LOGIMAT® storage and picking solution, which is specifically designed for production and intralogistics, offers an integrated end-to-end solution to meet the ever-increasing demands of dynamic markets. The WEASEL® Lite AGV ensures reliable and safe transport of goods in bins, cartons or on trays with a total weight of up to 35 kg. It boasts quick and easy integration – the period from ordering to commissioning is usually only about one to two weeks within Germany – and guarantees a fully automated material flow from goods-in, to picking, to shipping and provision at workstations.

All vehicles use Bluetooth to communicate with each other. A complex IT landscape is thus not necessary. Users can configure the WEASEL® Lite on their own and put it into operation with a plug-and-play approach. No particular IT knowledge or specific technical know-how is required. In addition, the number of vehicles in a WEASEL® Lite fleet can be quickly increased at any time as a company’s throughput demand increases in parallel with its growth. If the challenges become more complex, the vehicles can be upgraded to the WEASEL® Classic version, which is controlled by a fleet controller via Wi-Fi. This provides further efficiency and interface benefits for the operator.

SSI LOGIMAT® – intuitive and ergonomic picking

The vertical lift module SSI LOGIMAT® is another storage and picking solution that grows with the expansion of a company and the respective new challenges. As the available space volume is fully utilized in terms of height, operators save space without having to reduce stock. With an assumed unit height of 7.5 m and a goods height of 220 mm, 48 trays will fit into the vertical lift module SSI LOGIMAT®. With a tray size of 3025 x 815 mm, this corresponds to a storage area of around 120 m² on 11 m² of floor space. A clear visual interface provides better performance and picking safety. The LOGIPOINTER indicates the correct storage position via Pick by Light so that the operator can store and retrieve items accurately and time efficiently. During retrieval, an LED display (Put to Light) at the transfer station assists in ensuring the correct item assignment to the different orders. The LMB containers, specifically designed for the SSI LOGIMAT®, can be individually adapted to the item structure by using compartment separators, making the best possible use of the tray depth and width. The trays are accessed from above. To further improve ergonomics at the workstation, operators can adjust the inclination of the tray (LOGITILT) according to their body size.

A focus on customer and employee satisfaction

Combining the WEASEL® Lite and SSI LOGIMAT® into a system solution allows continuous processing of the basic loads that arise in everyday storage, retrieval and picking operations. At peak times, additional personnel can be brought in as needed.

Markus Külken, Vice President for Product Line Material Flow, Products & Equipment at SSI SCHAEFER, points out another quality issue: “Especially in e-commerce, every order directly impacts someone’s impression. No company can afford dissatisfied customers in the long run. Correcting errors internally incurs huge costs. Therefore, the priority should be to prevent them from the outset with a system-guided approach.” That only increases the importance of intelligible dialogs and displays with images, colors and numbers to eliminate language barriers and prevent errors. “The light guidance on the vertical lift modules also makes it possible to combine orders into batch orders, further increasing picking performance. It’s only necessary to approach the vertical lift module once when picking one item for multiple orders in a batch order,” emphasizes Udo Neumann, Senior Business Consultant at SSI SCHAEFER. “Employees don’t need any special know-how. Instead, the WAMAS® LOGIMAT logistics software handles this task virtually, ensuring continuous process optimization based on current demands.”

Diverse customer benefits to secure competitiveness

Installing SSI LOGIMAT® vertical lift modules requires only minor adjustments. The WEASEL® Lite AGV requires no structural alterations either; a track is simply glued to the floor of the hall and can be modified quickly and easily at any time. Storage areas that create clutter can be eliminated; the approach frees up employees who can be deployed more productively elsewhere; and the unnecessary movement of parts between functional areas that forklifts cause is eliminated. Shorter walking distances and better ergonomics in the operating environment also lead to higher employee satisfaction and motivation. Pick rates increase, and unnecessary transport is eliminated. Linking, which enables a continuous, clearly timed material flow, can significantly reduce buffer levels and ensure consistent utilization of individual work areas. This semi-automated solution is especially attractive to small and medium-sized companies that want to reorganize their processes through a manageable investment. Digitalization and automation of small parts handling processes increase efficiency, lower costs, reduce repetitive activities and help guarantee and sustain customer competitiveness.

Powerful solution packages from a single source

With this combined application, SSI SCHAEFER offers a safe, proven and tailor-made solution package with interfaces and product components designed for mutual compatibility from a single source. This saves time, provides investment security and prevents unplanned follow-up costs. Customers do not have to coordinate and implement the services and products of different suppliers, which may not be perfectly compatible. Several different interfaces complicate troubleshooting if errors occur during operation. In contrast, with our proven solution package, companies can focus on their core business and have confidence from the outset that all components are perfectly attuned to each other and will interact seamlessly and intelligently. Also maintenance and support are provided by a single source at SSI SCHAEFER. Furthermore, small and medium-sized companies benefit from SSI SCHAEFER experts’ extensive experience implementing numerous large, complex projects.

Swedish Agro Machinery AB, distributor and importer of farming machinery has decided to centralize its spare parts storage system and equip the new warehouse of 3,700 square meters with SSI SCHAEFER’s logistics solutions. Pallet and cantilever racks, shelves and SSI LOGIMAT® Vertical Lift Modules are parts of the solution. The result: a compact warehouse with up to 23,000 different parts and an overnight delivery.

In 2016, Swedish Agro Machinery took over the import of Claas products, a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, to Sweden and Norway. The new updated organizational structure needed a new facility to store spare parts efficiently. They chose to put it in Skåne Skurup, in the middle of one of Sweden's most fertile agricultural areas, also near Denmark and the center of the European continent. The challenge was, that they need to store parts in very different ways due to the various dimensions in the new warehouse. Swedish Agro already had realized some projects with SSI SCHAEFER in the past, so that is why they have been involved as a partner in the project since the very beginning.

“We were looking for one supplier for the overall system. We wanted to partner with the manufacturer to ensure the best quality of the equipment and total control over its production. That is why SSI SCHAEFER was selected as a general contractor for the project.”

Martin Gerdtsson

Spare Parts Manager at Swedish Agro Machinery in Skurup

Martin Gerdtsson

Profession here

Local presence is crucial for Swedish Agro. When an agricultural machine is on service, there should be no disruption, especially during the high season. That is why the company holds 25 workshops in the network with the extra focus on agricultural areas in Skåne, Västra Götaland, Östergötland and Uppland. Swedish Agro's commitment is to deliver the ordered spare parts for the next day if they are not in place locally.

Material flow supported by the new solution

The goods are delivered by trucks, unpacked at the work stations manually, sorted according to type and size and brought to different storage systems. Spare parts for agricultural machinery vary greatly in size, share and weight. It's everything from single bolts to input screws in the ten-meter class.

In fact, Swedish Agro needed ten different ways of storing. This includes long-span and cantilever racks for lying goods and compartments for storing standing moldings. This is very effective as some of the spare parts can be quite large. To utilize also the vertical space optimally, a narrow aisle has been set up with shelves. Smaller spare parts are stored in two SSI LOGIMAT Vertical Lift Modules, which accommodate around 16,000 items.

When goods are needed for an order, they are picked by a forklift or manually by an employee to be packed at the workstations for shipping. All orders received before 3.30 pm are delivered to the service workshops the following morning. This is possible thanks to dense logistics arrangements with overnight deliveries.

“Swedish Agro is loyal to its customers in maintaining quality and promised delivery terms. Our installation has been able to grow and develop with new opportunities, in line with the spare part's expansion. We are very happy to lead this project and support Swedish Agro with a system to perfect their material flow,” concludes Anders Jonasson, Sales Manager at SSI SCHAEFER.

With the new warehouse, Swedish Agro has strengthened their position by securing spare parts availability in the region and optimizing their capacities. Martin Gerdtsson summarizes: “The main reasons why we chose SSI SCHAEFER were that we really felt from the beginning that they already knew our needs through past cooperation and, of course, they had a solution for storing spare parts with a wide range of dimensions.”

Swedish Agro Machinery AB's new central warehouse in Skåne Skurup ensures overnight delivery capability.

The two SSI LOGIMAT® Vertical Lift Modules ensures the ergonomic storage and picking of around 16,000 mostly smaller items.

The narrow-aisle, which is set up with shelves, utilizes the vertical space optimally.

Cantilever racks provide space for storing long and bulky goods.

In just six months, SSI SCHAEFER was able to automate the existing mobile racking system at Ostendorf in Emstek using automated guided vehicles (AGV) and its WAMAS® intralogistics software. Right after the go-live in the middle of 2021, the positive impact of this partially automated logistics solution was clear and quantifiable: it ensures transparent, error-free processes and makes the material flow resource-independent – and thus more efficient – in three-shift operations. Achieving these objectives was an important step for this plastics specialist in order to meet its customers’ increasingly specific demands and strengthen its position on a highly competitive market.    

Gebr. Ostendorf Kunststoffe GmbH is one of the leading manufacturers of wastewater pipe systems in Germany and has sold these plastic pipes and polypropylene fittings since 1973. Its customers come from the construction industry, which generally orders large quantities of a wide range of variants and operates in a cost-intensive environment. Given its ongoing growth and the demand for shorter and shorter delivery times, Ostendorf had already commissioned a new distribution center at its headquarters in Vechta in 2017 for packaging-optimized overnight goods staging. SSI SCHAEFER equipped the center with an automatic channel storage system including SSI Orbiter® load handling devices, WAMAS® intralogistics software and a conveyor system.

The Path to Semi-Automation

At its Emstek site, Ostendorf also faced the challenge of adapting processes to increasingly demanding market conditions. It needed to optimize intralogistics, increase productivity and cut costs. At the same time, Ostendorf entered into an agreement with a major construction industry customer for pre-picking goods onto mixed pallets. That meant that suddenly, there were more packaging materials and pallets that had to be kept on hand and moved around the warehouse. However, it is not easy to recruit qualified staff for the additional work involved, as well as for three-shift operations – especially in the Oldenburg Münsterland region, which enjoys nearly full employment. Therefore, Ostendorf chose a partially automated plug-and-play solution from SSI SCHAEFER that could be installed quickly and is ideal specifically for smaller warehouses with moderate throughput rates. The new solution, combining automated guided vehicles (AGV) with the existing mobile racking system (MRS), handles the storage and retrieval processes and internal transport reliably, offering Ostendorf the advantage of high process reliability around the clock.

Ostendorf chose SSI SCHAEFER because it wanted a single partner that could serve as the general contractor for the whole solution, including all the interfaces. This made communication much easier and ensured a time-optimized project schedule. Furthermore, the two companies already had good experience collaborating on other projects, such as the high bay warehouse in Vechta and the mobile pallet racking system in Rain am Lech, in which SSI SCHAEFER proved a reliable expert partner. Last but not least, Ostendorf was already familiar with the WAMAS® intralogistics software from the Vechta site and had had good experiences with it.

“For Emstek, relying on full automation, as was done at Vechta, would have been wishful thinking and excessive,” reports Ludger Stroot, operations manager for Emstek at Ostendorf. “But we still wanted to introduce a certain degree of automation to get the benefits that come with it. In this context, the automated guided vehicles were the appropriate technology and were just right for our comparatively low throughput.” “In addition, time was tight,” adds Lukas Varelmann, head of in-house logistics at Ostendorf. “While the planning and implementation of a fully automated high bay warehouse, including the building permit, takes at least three years, we were able to achieve our objectives in less than six months thanks to partial automation.”

A Practical Combination of an MRS, AGVs and Software

This extremely manageable timeframe highlights the particular advantages of the scalable logistics solution that was introduced here: “The combination of a mobile racking system with automated guided vehicles is a mature standard and can be directly integrated into the customer’s warehouse structures,” explains Stefan Reichwald, sales manager at SSI SCHAEFER. “The automated pallet handling solution immediately has positive effects on delivery reliability and quality, as well as ongoing operating costs.”

SSI SCHAEFER successfully completed this partial automation project together with AGV specialist DS Automotion, an SSI SCHAEFER Group company, in the middle of 2021. In the process, the partners set up an interface to the existing mobile racking system. At the same time, they were responsible for the integration of the AGVs and conveyor system and for the overall integration into Ostendorf’s WAMAS® software environment. “This was a comprehensive solution package, including software, so the decision to implement it in this form was an easy one,” emphasizes Lukas Varelmann.

Improved Workflow and Continuous Material Flow in 24/7 Operation

“The AGVs ensure a constant material flow in three-shift operation at Ostendorf; the processes are clearly structured, and this approach virtually eliminates defects,” explains Roland Hieslmair, sales engineer at DS Automotion. This reduces the workload of employees, whose current responsibilities include cross-process activities in the control center. All the processes are also clearly traceable via WAMAS®. Furthermore, the secure, reliable communication between the MRS and AGVs eliminates waiting times; as a vehicle approaches its destination aisle, the system opens the aisle already. The software communicates with the mobile racking system via ProfiNet with barcode support. “WAMAS® sends the orders to DS Automotion’s fleet controller, which you can think of as a kind of ‘dispatcher’”, explains Roland Hieslmair. The system simultaneously checks which vehicle is free and issues the transport command. For a retrieval order, WAMAS® makes sure the aisle opens promptly so the AGV can drive right in, pick up the requested pallet and move it to the transfer point on the conveyor system. The fleet controller notifies WAMAS® that the order is complete, and the AGV is now ready for its next task.

Linking DS Automotion’s solutions with SSI SCHAEFER’s portfolio offers customers the opportunity to reap the benefits of integrated solutions without interface problems; a central contact person is always available, and laborious coordination among different systems is eliminated.

Additional Benefits for Ostendorf

 When companies grow and seek to increase the efficiency and quality of their order processing, they – like Ostendorf at its Emstek site – often consider introducing software in conjunction with automated processes. The combined system solution, consisting initially of an MRS and two AGVs, increases efficiency for this plastics specialist by having the AGVs operate continuously, with no breaks. With the vehicles used, SSI SCHAEFER not only met Ostendorf’s time target for double cycle use, but actually exceeded expectations; the AGVs complete the double cycles about 30% faster than even required. If even higher performance is required in the future, additional vehicles can be added without difficulty. Modern sensor technology makes the vehicles safer for employees than conventional forklifts. In addition, the AGVs pay for themselves quickly. The same is true of the extremely space-efficient mobile racking systems, which SSI SCHAEFER offers in combination with AGVs as a solution package from a single source exclusively.

Continuing a Successful Project Partnership

Together with SSI SCHAEFER, its partner of many years, Ostendorf hopes to repeat the success achieved in Emstek at another location. There as well, the aim is to establish a solid operational foundation to perfectly meet the growing demands of the construction industry – for example, through order-specific pre-picking. Initial scenarios are also being considered for construction of an automated small parts warehouse in Vechta. Ludger Stroot and Lukas Varelmann agree: “The professional project management and fast implementation impressed us once again.” “The two sides worked in harmony, the approach was always solution-oriented, and the cooperation was always positive. The results we achieved were thoroughly positive and speak for themselves.”

In partnership with SSI SCHAEFER, Ostendorf has implemented an impressive partially automated warehouse solution. They automated the existing mobile pallet racking by combining it with the new AGVs and connected both components to the new WAMAS® software. This solution gives Ostendorf an efficient, optimized storage, transport and picking process and strengthens its competitive edge.

High-Performance Fashion Logistics for Efficient Omnichannel Management

SSI SCHAEFER served as the general contractor to equip a new logistics facility in Weil am Rhein with a state-of-the-art systems technology for Work in Progress Textilhandels GmbH (Carhartt WIP). SSI SCHAEFER’s powerful intralogistics solution seamlessly connects the existing system with the new one. It ensures process efficiency and optimizes order processing in the respective distribution channels – wholesale, e-commerce and retail. The warehouse capacity has also been expanded to accommodate the steady growth in the e-commerce business. The fully scalable installed intralogistics solution includes an SSI Cuby shuttle system, a compact carton and bin conveyor system, various handling systems and sequence towers.

The “Carhartt WIP” premium streetwear brand is known for casual, timeless styles and durable quality. The company behind the label is Work in Progress Textilhandels GmbH, which manufactures and distributes Carhartt products outside the USA. The new reality of e-commerce-driven shopping presents even a successful fashion supplier like Carhartt WIP with the challenge of ensuring efficient processing of online orders and maximum availability of merchandise as the product range grows. The process needs to manage daily and seasonal peaks flexibly and quickly process returns. With “Shop-Friendly-Delivery”, merchandise must be supplied reliably and quickly to the brick-and-mortar retailers. They receive the goods from Carhartt WIP pre-sorted and optimized for the specific store.

Linking New and Existing Structures Intelligently

Carhartt WIP supplies its own stores and outlets worldwide (B2B); at the same time, orders are also increasing from end customers (B2C) through its own online store and other digital platforms. As a result, Carhartt WIP experienced a shortage of warehouse capacity. Carhartt WIP needed a solution to minimize the rising complexity of omnichannel management. In addition, integrating the dynamically growing e-commerce part of the B2C segment into processes without fundamentally modifying tried-and-tested B2B business procedures was a major challenge. This challenge had to be met on the software side; however, from a technical point of view, it also meant seamlessly connecting the existing system to a new, expanded intralogistics system in such a way as to allow continued use of existing systems. Furthermore, given Carhartt WIP’s expected growth figures, it was essential, even at this stage, for SSI SCHAEFER to plan for optional expansion scenarios in order to allow their seamless implementation in the future during ongoing operations.

Reliable, Proven Collaboration

A logistics project in Weil am Rhein first brought Carhartt WIP and SSI SCHAEFER together many years ago. In that project, the intralogistics specialist optimized and automated the processes in the first logistics facility, with a focus on the automated small parts warehouse (ASPW). “We commit to SSI SCHAEFER based on a long-standing collaboration with trust and a high degree of reliability,” says Wolfgang Heldt, Head of Logistics at Carhartt WIP. Given the increasing success of e-commerce, the expansion of the logistics center was the next logical step: “Customers expect a certain level of service, and online vendors need to maintain that level 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Furthermore, for Carhartt WIP, this performance must reflect our premium brand’s reputation,” emphasizes Wolfgang Heldt. In particular, the expansion project focused on maximum flexibility and efficiency, modularity, and built-in buffers for future growth. These features are essential for an adequate response to current and future challenges – from a business perspective as well.

Perfectly Coupled Service Modules for Greater Efficiency

In the extension building with around 4,000 m² of floor space, SSI SCHAEFER installed a fully automated, space-optimized shuttle storage system in which 110 SSI Cuby single-level shuttles handle storage and retrieval. Around 35,000 container and carton storage locations with double-deep storage, distributed over five aisles, were created. “The SSI Cuby shuttle system is very powerful – the performance we get, 22 shuttles per aisle, is remarkable and has led to a reduction in order throughput times,” says Wolfgang Heldt, adding: “The shuttle storage system allows us to efficiently meet the needs of the B2C business, where low order quantities are the norm.” Depending on the order structure, Carhartt WIP can now handle up to 100,000 picks in one day. Lifts, which ensure high throughput, as well as the infeed and take-away conveyor systems, including a high-speed loop, are connected to the shuttle storage system. The ten sequence towers, each with 2 × 22 transfer locations, serve to sequence the source cartons and continuously supply the ten picking stations, which are equipped with put-to-light displays. “These towers efficiently buffer and sequence cartons retrieved from the shuttle storage system to ensure that they’re always fed to the picking stations in the correct sequence,” explains Johannes Zach, Vice President Market Sector Fashion at SSI SCHAEFER. “This increases process reliability while boosting performance.”

The workstations in the different areas, such as incoming goods, order picking, new incoming returns and packaging, are connected through the conveyor system. In addition, the eight new B2C packaging workstations and the six special handling workstations for value-added services, such as prepricing and customer-specific carton or pallet loading, are also integrated. These processes are supported by various handling systems, e.g., automatic carton openers and erectors, scanners, automatic sealing machines and label applicators. The conveyor system also connects the eight-aisle ASPW, to which SSI SCHAEFER has added two further aisles. This made it possible to create completely new material flow structures and link them to the processes in the B2B area, which were mostly retained, in order to efficiently handle the seven defined order scenarios. These result from the different composition of the items, which can come from up to three warehouse areas: the existing ASPW, the block storage for non-conveyable items and the new shuttle storage system. “Due to the complexity of the system elements and processes, we divided the commissioning in two phases,” adds Udo Peintner, project manager at SSI SCHAEFER. “Phase one, which was completed in January 2020, involved the ASPW expansion and retrofitting the existing system, incoming goods and switching the existing software to WAMAS®. This was followed in September 2020 by the go-live of the SSI Cuby system, the sequence tower and the connection of the existing system to the new shuttle storage system through the conveyor system.” As a result, the overall system was able to deliver the required performance in time for “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” – promotional discount events popular with consumers.

During project implementation, SSI SCHAEFER delivered the individual pieces, such as steel construction, the conveyor system, the shuttle system, and software as a complete package. This was an advantage since the reduction in the interfaces involved benefited Carhartt WIP through time-optimized project execution.

WAMAS® – the Pulse Generator for the Overall System

The intelligent WAMAS® Warehouse Control System (WCS) connects people and service modules and harmonizes processes in warehouses – a crucial contribution to making order processing efficient. The WAMAS WCS controls automated processes within the warehouse in real time and ensures a constant material flow. Should conditions change, the system reprioritizes operations so that fulfillment performance meets current needs and is accelerated. It also uses the SCADA system visualization of WAMAS Lighthouse, which provides a realistic representation of the entire system and lets you derive precise insights into the smallest details on different levels. This ensures countermeasures are initiated quickly if critical operating states are imminent, ensuring maximum availability.

Maximum Throughput for Constant Availability of Goods

“We’ve been bowled over by our success in the past two to three years,” reports Wolfgang Heldt. “As a result of the pandemic, the proportion of online orders has increased by leaps and bounds. The shuttle storage system puts us in a good position, and we plan to work with SSI SCHAEFER to expand it in the near future with three additional aisles, which will give us around 125,000 available item storage locations at the Weil am Rhein site.” Thanks to the WAMAS® logistics software, the dynamic, fully scalable warehouse logistics solution from SSI SCHAEFER provides the perfect interplay among the new and existing storage systems, the sequence towers, and the new and existing picking workstations. This ensures that Carhartt WIP can process a wide variety of order scenarios in the best way possible.

A-Frame – Fully Automated Accelerated Error-Free Picking for Fast-Moving Pharmaceuticals

Supply quality and first-class on-site services are crucial if retail pharmacies are to survive in the face of online competition. Therefore, the role of pharmaceutical wholesalers is also significant – they need to ensure not only high product availability, but also the fastest possible delivery. The company in this example has tailored its fulfillment concept precisely to these demands and implemented it with state-of-the-art technology from its long-term intralogistics partner SSI SCHAEFER. The latest highlight is the installed A-Frame with integrated product verification. This highly efficient, fully automated picking system provides up to 40,000 drug packages per hour during peak times on an order-by-order basis while meeting the pharmaceutical industry’s high standards.

In the course of a collaboration dating back over 20 years, this full-service pharmaceutical supplier has equipped all its distribution warehouses with high-performance technology from SSI SCHAEFER. This was implemented, in part, through retrofit, conversion, and expansion projects without impacting ongoing operations. The spectrum of installations ranges from manual to fully automated warehouse and picking solutions, including tailored logistics software from the WAMAS portfolio. SSI SCHAEFER’s Customer Service & Support includes on-site technical support as needed, alongside training and remote support.

Directly integrated, suitable for varying packaging

Through the implementation of the A-Frame, the partners have once again strengthened their shared commitment in the automation sector. The picking system was integrated directly into the existing structures and has proven to be ideal for picking small, fast-moving packing units since it was commissioned in the second half of 2022. Example contents include headache pills, nasal sprays, and adhesive bandages. A key feature of the A-Frame is the product channels, which allow flexible configuration and are the conduit for software-controlled, error-free output of various packaging sizes, whether cylindrical or rectangular, in just seconds. The items are ejected from the A-Frame onto the conveyor belt, where special sections are each assigned to one order, and then move directly through the filling point into the order bins. The entire process takes just 60 seconds.

High-performance automatic picking system for order fulfillment

The technical performance that can be achieved – up to 40,000 products per hour – is also based on the solution approach of decoupling the picking and refilling processes. Employees refill the A-Frames during lower-load periods. The system then performs fully automated picking, accelerating processing and accommodating the zero-defect strategy. This reduces the staff’s workload so they can be assigned other productive work in the distribution center, optimizing resource utilization. Thus the A-Frame ensures fast processing – even for complex jobs and during load peaks. If sustained growth continues, the system’s modular design will allow optional expansion and adaptation to specific new requirements.

Safety, speed, and efficiency as success factors

In addition, the A-Frame boasts a compact design that saves space, achieving especially high storage density on a small amount of floor space. The A-Frame can accommodate the majority of a product assortment, comprising well over 120,000 pharmaceutical products. Automation also makes an important contribution to meeting the drug safety requirements associated with zero-defect tolerance and full traceability. But speed is also crucial. Pharmacies often lack sufficient storage space to stock a complete assortment of products, so they rely on on-time delivery of the quantity of drugs ordered. The pharmaceutical wholesaler’s service closes this gap, enables a successful customer experience in the local environment, and strengthens the pharmacies’ competitive position, while permanently reducing its own process costs.

The A-Frame from SSI SCHAEFER is a compact picking system that can also be integrated into existing systems and achieves optimal space utilization through its high product density.

The A-Frame performs fully automatic picking for up to 40,000 products per hour and ejects them onto a collecting belt within seconds on an order-by-order basis.

Employees refill the A-Frame during lower-load periods to keep it stocked for high throughput demands at peak times.

After being ejected onto the collecting belt on an order-by-order basis, the packing units are automatically transferred through a filling point directly to the corresponding order bins.

• SSI SCHAEFER agrees cooperation with Singapore Polytechnic

• Collaborate to promote Advanced Manufacturing Learning Journey (AMLJ)

SSI SCHAEFER, a global intralogistics leader and member of Smart i4.0 Transformation Alliance (SiTA), is excited to announce a strategic collaboration with Singapore Polytechnic (SP), the country's first-ever polytechnic. This partnership aims to establish an innovative co-location program dedicated to promoting the Advanced Manufacturing Learning Journey (AMLJ), which SP and TÜV SÜD jointly developed.

Aligned with the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) developed by Economic Development Board (EDB) Singapore, SSI SCHAEFER and SP are set to revolutionize advanced manufacturing education. The Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMC), located within SP's esteemed Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering (MAE) Facilities, will serve as a dynamic hub to showcase the latest Industry 4.0 (i4.0) manufacturing technologies.

The AMLJ program aims to support local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on their digital transformation journey by showcasing practical and scalable solutions leveraging i4.0 technologies. The AMC features three distinct zones catering to different levels of digitalization:

• Digitalization Zone: Designed for SMEs seeking to digitize manual processes and extract valuable information through machinery connectivity.

• Integrated Zone: Dedicated to SMEs that have adopted a basic level of digitalization and aim to integrate their digital systems into a unified manufacturing process.

• Smart Zone: Specifically tailored for SMEs seeking advanced data-driven manufacturing involving a unified data source, flexible and predictive manufacturing systems, optimized real-time processes, and enhanced cybersecurity measures to improve productivity, adaptability, efficiency, and security.

"We are thrilled to partner with Singapore Polytechnic to launch this co-location program," stated Belinda Yeo, Head of Vertical Lift Module & Self-Driving Technology APAC & MEA at SSI SCHAEFER Singapore. "We are fully committed to supporting SMEs in Singapore's industrial evolution, aligning towards a common goal. Through this collaboration, we are pleased to contribute to the digital transformation journey of SMEs, leveraging the core elements of Industry 4.0 — Technology, Process, and Organization - the three fundamental pillars set by SIRI according to EDB."

The program aims to introduce industry professionals, students, and potential customers to a remarkable array of modern solutions. SSI SCHAEFER's innovative Vertical Lift Module (VLM), SSI LOGIMAT®, will take center stage, demonstrating its unparalleled reliability, efficiency, and significant contributions to streamline storage and material handling processes on the manufacturing and production floor.

“We believe this collaboration is highly beneficial to both parties as we develop our capabilities in advanced manufacturing. AMC's close alignment with industry practices also affirms our commitment to providing students with practical and industry-relevant education. We are confident that this partnership will attract a new generation of technical students to SP, knowing they will be sufficiently equipped for future careers in advanced manufacturing," added Steven Tan, Senior Specialist at SP's Advanced Manufacturing Centre.

This transformative partnership between SSI SCHAEFER and SP signifies a significant milestone in bridging the gap between academia and the intralogistics industry, equipping students with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in the evolving field of advanced manufacturing. The collaboration between SSI SCHAEFER and SP commenced three years ago and will continue for another two years.

SSI SCHAEFER skips not one but two software generations thanks to successful big bang adoption

The WAMAS® warehouse management system by SSI SCHAEFER has been proving its worth at LANDI Schweiz AG's central warehouse in Dotzigen since 2003. At the end of November 2020, the latest high-performance generation of WAMAS went live, marking the completion of a top-class retrofit. The 'big bang' involved all manual and automatic processes being switched over in parallel on the very same day, skipping two software generations at once.

Quality at a fair price and a strong base in rural regions have made LANDI a brand name in German-speaking and western Switzerland. As a purchasing, logistics, and marketing organization, LANDI Schweiz AG supplies around 270 stores with a range of approximately 8,000 items in the areas of home and garden as well as agriculture and food (primarily beverages). Around 4,000 employees serve 80,000 customers daily, generating an annual turnover of over 1.4 billion francs.

Time-saving big bang instead of multi-stage changeover

Supply reliability is primarily ensured via LANDI's 35,000 m² central warehouse in Dotzigen. This houses a compact, highly sophisticated logistics infrastructure, installed and continuously expanded by SSI SCHAEFER, for the storage, picking, and dispatch of goods. Since the successful release update in November 2020, which involved a reliable and simultaneous switchover of all systems and processes, LANDI has benefited from state-of-the-art standard software with the latest control and visualization applications. Thanks to its integrated intelligence, warehouse logistics can now be organized even more efficiently and flexibly adapted in parallel to ever more challenging market conditions.

Longstanding partnership allows for an atypical approach

The complexity of the manual and automatic processes as well as the need to keep operations running perfectly during the release upgrade posed just as much a challenge as the big bang migration itself. Meticulous planning and intensive preparations for the go-live in the operational environment were required. The decision to carry out a big bang migration rather than an iterative one was also supported by LANDI's trust in the stability and process reliability of partner SSI SCHAEFER's proprietary logistics software, which had seen the company through around two decades of growth.

Clearly structured quality assurance measures

Highly professional project management coupled with communication as partners was also a key factor in the successful migration to the new warehouse management system (WMS). During the two-year lead time, specialist members were added to the established project team as required. The main task was to thoroughly integrate the new WMS into the existing IT landscape. Thanks to the open system architecture, it was possible to directly link to LANDI's ERP and transport system. All processes were carefully evaluated so that all customer-specific requirements could be taken into account. Detailed simulations and tests on the test system verified the stability of WAMAS and paved the way for a smooth big bang release upgrade. As of the appointed date, the regular order volume was able to be processed in 2.5 shift operation without any significant compromises. Personnel were trained in any new processes and dialogs in advance.

WAMAS at LANDI: Quick, reliable, and uninterrupted

The new WAMAS with integrated material flow system and WAMAS Lighthouse provides LANDI in Dotzigen with a future-proof standard software which efficiently controls and continually optimizes highly-complex processes which require excellent coordination, and also completely fulfills changing market requirements. The established project team also played a key role in the direct changeover to WAMAS 5.8, which involved skipping not one but two software generations. Karoline Poderschnig, Project Manager IT, SSI SCHAEFER says: "A big bang, which involves switching over both manual and automatic processes as well as a variety of technology at a highly complex location like Dotzigen, all at the same time, is extremely exciting. Thanks to our excellent collaboration with LANDI, this has been a complete success." Supply to LANDI stores was not compromised at any point. "There were no interruptions to operations or any significant backlog as a result of the switchover," confirms Stefan Eggli, Head of Conveying Systems / IT Logistics, LANDI Switzerland.

Nahdi Medical Company, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's largest pharmaceutical retail chain, in cooperation with SSI SCHAEFER, the world’s leading provider of modular warehousing and logistics solutions, announced the implementation of the country’s first world-class pharmaceutical system in March 2022. In the heart of Jeddah’s industrial zone, the new facility significantly increases the country's logistics capacity and preparedness for safe and reliable pharmaceutical distribution.

The Nahdi Distribution Center in Jeddah (IMDAD) is the Kingdom’s first-ever automated pharmaceutical facility and falls in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to turn the Kingdom into a global logistics hub and create a long-term investment environment in the industrial and logistics sector.

Covering an area of 250,000 m2, the facility features temperature-controlled logistics, and automated order fulfillment using cutting-edge technology and systems to support Nahdi to guarantee medical security in accordance with the latest international standards and the Saudi Food & Drug Authority (SFDA) best practice regulations. Powered by SSI SCHAEFER technology, the facility was developed in cooperation with the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones “MODON” as the first smart distribution center in the retail sector for Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

 IMDAD is designed to handle an annual 200 million units of medical products alone. This is an unprecedented feat and is made possible by SSI SCHAEFER’s state-of-the-art SSI Cuby shuttle technology in combination with conventional Pick by Light picking consolidated by an intelligent system infrastructure. With automation, IMDAD can move up to 600 shipping bins containing more than 10,000 order lines per hour of operation. The SSI SCHAEFER scope of supply comprises an impressive range of subsystems from receiving and product decanting, SSI Cuby supported goods-to-person picking, Pick by Light picking, conveyor technology, automatic bin closing, labelling, and strapping to sortation and presentation for shipping. The whole solution is controlled and managed by SSI SCHAEFER's logistics software WAMAS®.

In addition to the storage capacity of the SSI Cuby goods-to-person and Pick by Light areas of 37,260 and 26,500 bin locations to support the picking of slow and fast moving products respectively, the SSI SCHAEFER scope also included extensive pallet storage to support the storage and picking of medical appliances, returns handling and other related processes. These storage areas incorporate a special channel storage system using an automatic SSI Orbiter® with specific picking tunnels to enhance the performance, selective racking system, pallet flow racking system, shelving, multi-tier shelving system with high standard steel structure and carton live storage system.

“In a climate which has a lot of uncertainty, modern automated material handling solutions are becoming the trend and way to move forward for many businesses. In the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, we see the benefits being amplified throughout the supply chain. Through the understanding of operations and processes, complete data, performance analysis and design consultancy, the technology and innovation provided by SSI SCHAEFER allows Nahdi to assure higher efficiency standards, accurate reporting, and high quality customer service,” said Ayman ALA‘mar, GM at SSI SCHAEFER Saudi Arabia.

In addition to the hardware, the SSI SCHAEFER supplied WAMAS® Warehouse Management System provides tracking of the goods. It not only fulfills Nahdi’s vision of providing world-class services, but also enables the company to efficiently track, trace and move its goods, both by batch and FEFO (First Expiry, First Out). This assures integrity, productivity, and performance effectiveness and accurate records that ensure all goods are accounted for and deter pilferage.

Nahdi Medical Company CEO Eng. Yasser Joharji sums up the successful cooperation: “The vision of IMDAD stems from Nahdi’s unyielding commitment towards achieving Vision 2030 and the National Industrial Development Program’s targets of creating and improving the performance of logistics hubs across the Kingdom. SSI SCHAEFER has played an integral role in bringing this vision to life through equipping IMDAD with the latest technologies that would not only support us in providing world-class services but would also assure higher efficiency standards, accurate reporting, and quality customer service. We convey our heartfelt gratitude to the SSI Schafer team, who have tirelessly supported us throughout all phases of this project. The launch of IMDAD will mark a significant milestone in our journey towards becoming the most loved and trusted partner to our guests - a milestone reaffirming our commitment towards serving millions of guests across the Kingdom in the most efficient way possible.”

Nahdi Medical Company CSCO Eng. Raed Monagel also added: “IMDAD is the largest logistics Distribution Center in the Middle East in the pharmaceutical industry designed to guarantee medical security in accordance with the latest international systems and to reflect Nahdi's role as an effective partner in supporting Vision 2030. With SSI SCHAEFER’s vast experience in the region, on-the-ground engineering and after sales capabilities to provide complete solutions, adding value to its customer’s specific needs and benefits, Nahdi Medical Company can make this grand vision a reality.”

• Order intake grows by 17.5% to almost EUR 2 billion, driven by all four business units

• Group sales revenue grows by approx. 30 %

• Largest project in company history for US retailer successfully implemented

• Significant technology partnerships concluded in the field of automation

• Material handling business continues to benefit from booming online trade
   

Neunkirchen/Siegerland, Germany February 28, 2022– The SSI SCHAEFER Group, a leading international provider of modular warehousing and logistics solutions with almost 10,000 employees, significantly increased its order intake and sales revenue in fiscal year 2021 based on preliminary figures. The strong performance in new business was driven by all four business units: Logistics Solutions, Products & Equipment, Customer Services, and Waste & Packaging. At just under EUR 2 billion, order intake was 17.5% higher than the previous year.

Sales revenue increased by 30%. The biggest revenue driver was the Logistics Solutions business, which increased its revenues significantly, in particular due to the completion of a number of major intralogistics projects in the fourth quarter. This included the largest project in the company's history, the e-commerce fulfillment center of one of the leading omnichannel retailers in the USA, which was launched in December 2021 in time for Black Friday after only three years of construction. The Customer Services business also grew strongly, benefiting from high project utilization. The Waste & Packaging and Products & Equipment businesses also developed positively.

In terms of earnings, the positive trend of the previous year is consolidating and, according to preliminary figures, the Group has further significantly increased its profitability.

Important technology partnerships consolidated; on track with sustainability strategy

An important milestone for the aspiration to be a technology leader in the industry was the acquisition of a majority stake in SWAN GmbH in the past fiscal year. Through this, SSI SCHAEFER increases its activities in the area of SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) integration in addition to its own software WAMAS®. This strengthens the Group's market position and opens up new customer potential. In the field of automated guided vehicles in intralogistics, the already successfully established partnership with the Austrian manufacturer of self-driving vehicles DS Automotion was intensified and joint development work was advanced.

The SSI SCHAEFER Group is also on course in the area of sustainability. In the fall of last year, the group-wide sustainability strategy was adopted. It will be presented with the Sustainability Report 2021, which will be published in summer 2022. On the customer side, the Group contributed to meeting customer needs even more efficiently and sustainably in numerous projects last year through its intelligent intralogistics solutions. Exemplary for the innovative strength is the Vertical Farming solution in cooperation with Infarm for the sustainable supply of an increasingly urbanized society, which will also be presented at the Expo 2020 in Dubai until March 31, 2022.

In 2022, the SSI SCHAEFER Group will continue to drive forward its focus on modular and scalable intralogistics solutions.

• Official Partner of the Consortium of the German Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

• Vertical Farming Solution showcase in the Future City Lab

Neunkirchen/Siegerland / Dubai December 08, 2021 - The SSI SCHAEFER Group, a German family-owned company with a history spanning more than 80 years and a leading international provider of modular warehousing and logistics solutions, will be demonstrating what the sustainable supply of food to an urbanized society can look like at Expo 2020 in Dubai, which started on October 1. As an official partner of the German Pavilion Consortium, SSI SCHAEFER will present an innovative vertical farming solution developed in cooperation with Infarm, the world’s fastest growing vertical farming company, in the City of the Future section of CAMPUS GERMANY. With its data-driven modular farming units, in which herbs and vegetables are grown under perfect conditions with 95% less water and land compared to conventional farming and without chemical pesticides, Infarm is building a global network of farms to grow and distribute fresh produce close to urban centers. Infarm’s vertical farming network already consists of more than 1400 farms in more than 50 cities worldwide.

Steffen Bersch, CEO of SSI SCHAEFER Group: "According to the United Nations forecast, around 80% of the world's population will live in cities by 2030. Together with the expected population growth and the increasing demand for food, it will be crucial to design the supply of the cities of the future in an integrative, safe and above all efficient and resource-saving way. Infarm’s Vertical Farming solution that we are presenting in the Future City Lab at the Expo, can be up to 400 times more efficient than conventional farming, measured in terms of the cultivated area. With this, the SSI SCHAEFER Group is consistently implementing its value proposition to drive its customers' sustainability globally with future-proof solutions."

Expo 2020 Dubai, the start of which has been postponed by one year due to the Corona pandemic, takes place from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, under the motto "Connecting minds, shaping the future." The World Expo site is located only about 15 minutes by car from the SSI SCHAEFER office in the Dubai Logistics City area, a hub for intralogistics solutions in the Middle East and Africa. Within the German Pavilion, SSI SCHAEFER is the only member of the intralogistics industry.

The German Pavilion, whose client is the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, will be showcasing sustainability at the fair. The exhibits will be grouped into the thematic areas of energy, city of the future and biodiversity. The aim of CAMPUS GERMANY is to provide visitors with solutions for a more sustainable future in a vivid way with many interactive elements.

"How do we want to live in cities in the future? The Future City Lab in the German Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai answers this elementary question. In this Lab, our CAMPUS GERMANY takes visitors into the city of the future and shows, among other things, how food can be produced and made available sustainably in urban spaces," says Sebastian Rosito, Deputy Commissioner General and Director of the German Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Growing urbanization and the rapidly increasing importance of e-commerce lead to ever more complex requirements for SSI SCHAEFER's customers. This is caused by increasing expectations from consumers for the individualization of products, same-day delivery and the highest service quality. This poses ever greater challenges for the warehousing and logistics of large retail chains and online platforms. Against this backdrop, SSI SCHAEFER sees itself in the role of "enabler", contributing to meeting the needs of customers more efficiently and sustainably with intelligent intralogistics solutions in the field of digitalization and automation.

Even More Efficient Together – Mobile Racks in Combination with Automated Guided Vehicles to Save Space and Optimize Material Flow

When existing warehouses need to be upgraded without the option of expansion, or new buildings require smaller dimensions due to high property prices or other limiting factors, more and more companies opt to use mobile racks in combination with automated guided vehicles. This solution package from SSI SCHAEFER can be easily integrated into existing warehouse layouts, saves space, enables a constant material flow around the clock and helps reduce operating costs in the long run. Customers become less reliant on staff, and the error rate tends towards zero.

Identifying Potential for Improvement and Meeting the Challenges of Large Load Carrier Handling

Continuing cost pressure is forcing more and more companies to put the organization of their intralogistics processes to the test. Personnel expenses are high, at the same time there is a shortage in qualified staff who have to meet increasingly complex requirements in production, installation and warehouse logistics. In addition, processes can often no longer be ideally coordinated due to historically grown structures. This results in material supply delays and picking performance declines, which in turn may have a negative impact on on-time delivery and customer satisfaction. Moreover, operators have to expand their capacities on a limited footprint. However, it is often obvious that the height of a building is not optimally used. Volume-optimized mobile racking (MR) systems accessed by automated guided vehicles (AGV) save space while increasing storage density and achieve maximum process reliability and flexibility, as well as efficient, staff-independent transport of goods. This solution offers a simple approach to automation at a moderate price and can be extended at any time if required. Companies can choose between AGVs designed for narrow aisles or wide aisles and see the benefit immediately:

• 40% less space required than with stationary rack lines

• Only one operating aisle to access stored goods

• Storage capacity increased by more than 90%

• 85% more storage quantity on the same footprint

• Constantly timed flow of goods

• Improved utilization

• Reduction of buffered stock

• Error reduction

Mobile Racks – More Storage on a Smaller Footprint

Both modules are part of SSI SCHAEFER’s extensive, modular range of products for holistic optimization of material flows among various areas. For example, a mobile racking system for pallets requires approximately 40% less space than stationary rack lines, so it is the ideal solution for creating more storage space on a limited footprint. The increase of capacity in vertical direction enables companies to increase their storage capacity by approx. 85% while having the same footprint. Search processes and walking times are eliminated, and previously required traffic areas are reduced. Therefore, mobile racking systems are ideal for efficient storage of pallets with different SKUs and a comparably low picking frequency on a small footprint. Further advantages, especially concerning the responsiveness in case of changing framework conditions, are achieved by combining a mobile racking system with one or several automated guided vehicles.

AGVs – Always Reliable, Always on Track

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for large load carriers, such as SSI Heavy Load AGVs, allow seamless integration, require less space than conventional conveying systems and pay for themselves in next to no time. They enable continuous and constant material flow and reduce the dependence on staff and expensive forklift equipment. The error rate is minimized as well, leading to a better delivery quality. In combination with a mobile racking system, an automated guided vehicle (AGV) can handle 11 to 14 double cycles per hour. If performance demands increase, the number of aisles and AGVs can be increased, or storage and retrieval steps decoupled to take advantage of less busy periods. The WAMAS® logistics software with an integrated fleet controller offers performance-oriented control. This control system can also be easily connected to superordinate host systems of the customer via a standardized interface. Optionally, WAMAS® Lighthouse can also be used for visualization purposes.

Increased Efficiency and Supply Reliability

Whether it’s the automotive sector, food & beverage, e-commerce or productive industry – the demands on a constant availability of goods and/or materials is constantly rising. To prevent supply bottlenecks, the trend is for companies to revert to insourcing for process steps that had been outsourced to external service providers. They are thus able to control all their processes, obtain planning security by linking all process steps and improve their responsiveness. Thanks to software such as WAMAS® WMS/MFS or SAP EWM, they also benefit from greater stock and material flow transparency. Transparency also is essential for controlling. While it is almost impossible to measure the performance of forklift truck drivers, the use of mobile racking systems which are supplied by automated guided vehicles generates key figures that provide explicit information on system performance. In this way, the degree of supply reliability to be provided can also be clearly represented, a criterion which is relevant for (potential) customers and creditors, such as banks.

Better Utilization and a Short Payback Period

“For increasing efficiency and optimizing costs in the medium term, an interlinked overall system has the advantage that it can achieve smooth 24/7 operation,” says David Eisenhut, Director of Business Development for Dynamic Systems, Products & Equipment at SSI SCHAEFER. “The warehouse can, for example, be reorganized overnight and prepared for goods-in and goods-out on the following day. Moreover, existing buildings can be automated with high density, and the material flow is stabilized.” Markus Külken, Vice President of Product Line Material Flow, Products & Equipment at SSI SCHAEFER, adds: “Operators benefit from completely autonomous storage, retrieval and transport processes with reliable timing. They can expand without being dependent on staff. They no longer have to pay for damage to warehouse equipment caused by forklifts or for the absence of employees. Shorter search times and walking distances, as well as a minimal return rate, also help to reduce costs in the long term.”

Diverse customer benefits to secure competitiveness

The mobile racking systems as well as the automated guided vehicles by SSI SCHAEFER are designed as a modular system and can be easily retrofitted. In combination, they decisively contribute to the optimization of storage and transport processes and help to map these processes from a business management perspective. This solution is particularly suitable for so-called slow movers or B/C items, which are not accessed frequently. Category A goods can be stored in static racks or in even higher performance areas, such as the SSI Orbiter® pallet shuttle system. Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular benefit from the high storage density that mobile racking systems can achieve, freeing up space that can be used for other purposes. You reduce staff, the system works around the clock if required, and you can respond flexibly and quickly to new customer requirements. If the requirements increase, the system grows with them. The initial implementation takes about 10 months. After delivery, commissioning is completed within a maximum of three weeks and the AGV(s) is/are immediately ready for operation.

Powerful solution packages from a single source

With this combined application, SSI SCHAEFER offers a safe, proven and tailor-made solution package with interfaces and product components designed for mutual compatibility from a single source. It saves time, ensures investment security and prevents unplanned follow-up costs. Customers do not have to coordinate and implement the services and products of different suppliers, which may not be perfectly compatible. Several different interfaces complicate troubleshooting if errors occur during operation. In contrast, with our proven solution package, companies can focus on their core business and have confidence from the outset that all components are perfectly attuned to each other and will interact seamlessly and intelligently. Also maintenance and support are provided by a single source at SSI SCHAEFER. Furthermore, small and medium-sized companies benefit from our extensive experience gained by implementing numerous large and complex projects.

Neunkirchen/Hranice – SSI SCHAEFER has officially reopened its spare parts warehouse in Hranice, Czech Republic. The new location is located in close proximity to the facility for storage-retrieval machines and boasts significantly expanded production capacity with additional opportunities for growth. In addition to the comprehensive pallet spaces, the spare parts warehouse also has three SSI LOGIMAT lifts with ergonomic workstations for rapid processing of small parts orders.

Since 2014, the previous warehouse on the factory site of SSI SCHAEFER in Hranice has been supplying customers and service technicians with spare parts for automatic warehouses. The trend towards warehouse automation is causing business development to expand. As part of this trend, SSI SCHAEFER planned some adjustments in the storage-retrieval machine production facility. This required changes to the production flow in Hranice and a relocation of the spare parts warehouse. “Thanks to the excellent support from plant manager Robert Selzer and his team, it was possible to find a new location for the spare parts portfolio quickly. The tight time frame made successful implementation of this project a major challenge, but everyone involved helped us meet it successfully,” says Christian Puntigam, Global Head of Service Line Part Services at SSI SCHAEFER.

In an initial step, SSI SCHAEFER prepared half of the available space in an existing building for the new use. The capacity of the pallet rack warehouse was doubled, and SSI LOGIMAT lifts were integrated into the new layout for small parts storage, as well as a crane for handling heavy spare parts packages. The remaining space will be converted to meet the new requirements in the first quarter of 2023. Located a very short distance from the production facility, the new building minimizes the internal transport time for parts and also provides a very efficient goods delivery and collection process for external suppliers.

Rapid Delivery and High Availability Benefit Customer Service

Regional SSI SCHAEFER customers and employees can order all the spare parts conveniently from the SSI Webshop. Incoming orders are automatically forwarded to the warehouse via established IT interfaces, so the picking process can start immediately. In addition to automated order and warehouse processing, the new building also houses the following activities: incoming goods receipt and quality inspection, picking, pre-assembly, organizing transport and issuing customs documents. In the future, it will also be possible to carry out minor repair work at.

The spare parts warehouse portfolio will follow a so-called “highly dynamic warehouse management process,” with the clear objective of integrating highly critical, high-priority parts with dedicated flexible stock. The significant reduction in delivery times and high availability of the required spare parts will also increase customer satisfaction.

From left to right: Jan Skypala, Spare Parts Team Leader, Hranice; Radek Nemec, Spare Parts Department Head, Hranice; Elie Zita, SVP of the Customer Services Business Unit; Christian Puntigam, Global Head of Part Services; Robert Selzer, Head of the Hranice plant; and Gerald Insupp, Global Head of Spare Parts Management, at the official reopening of the spare parts warehouse in Hranice, Czech Republic.

SSI LOGIMAT lifts store all the small parts for rapid ergonomic picking.

• Aktier i DS AUTOMOTION overtages fuldt ud af SSI SCHÄFER

• Langvarigt AGV/AMR-partnerskab skal intensiveres, efterhånden som robotdriften omlægges

• Vigtig milepæl på vejen mod teknologisk lederskab

Neunkirchen, Tyskland / Linz, Østrig 27. januar 2023 – SSI SCHÄFER Group, en førende international leverandør af modulære lager- og logistikløsninger, der beskæftiger omkring 10.000 mennesker, og DS AUTOMOTION GmbH, en førende leverandør af mobil robotteknologi (AGV - Automated Guided Vehicles og AMR - Autonomous Mobile Robots) med hovedkontor i Linz, underskrev en aftale, hvorefter SSI SCHÄFER vil erhverve alle aktier i DS AUTOMOTION GmbH.

SSI SCHÄFER vil således udvide den minoritetsinteresse, det har haft siden 2018, for at afspejle den voksende betydning af autonom og mobil robotteknologi og AGV-forretningen inden for intralogistik. Købet af de resterende aktier træder i kraft den 1. marts 2023 og er betinget af godkendelse fra Østrigs føderale konkurrencemyndighed.

Parterne blev enige om ikke at oplyse købesummen for aktierne. Ledelsesteamet ledet af administrerende direktører Manfred Hummenberger og Wolfgang Hillinger forbliver om bord. DS AUTOMOTION vil fortsætte med at operere selvstændigt med sit veletablerede brand.

Videreudviklingen af autonome mobile robotter (AMR) er et af de centrale fælles initiativer i forbindelse med den generelle omlægning af robotforretningen. Karakteriseret ved enkel idriftsættelse og fleksible applikationer bliver dette produktsegment stadig vigtigere og byder på fremragende vækstmuligheder. DS AUTOMOTION har udviklet standarder som Plannable Autonomy og Cooperative Navigation i dette produktsegment, som hjælper med at kombinere fordelene ved fleksibilitet med pålideligheden og tilgængeligheden af industrielle systemer. Denne transformation er baseret på DS AUTOMOTIONs høje interne teknologiekspertise, som bygger på 40 års navigations- og kontrolknowhow.

"DS AUTOMOTION er vokset stærkt og kontinuerligt over de seneste år, og ved at sætte et stærkere fokus på teknologi og produktstandardisering har vi øget kvaliteten og ydeevnen i virksomheden markant," siger Manfred Hummenberger, administrerende direktør i DS AUTOMOTION. "For at fortsætte med at holde trit med den hurtige udvikling i denne industri, er det nu det rigtige tidspunkt at tage samarbejdet med SSI SCHÄFER til et nyt niveau og deltage i de globale vækstmuligheder i robotsektoren ved at forene kræfterne."

Købet af de resterende aktier i DS AUTOMOTION repræsenterer en vigtig milepæl i at udvide SSI SCHÄFER-koncernens teknologiske lederskab og vil styrke dens konkurrenceevne og innovationskraft inden for robotteknologi og automatisering, som er banebrydende inden for intralogistik.

Samtidig vil DS AUTOMOTION fortsætte med at operere inden for de etablerede områder som produktion og sundhedslogistik samt montagesystemer. Disse segmenter vil fortsat blive udvidet yderligere med fokus på innovation og eksisterende kunderelationer vil blive styrket.

Best of Industry Award hædrer top industrielle innovatører. I kategorien 'Digital Infrastructure' er det computeriserede vedligeholdelsesstyringssystem, WAMAS Maintenance Center (SSI CMMS) fra SSI SCHÄFER overbevisende. Det tilbyder planlægning og digital kontrol til alle nødvendige vedligeholdelsesaktiviteter. Vinderne blev offentliggjort i løbet af online prisuddelingen.

I løbet af de seneste fem måneder har næsten 20.000 fagmedielæsere af MM MaschinenMarkt, MM Logistik, INDUSTRY OF THINGS, PROCESS, LABORPRAXIS og DeviceMed i afstemningsfasen stemt på deres foretrukne innovationer og projekter for at modtage denne eftertragtede industripris. Mere end 190 nomineringsansøgninger blev indsendt til online-afstemningen i 24 forskellige kategorier.

Vinderne i de syv samlede kategorier blev annonceret den 12. december 2022 ved en online prisuddeling. "Vi er meget glade for at modtage Best of Industry Award 2022 i kategorien 'Digital Infrastructure' og vil gerne takke læserne for deres stemmer og deres tillid," siger Stefan Godina, VP og Global Head of Field Services hos SSI SCHÄFER. "Vores WAMAS Maintenance Center (SSI CMMS) giver det perfekte grundlag for forudsigelig vedligeholdelsesplanlægning og løbende optimering af vedligeholdelsesprocesserne og -strategien."

De, der modtager den eftertragtede branchepris, har ifølge juryen med succes demonstreret, at de hører til blandt de bedste af de bedste. SSI SCHÄFERs proprietære computeriserede vedligeholdelsesstyringssystem tilbyder digital planlægning og kontrol af al nødvendig service og giver en visualisering af afventende vedligeholdelse ved et tryk på en knap. "Således optimerer WAMAS Maintenance Center (SSI CMMS) vedligeholdelse, dokumenterer aktiviteter, øger effektiviteten markant og sikrer høj systemtilgængelighed," forklarer Stefan Godina.

SSI SCHÄFERs WAMAS Maintenance Center (SSI CMMS), vinder af Best of Industry Award 2022, er en intelligent løsning fra Maintenance 4.0, der tilbyder omfattende systembeskyttelse og optimal tilgængelighed.

• Optimized solutions for robot-based single piece picking

• "Plug & Play" system combinations for partial automation

• Software as the key to data utilization, transparency and connectivity

• Live expert panel discussions on the pulse of intralogistics, daily at the trade show booth

Particularly in dynamic times characterized by crises, logistics steps up to deliver strategic competitive advantage. As one of the market leaders, SSI SCHAEFER'S trade fair presence at LogiMAT 2023 in Stuttgart, Germany, shows how its customers are well positioned for the future with comprehensive systems and solutions. Steffen Bersch, CEO of the SSI SCHAEFER Group, explains the requirements: "We see a high need for investment in automation and efficiency-increasing technologies. With our know-how and wide range of innovative products, software and services, we present ourselves as a partner to jointly realize the customer-specific resilient logistics structure consisting of flexible, scalable and sustainable systems."

The cornerstones of future-proof intralogistics are the comprehensive portfolio of customized software, the connectivity of the systems and the innovative technologies within the SSI SCHAEFER Group. This also includes companies such as robotics specialist RO-BER, SAP specialist SWAN and robotics and AGV expert DS Automotion, which will become a full member of the SSI SCHAEFER Group on March 1, 2023.

For fully automated single piece picking, SSI SCHAEFER will present its advanced piece picking application at the booth in Hall 1. The highlights of the system, in addition to the patented gripping point calculation, are additional functions such as Pick & Place, AI-supported object recognition, and 100% product verification, which is important for the pharmaceutical industry, among others. Additional highly automated intralogistics solutions will be presented at consulting islands, including complex robotics applications with central shuttle and overhead conveyor technology for efficient omnichannel logistics.

Of particular interest to SMEs are "plug & play" system combinations for partial automation. Processes can be accelerated, spaces condensed, and ergonomic workflows integrated in a simple way and economically. The building blocks of these solutions, some of which will be demonstrated at the booth, include automated guided vehicles, autonomous mobile robots, mobile racking, channel storage solutions with the SSI ORBITER® and the SSI LOGIMAT® vertical lift module.

SSI SCHAEFER'S own WAMAS logistics software will be brought to life digitally at the trade fair with all its products and modules. Via an augmented reality tool, booth visitors can explore a virtual warehouse and understand the interaction of the WAMAS modules with the equipment and systems. SSI SCHAEFER'S SAP solutions will be presented at the booth by SWAN, also a member of the SSI SCHAEFER Group. Intelligent applications being developed in the areas of predictive maintenance, digital twin and cyber security services, point the way to the intralogistics future.

The topics of the planned expert panel discussions, in which customers, science representatives and SSI SCHAEFER experts will participate, will show the pulse of intralogistics. They take place live daily at the trade show booth.

SSI SCHAEFER at LogiMAT 2023 in Hall 1, Booth D21.

Please also visit other members of the SSI SCHAEFER Group who are exhibiting at the fair:

• DS Automotion in Hall 6, Booth D05

• RO-BER in Hall 5, Booth F17

• SWAN in Hall 8, Booth D47

The Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) has successfully validated SSI SCHAEFER software in the validation of Warehouse Management System (WMS) solutions. With the help of the manufacturer-independent "WMS Online Selection", Fraunhofer IML supports companies in selecting the optimal suitable WMS and provider. The validation signet once again confirms the quality of SSI SCHAEFER software solutions.

The platform warehouse-logistics.com, operated by Fraunhofer IML, has been one of the best-known portals for Warehouse Management Systems worldwide for more than 20 years. Since 2020, the original "WMS Database" has become a cross-system "Logistics IT Database" by adding further logistics IT systems. The functional comparison of more than 90 logistics IT systems, free market studies and publications as well as the full range of consulting services in the field of logistics IT make warehouse-logistics.com a holistic information platform about software for logistics.

WAMAS WMS in the top field

In the run-up to the validation, the experts of "Warehouse Logistics" checked more than 3,700 requirement criteria. The success certifies that the standardized logistics software WAMAS, developed in-house by SSI SCHAEFER, has the highest breadth and depth of functionality as well as proven stability and performance as the cornerstone for seamlessly interlocking processes and highest throughputs in modern, efficiently organized warehouses. The results of the qualification round published in August 2021 can be found online at https://www.warehouse-logistics.com/57/3/11917/news.html.

"The provision of the validation signet and the presence in the logistics IT database of the portal is the confirmation of a renowned and globally recognized authority that our WMS solutions for modern warehouse management demonstrably meet the highest requirements," says Notker Steigerwald, Head of Business Unit Logistics Solutions at SSI SCHAEFER.

SSI SCHAEFER believes, after being recognized in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Warehouse Management Systems[1] by Gartner, Inc., in July 2021, the validation of WAMAS by the experts of "Warehouse Logistics" is once again an official seal of approval for SSI SCHAEFER's high-performance logistics software.

With more than 1,100 employees in the Software Solutions division, the SSI SCHAEFER Group with a total of 10,500 employees is a market partner that knows the requirements of modern material handling from hardware to software and translates them into sustainable solutions for its cross-industry customers.

[1] Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems, Simon Tunstall, Dwight Klappich, 30 June 2021.

Gartner disclaimer:

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with high ratings or other attributes. Gartner publications reflect the views only of the Gartner research organization and should not be relied upon as factual. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research including fitness or suitability for a particular purpose.

GARTNER and MAGIC QUADRANT are registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

SSI SCHAEFER Software has been named as a Challenger in this report for its WAMAS WMS

Neunkirchen (Germany) / Friesach (Austria) - 05 July 2022. SSI SCHAEFER's logistics software has been recognized once again as a Challenger in the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems^[1] for its WAMAS WMS.

"We believe that the quality and functional performance of our logistics software WAMAS WMS has been confirmed with our recognition in this ‘Gartner Magic Quadrant’ report," says Steffen Bersch, CEO of the SSI SCHAEFER Group. "With our claim to technology leadership, we are constantly working to offer our customers innovative products and solutions of high quality. This can be seen, for example, in the Enterprise Lab founded on 1 June 2022 in cooperation with Fraunhofer IML as well as in our Software Summit established in May, which will take place annually in the future."

Gartner delivers actionable insights, guidance, and tools that enable faster, smarter decisions and stronger performance on an organization's mission critical capabilities. The Gartner Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems serves as a source of information for supply chain managers on the current state of development of the WMS market and the various vendors and software products.  

With over 1,100 employees in the Software Solutions division, the SSI SCHAEFER Group, with a total of 10,000 employees, is a market partner that is very familiar with the requirements of modern intralogistics, from hardware to software, and translates them into future-proof solutions for its customers. Martin Frischenschlager, Vice President of the Product Line Software at SSI SCHAEFER, explains: "In today's digitalization projects, it is imperative to connect a wide variety of systems with each other and to aggregate data in order to make the abundance of processes manageable and analyzable. We build on innovative software technologies that unleash the full potential through the combination of standardization and flexibility in the respective customer infrastructures."

¹ Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems, Simon Tunstall, Dwight Klappich, Rishabh Narang, 1 June 2022.

Gartner Disclaimer:
GARTNER and MAGIC QUADRANT are registered trademarks and service marks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s Research & Advisory organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

SSI SCHAEFER becomes majority shareholder of SWAN: Partnership to strengthen SAP competencies while maintaining an independent presence in the market.

With a focus on customer benefits, SWAN, the SAP logistics specialist, and SSI SCHAEFER, the world’s leading provider of modular warehousing and logistics solutions, are combining their competencies in the digitalization of logistics and the close technical integration of automated warehouse technology. SWAN GmbH will completely take over all employees of the SSI SCHAEFER Group’s SAP business and integrate them into the company with all existing offices. The intralogistics specialist SSI SCHAEFER will become majority shareholder of SWAN GmbH, which will continue to operate independently in the market. Within the partnership, SWAN will take over the project handling of SSI SCHAEFER's SAP business.

This strategic merger will create a leading provider in the field of SAP logistics with over 120 SAP experts and outstanding automation know-how, not just for SSI SCHAEFER technology. Through the merger, SWAN positions itself within the top 5 providers for SAP logistics and opens itself up for further internationalization of its business areas. The company gains 55 experienced logistics consultants and combines competencies in the areas of SAP consulting & development, material flow control, and project management. The Customer Lifecycle Service team will also double its personnel in the future.

"Our business partners and customers will benefit from the newly strengthened SWAN GmbH. In the future, we will offer an even broader solution portfolio and outstanding expertise in SAP logistics through their usual contact persons," promises Alexander Bernhard, Managing Director of SWAN GmbH.

The SSI SCHAEFER Group underlines the central role that high-performance software plays in modern material handling solutions. The investment in SWAN GmbH will open up future growth areas in the competitive SAP logistics market and lay the foundation for close technology integration in the direction of integrated and intelligent supply chain solutions. With more than 1,100 employees in the field of software solutions, the SSI SCHAEFER Group, with a total of 10,500 employees, is a market partner that knows the requirements of modern material handling from hardware to software, and transforms them into sustainable solutions for its customers across all industries.

In addition to the self-developed, standardized logistics software WAMAS®, SSI SCHAEFER strengthens its project expertise in implementing logistics solutions with SAP EWM, working within the framework of the partnership in order to serve its customers holistically. Of course, logistics systems will continue to be offered entirely as a general contractor.

"In the partnership with SWAN, we strengthen the SAP solution portfolio for our customers and raise our consulting and implementation strength to a new level internationally. We are thus consistently implementing our strategy and, as a technology leader, enabling our customers to meet the increasing expectations and needs of their customers better, more efficiently and more sustainably with solution-oriented material handling," says Steffen Bersch, CEO of the SSI SCHAEFER Group, explaining the strategic commitment.

The software specialist SWAN, founded in 2011, has already successfully implemented over 100 projects as an SAP project house with well-known companies from various industries in 26 countries. In particular, SWAN and SSI SCHAEFER’s global customers in Healthcare & Cosmetics, Fashion, Food & Beverage, Industry and Retail will benefit in the future from strengthened SAP services in the area of consulting and realization.

Maintenance 4.0 for Intralogistics-konceptet til tilstandsovervågning og halvautomatisk vedligeholdelse er udviklet af SSI SCHÄFER i samarbejde med Schaeffler. Nu er løsningen blandt vinderne af LOGISTRA-magasinets "LOGISTRA Best Practice: 2018 Innovations" Readers' Choice Awards. Udmærkelsen understreger det opfindsomme og fremtidssikrede design.

LOGISTRA, et tysk logistikmagasin for erhvervskøretøjsflåder og lagerlogistik, afholdt for nylig sin LOGISTRA Best Practice: 2018 Innovations Readers' Choice Awards. For at afgøre den mest spændende brancheudvikling i 2018 har redaktionen kortlistet i alt 24 kreative produkter og løsninger i otte kategorier. Cirka 900 læsere afgav stemmer til de eftertragtede priser. Efter at reflektere over resultaterne udtalte Peter Berlik, Chief Technology Officer hos SSI SCHÄFER: "Vi er glade for, at vores fremtidssikrede udvikling fik så positiv respons fra fagfolk, der satte disse teknologier i praksis. Denne pris for lager- og plukkekategorien bekræfter, at vi er på rette vej ved at integrere løsninger til forudsigelig vedligeholdelse og overvågning af operationelle og kritiske komponenter i vores portefølje.”

Schaeffler leverede komponenterne til Maintenance 4.0 for Intralogistics-løsningen, og SSI SCHÄFER fungerede som systemintegrator. Partnerne samarbejdede tæt om at skabe en sofistikeret løsningspakke til tilstandsovervågning af afgørende drivsystemer og til delvis automatisering af vedligeholdelse på lagre. Resultatet blev implementeret i Schaefflers europæiske distributionscenter (EDZ Mitte). I alt 58 Schaeffler SmartCheck-systemer overvåger drivmotorer og gear, der anvendes til vandret og lodret bevægelse af opbevarings- og genfindingsmaskiner (SRM'er). Advarselsstatussen for hver SmartCheck-enhed plus andre lagersystemer er alle tilgængelige visuelt i SSI SCHÄFER WAMAS® Lighthouse logistikcockpittet. Derudover smører et fuldautomatisk Schaeffler Concept8 smøresystem med specialudviklede tandhjul kontinuerligt og præcist kæde- og rullebanerne under løbende drift. "I vores europæiske distributionscenter i Kitzingen er det lykkedes Schaeffler at gå væk fra forebyggende vedligeholdelse med faste intervaller, når det kommer til tilstandsovervågning og delvist automatiseret vedligeholdelse," forklarer Dr. Hans-Willi Kessler, chef for tilstandsovervågningsudstyr hos Schaeffler. Dr. Kessler tog imod prisen på det mest avancerede Schaeffler-logistikcenter i Europa.

I Kitzingen, Tyskland, har SSI SCHÄFER designet det avancerede distributionscenter for at hjælpe Schaeffler-gruppen med pålidelig forsyning til kunder på det europæiske marked. Faciliteten omfatter et højlager med syv gange, omfattende transportsystemer til paller og skraldespande og et automatisk lager af små dele med seks gange på to niveauer. Derudover har centret fuldautomatiske palleterings- og depalleteringsrobotter til containere samt ergonomiske arbejdsstationer.

The European logistics center of Misumi in Frankfurt features the latest technology from SSI SCHAEFER which was implemented in 2020. Misumi, the global manufacturer and leading supplier of mechanical components for special-purpose machinery, has taken delivery of an integrated solution that provides exceptionally powerful material handling features and permanent system availability. Misumi can now efficiently process its increasing number of orders. While operations continued as normal, the existing warehouse was extended to its full capacity and developed into a highly automated consolidation and cross-docking center.

"It's all about time" is the motto of Misumi and underlines the vital role that time plays in the business activities of the company, which was founded in Tokyo in 1963. Misumi is a global supplier of customized mechanical engineering components and standard parts for industry, particularly for special-purpose machinery. Customers can choose from a portfolio of 17 million parts from various manufacturers or configure their desired part from more than 100,000 basic components, even for a batch size of 1. These so-called make-to-order (MTO) components constitute more than 50% of the business operations of Misumi. The company has adopted the cross-docking principle for the turnover of its stock: as soon as they are received, products are consolidated against the existing goods in stock and dispatched to customers in Germany and across Europe on the same day.

Maximizing Warehouse Capacity and Optimizing Space Utilization for Short Delivery Times

Speed, in other words, a short delivery time, is one of Misumi's core strengths. Innovation cycles are additionally considerably shorter than before, particularly in mechanical engineering, leaving the market players with less time for product development and needing their components sooner. Misumi normally supplies its customers with special components, made in Asia, within a week. "The higher our stock levels, the shorter the average delivery time," explains Jörg Gonnermann, General Manager Logistics Service Platform at Misumi Europa GmbH. "As a first step it was therefore important to significantly increase warehouse capacity." This brought Misumi and SSI SCHAEFER together in 2018 when, as part of a material handling project, SSI SCHAEFER installed a 4-tier R 3000 modular shelving system to increase warehouse capacity at Misumi by a factor of 6. The modular shelving system is 45 m x 48 m in size and makes optimum use of the 10-m high building, providing space for up to 250,000 items. The compact shuttle warehouse, added later, has meanwhile helped increase storage capacity to 450,000 items. Misumi has now considerably boosted its stock levels and can supply standard parts to its customers much faster than before, as they can be added to the MTO items directly from the warehouse.

Custom Automation

The B2B activities of Misumi are dominated by e-commerce: around 75% of the orders are currently processed through its own e-commerce platform. Due to the strong growth of e-commerce, powered by digitalization in mechanical engineering (Industry 4.0), the number of customer orders handled by Misumi has significantly increased over the years. To be able to handle this increasing number of orders even more efficiently, Misumi opted for a highly automated solution that would offer increased warehouse capacity while providing ample scope for future growth. The automation concept of SSI SCHAEFER was soon on the table and convinced Misumi on the spot. "The concept went into our requirements in great detail and looked at how to achieve the highest levels of process efficiency and make best use of the available space. It also considered ergonomic aspects in terms of work stations and ensured a high degree of flexibility in system utilization," recalls Gonnermann. "Our demanding requirements were totally satisfied and we were even given some useful extra features." SSI SCHAEFER realized the entire material handling solution from its own resources: modular shelving system, shuttle system, conveying system, returnable containers through to work stations, logistics software, and finally Customer Service & Support.

High-Performance Logistics for Increased Efficiency

Despite the limited space available, the material handling solution was able to interconnect the different work stations and warehouse areas perfectly. Misumi is now the proud owner of an open-ended and powerful material flow system that has sufficient buffer capacity to handle the order levels as they fluctuate during the day. At the heart of the system is the shuttle warehouse, which makes fully automated warehousing possible and, thanks to its compact design, optimum use of the available space. SSI SCHAEFER installed the shuttle warehouse, which was constructed using 580 metric tons of steel and has space for 66,000 containers, at the end of 2019. At present, it holds 200,000 items across 10 aisles and 22 levels and covers an area of 39 m x 46 m. The single-level SSI Cuby shuttle, which can handle both containers and cartons, is used inside the shuttle warehouse. Misumi uses around 56,000 LTF 6280 returnable containers from the SSI SCHAEFER portfolio. Of these, approximately 46,000 are used as stock containers in the shuttle warehouse, while the rest are utilized for order consolidation. Two lifts, installed at the front in each aisle, ensure a high degree of technical performance of the system and a high level of reliability in the shuttle warehouse. The conveying system connects the two warehouse areas with the various work stations – at ground level as well as on the steel platform – and thus eliminates almost all walking. The system also includes six conveyor loops – three loops on top of each other, per level – on which the storage, retrieval, and empty containers are transported and distributed between the storage, picking, and dispatch/packing locations. The shuttle warehouse and conveying system are controlled by the WAMAS® logistics software from SSI SCHAEFER.

The 825 m² steel platform, on which the picking area is situated, lies in front of the shuttle warehouse. The platform is where the five ergonomic Advanced Pick Stations two-level, used for order picking, are located; these stations are linked to the shuttle warehouse. Up to six orders can be handled by each work station simultaneously, at rates of up to 1,000 picks per hour. If required, two additional work stations can be added to the picking stations. Employees are guided by a light signal that keeps them focused on the picking operation. This approach has resulted in a dramatic increase in picking speed and quality at Misumi, while reducing the error rate to almost zero. The goods-in and dispatch areas are located underneath the steel platform on the first floor. "Overall, lead times have improved and we are seeing high increases in productivity," observes Gonnermann. "In the ideal scenario, an order will pass through our logistics center in less than 60 minutes." A further advantage: system operation is now much easier to predict and it is now possible to produce a highly detailed plan for each day's volumes.

The system went live in April 2020. The introduction of automation came at the right time, even though conditions at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 made things more difficult. The new material handling solution provides much more flexibility in personnel planning, with no more overlapping shifts. "The work steps are ideally structured, so our employees were quickly up to speed with the new workflows," is how Gonnermann describes the introductory phase.

Transparent and Efficient Material Flows

The customized components arrive by air freight in the morning at Frankfurt Airport and are delivered to the Misumi logistics center by truck. At the eight goods-in work stations, the pallets are broken down using a cross-docking procedure, distributed in containers, and temporarily stored in the shuttle warehouse. The pallets have several thousand individual positions for a large number of different customers. The goods are split by customer-specific MTO goods and goods for storage at the first four work stations. The MTO items are packed in containers and transported into the shuttle warehouse until the order is completed. The goods for storage are forwarded to one of the four remaining work stations, where the items are sorted for storage either in the modular shelving system or in the shuttle warehouse. Once this decision has been identified, the goods pass along the conveying system to the corresponding warehouse area. Picking of the goods for storage is either done manually in the 4-tier modular shelving system or in accordance with the goods-to-person principle at the picking stations linked to the shuttle warehouse. As soon as picking of all the order items is complete, the warehouse management system launches the retrieval process. The conveying system transports the containers to one of the dispatch work stations, where the items are taken out of the containers and packed in a carton, prepared for shipping, and handed over to the express delivery company.

Permanent System Availability

Although the system has been commissioned and the project closed-out, the collaboration between Misumi and SSI SCHAEFER is by no means over. The two companies continue to work closely together within the scope of the service contract. SSI SCHAEFER took over all the servicing and maintenance of the system for the first two years after handover to ensure continuous operation of the system. Preventive maintenance is performed by specially trained service technicians using SSI CMMS, the computerized maintenance management system. SSI CMMS is an electronic service portal that controls and monitors maintenance and repair activities efficiently. All the relevant information can be stored, consolidated, and visualized to provide fact-based insights into the status of the system. Any faults and wear can be detected and rectified in a timely manner. "Ever since we first met SSI SCHAEFER, we've found them to be a totally reliable and professional partner that has full control over the processes, even after commissioning," summarizes Gonnermann.

Back in 2017 NorgesGruppen ASA, one of the leading retail groups in Scandinavia, commissioned SSI SCHAEFER to build a new logistics center for its subsidiary company ASKO OSLOFJORD AS (ASKO). 

Knut-Andreas Kran, CEO of ASKO OSLOFJORD AS, comments on the challenges the company experienced at the time: “ASKO anticipated a future capacity problem with only two possible solutions: either to extend the existing building or to relocate. We simply would not be able to keep up with the expected growth in the current location. We also did not want to just build a larger manual warehouse as we see that automation is an investment in the future.”

The new logistics center is designed to handle the highly dynamic storage and picking of groceries from the dry and frozen food’s segments. To achieve this, SSI SCHAEFER is building two high-bay warehouses, and two highly dynamic shuttle warehouses based on the 3D-MATRIX Solution®. Robot technology is also deployed to support automated material flow.

Both, ASKO and SSI SCHAEFER realize the responsibility tied to every large project not only in terms of well-build operations and product quality but also sustainability. Sustainability is building into an absolute must-have for all companies, across all industries. 62% of top management across different sectors believe that one needs a solid sustainability-oriented strategy to survive the competition. Briefly, a sustainable business approach means minding ecological, social, and economic environments and influence on them while organizing your company’s operational activities. (Source: IMD, 2016)

Just like with overall strategy there is no correct answer to sustainability. The best solution depends on the ambitions and stakes of each company. 

Scandinavian way of business: Best practice of ASKO

ASKO has been on the market for more than 150 years promoting and supporting their core values and delivering high-quality and functional products to its customers. The retail company believes that quality should always walk hand in hand with a focus on sustainability. 

Knut-Andreas Kran shares their 3 main sustainability goals: “First of all, we want to be climate neutral and sustainable as a company. We also aim at using 100% renewable energy and fuels for our trucks within 2026. The last but not the least, we want to reduce our energy use by 20%, mainly in the warehouses.”

ASKO is known to be the leading company in the green revolution with a wide range of sustainable initiatives they follow and apply. The ambitious goals come with patience and a plan of actions. ASKO heavily invests in solar panels and land-based windmills, testing multiple options and learning from the experience. Realizing the opportunities and responsibility they have as a large organization, a few years back ASKO launched an environmental engagement initiative for the employee’s private life. They arranged a Climate fund, where an employee can apply for financial support for sustainable activities in their homes or support for travelling to and from work in a climate positive way. The employees can apply for partly sponsoring of an electrical bike, electric car, installing isolation at home or solar panels in their homes. In the last years, this has been an initiative that a lot of the Employees apply for and has led to great results of the engagement.

On the right track: SSI SCHAEFER

The SSI SCHAEFER Group is the world’s leading material handling company. Operating across six continents, SSI SCHAEFER designs, develops and manufactures innovative solutions tailor-made for customers’ needs and challenges. As intralogistics serves as a foundation for companies operating in various sectors, for those companies being green starts right there.

Intralogistics works with a wide spectrum of areas and therefore can introduce sustainability in many different ways. Therefore, SSI SCHAEFER is offering and providing an extensive range of economical and resource-friendly solutions, based on innovative technology. For example, containers made from recyclable materials, energy-saving equipment like SSI Exyz storage-retrieval machine and even software build to control and monitor operations with optimal energy use. The storage-retrieval machines are extremely compact in design. In combination with an optimized control system, this significantly reduces the space required: compared to conventional high-bay warehouses, an installation space saving of up to 5% can be achieved. That is many cubic meters that do not need to be built, heated, or air-conditioned. In addition to the space savings, the control pendants are also characterized by high energy efficiency, as the counterweights integrated into the mast significantly reduce the energy requirement in the hoist compared to any energy recovery gains. SSI SCHAEFER realizes how crucial it is to consider every possible option to save, preserve and optimize – in terms of automation, costs, and sustainability.

“We want to be responsible in the way we interact with the environment. Our goal for the future is not to consume more natural resources than supplied in the natural cycle.” – comments Johannes Zimmermann, Director Construction Management at SSI SCHAEFER.

Being responsible also means to never lose focus and keep working for better and greener solutions. To do more, in 2020 SSI SCHAEFER was the first material handling company to join 50 Sustainability and Climate Leaders initiative. The initiative is targeted to form the international businesses willing and aiming at fighting against climate change and to meeting the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).

It is a match! How did the partnership start?

“It is important for us that a supplier complies with all the regulations. We need to know that they follow the same sustainability goals as we do. First, we ask whether they have a sustainability-oriented program. If the answer is yes, then we can have a further discussion,” comments Knut-Andreas Kran.

This position is not unusual for the Nordic region and is getting more attention across different sectors opening various possibilities for companies to contribute to long-term, future-proof, and sustainable values. It was SSI SCHAEFER’s determination for conducting greener business to strongly play in favor of choosing them as a general contractor. For ASKO with their ambitious sustainability goals and a heavy focus on climate neutrality, SSI SCHAEFER was a match.

A foundation for any business model: A new regional logistics distribution center for ASKO

As a general contractor, SSI SCHAEFER is responsible for developing the logistics concept, the design planning, and the construction of the turn-key installation for the retail company ASKO. The overall project includes a comprehensive infrastructure with material flow management, visualization, and a warehouse management system.

The highly automated distribution center is located at Sande, approximately 60 km south of Oslo, Norway, and is split into two different temperature zones: ambient and frozen with 28,700 overall pallet storage locations, highly efficient cross-dock and consolidation areas.

The frozen area incorporates a two-aisle high-bay warehouse (HBW) with SSI Exyz type storage-retrieval machines. The HBW in the frozen area is dedicated for double-deep storage at -28 °C at 3,696 storage locations. With the focus on sustainability, new technology development and client’s increased requirements SSI SCHAEFER decided to change initially picked SSI Miniload Cranes with 84 SSI Flexi shuttles in the frozen area as they were a better fit for the role. After manual depalletizing SSI Flexi shuttles are responsible for storage and retrieval of containers from shelves.

The ambient area incorporates a high-bay warehouse with eight SSI Exyz type storage-retrieval machines as well as a 90,000 locations SSI Navette system with 64 multi-level shuttles for small load carriers and 80 lifts ensures processes are as efficient as possible. The depalletizing required to store the goods in the highly dynamic shuttle warehouse will be fully automated and carried out by two robots. The design of both shuttle warehouses - in the frozen as well as in the ambient area - are based on the 3D-MATRIX Solution®, that enables storage, buffering, and sequencing in one system. This allows cases that were previously put into temporary storage to be handed over to the palletizing robots in an exact sequence.

With the number of different functional areas on the premises, a wide range of pallet and bin conveying systems link them to each other and to the 6-level shipping buffer. The material flow between the areas as well and stock and order management is coordinated by WAMAS®, logistics software from SSI SCHAEFER. Thanks to WAMAS capacity utilization can be tracked and optimized at any time.

Every successful cooperation requires active listening, compromises, and flexibility, especially with the uncertainty businesses faced in 2020. When a company has solid values, like ASKO with its ambitious sustainability goals, a partner should always strive to deliver the most efficient solution. A great example here is the change from SSI Miniload cranes to SSI Flexi shuttles. During the ongoing project, new technology was introduced to the market – SSI Flexi shuttle. The innovative energy supply for the shuttle uses supercapacitors to ensure the highest energy efficiency. It was anticipated to serve better for ASKO’s needs and provide a highly sustainable solution for the frozen products zone. Therefore, in no time it was offered to the client and accepted in the project scope. 

The project is expected to be fully completed in 2021.

Recent events taught business community that agility is one of the most demanded skills of any survival kit. Being flexible in your offering, terms and conditions, and almost every single aspect of your operations is simply a new normal and not an extra effort anymore. Realizing this, SSI SCHAEFER strives to keep a high level of flexibility in their work. Therefore, future system extensions are already included in the initial layout so that the system can adapt to market requirements immediately and easily. It served well for the current project with ASKO.

Sustainability is the hottest topic in any boardroom. It is not the question of whether to join or stall but the way that will work for the company better in terms of ROI and future-proof products and solutions. It is about forming long-term partnerships without compromises where it matters the most. Like ASKO choosing SSI SCHAEFER as a general contractor for their focus on recyclable materials, green technology, and ergonomic approach in layout design. 
 

SSI SCHAEFER is proud to have partnered with Coca-Cola Amatil to deliver their automated state-of-the-art facility featured in a series of recent corporate videos, released by Coca-Cola Amatil, one of the largest bottlers and distributors of beverages in the Asia Pacific region.

Video: „Innovation and Automation.“ A world-class brand and world-class automation.

Following an open request for tenders by Coca-Cola Amatil, SSI SCHAEFER‘s recommended solution was selected for the state-of-the-art 30,000m² distribution center in Brisbane, Australia.  Working closely with Coca-Cola Amatil and backed by SSI SCHAEFER’s extensive experience in mixed case robotic palletizing, a concept was created which matched Coca-Cola Amatil‘s priorities for the site of having a flexible, agile and accurate system that supported the delivery profile of their business as well as the storage capacity and necessary throughput.  Providing a system that met the proud safety culture of Coca-Cola Amatil was also a priority.  The concept integrated both case picking with bulk storage and delivers a very flexible system, with both high utilization and availability, picking more than 2.5 million cases annually. 

Anthony Lee Project Manager Major Works for Coca-Cola Amatil

“I think SSI SCHAEFER were very collaborative as we moved through the design.  They brought a lot of their expertise that they gained from around the world in helping us develop this facility. “

Storage density with high throughput

The SSI SCHAEFER design features their unique SSI Lift&Run technology which provides high storage density at the same time as high throughput.  The SSI Lift&Run High Bay Warehouse (HBW) receives full pallets via an airbridge directly from the adjacent bottling plant. The system provides for the automatic storage and retrieval of more than 30,000 pallets over 7 levels and includes 12 SSI Lift&Run cranes in 4 aisles and an extensive pallet conveyor system with multiple pallet lifts.

Agile and accurate system

Adjacent to the SSI Lift&Run High Bay Warehouse, SSI SCHAEFER installed an Automatic Case Picking (ACP) system.  The proximity and direct link to the HBW enables automatic pallet replenishment direct from the HBW.   Full pallets are conveyed to the ACP from the Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) where they are automatically delayered by a depalletizing robot, case wheeler and Intralox case singulation.  The individual cases are then stored directly in a 3-aisle SSI Cuby trayless shuttle case buffer system.   

Increased safety

Required cases are sequenced out of the SSI Cuby case buffer to one of three robots for automatic palletizing.  The robot palletizes the fastest moving top 30 SKUs for Coca-Cola Amatil’s route trade, picking over 2.5 million cases annually. 

Tom Scheibling, Supply Chain for Coca-Cola Amatil

“50% of our manual handling tasks have been automated in this site which ultimately means less manual handling injuries and less risk to manual handling, driven by the automation.“ 

Emily Smeed, Inventory Manager for Coca-Cola Amatil

“It removes the need for a lot of forklift interaction; it removes the need for any manual handling.  The more we are putting into the automation the less we are having to expose to our employees on the floor.“

Flexible system supporting their business model

All components are controlled by SSI SCHAEFER’s WAMAS® Warehouse Control System which interfaces directly to Coca-Cola Amatil’s SAP host EWM system.  This includes SSI SCHAEFER’s world leading SCHAEFER Pack Pattern Generator (SPPG) module, which is responsible for building stable and dense pallets. 

Ensuring best system performance

A key aspect to ensuring the best performance of the system is the SSI Resident Maintenance® team who not only maintain the equipment in direct consultation with their Coca-Cola Amatil partners, but also continue to optimize and improve reliability and throughput.  Through SSI SCHAEFER’s Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), all actions by the maintenance team are captured and logged using handheld terminals, building up a database of root causes for all stoppages which feeds into collaborative continuous improvement actions for the maintenance and operations teams. 

The design provided Coca-Cola Amatil with a compact yet resilient automated storage solution which allowed it to meet its goal of implementing a new warehouse on the production site, with an airbridge conveyor link directly from production.  The solution met all of Coca-Cola Amatil’s requirements in terms of storage, throughput, expandability and redundancy.

Anthony Lee, Project Manager Major Works for Coca-Cola Amatil said

“SSI SCHAEFER were really committed to making sure the facility worked, and ultimately we have produced a facility that has some of the highest utilization and availability that I have seen anywhere.“

Coop, one of the leading food retailers in Sweden, chose SSI SCHAEFER as their general contractor for intralogistics to provide a cutting-edge, energy-efficient and highly automated logistics solution for their new 77,000 m² distribution center in Eskilstuna, Sweden.

Coop's new distribution center, strategically positioned in the heart of Sweden, will handle the distribution of goods to Coop’s 800+ stores around the country. The majority of the material flow will be processed by two highly automated robotic case picking systems for chilled and ambient products. The result will be a sustainable warehouse that will handle more than 600,000 units per day.

SSI SCHAEFER approached this challenge with the 3D-MATRIX Solution®, a unique system design that will enable Coop to live up to its goals of flexibility and efficiency and at the same time produce store-friendly pallets. This is possible thanks to the award-winning shuttle system by SSI SCHAEFER that supplies both case picking robots and piece picking workstations with goods in a programmable sequence. Together with the integration of robots, Coop will improve its whole supply chain, from the distribution center to transportation and all the way to the stores and their customers' dinner tables.

As Sweden's foremost food retailer and as the winner of “Sweden’s Most Sustainable Retailer”, the new distribution center of Coop will be directly integrated into the nationwide train network, as trains form a major part of Coop’s transportation. This approach leads to fewer road transports and a smaller carbon footprint for Coop. SSI SCHAEFER, as one of the leading global providers of material handling solutions, is an ideal partner for companies that pursue economically viable and future-oriented sustainable goals. Its sustainable approaches, which the company is presenting within the “50 Sustainability and Climate Leaders“ initiative, had been another important criteria for Coop to choose SSI SCHAEFER as long-term partner for this innovative project.

In order to ensure the maintenance of one of the biggest automation solutions in the world, SSI SCHAEFER, together with another partner and the Swedish education system is supporting the creation of a two year degree for automation and robotics technicians, so SSI SCHAEFER playing an active role in encouraging students and learning.

The terminal is being built in Eskilstuna logistics park and is expected to be in full operation during the second half of 2024.

Koenig & Bauer (AT) GmbH takes a step further towards automation with SSI SCHAEFER and modernizes the Maria Enzersdorf location. The printing press manufacturer commissioned SSI SCHAEFER to supply and install a semi-automated solution with 13 SSI LOGIMAT Vertical Lift Modules for small parts vertical and efficient item picking.

For the last decades, the oldest printing press manufacturer in Austria and part of the Koenig & Bauer group has produced high-quality printing presses for banknotes and securities. Equipped with two small parts warehouses and three Vertical Lift Modules, the previous vertical and picking solution was no longer state-of-the-art. The printing press manufacturer opted for a future-oriented partnership with SSI SCHAEFER to modernize in the long run, even though they had to dismantle the existing system. Together, they developed a new, semi-automated solution. The order includes the supply and installation of 13 new Vertical Lift Modules, type SSI LOGIMAT. With a height of 9.5 m, these lifts provide vertical locations for 27,000 different items. Right from the beginning, the focus was on simplified operation and operator support using the WAMAS® LOGIMAT software and later on also a direct SAP integration with SPS EasyConnect from Status C. Furthermore it was possible to score with understanding of the current processes as well as optimization suggestions and improvement of the current work processes at Koenig & Bauer.

Inefficient work processes that made operators search for items in the old lifts called for a whole new concept. The responsibles at Koenig & Bauer visited an SSI SCHAEFER reference system and were convinced. 

“We gained detailed insight into the technology and the in-house software with corresponding order handling and supporting tools. We were especially impressed by the parallel software-controlled operation of three SSI LOGIMAT machines by one person. The simplified, guided way of picking using the LogiPointer was another aspect in favor of the SSI SCHAEFER solution,” explains Rudolf Vogl, General Manager at Koenig & Bauer.

The 13 new Vertical Lift Modules were erected where the two old small parts warehouses used to be. One of the old warehouses was dismantled in December 2019 to provide space for the installation of the first Vertical Lift Modules. 

“Decisive for the order placement was also the capacity of SSI SCHAEFER to act immediately. Already in the first construction stage, back in 2019, four Vertical Lift Modules were installed. This was particularly important because the process of filling the lifts had to go hand in hand with dismantling the existing system,” explains Ernst Gram, Head of Order Center/Logistics at Koenig & Bauer.

Afterwards, the material stored in the second small parts warehouse will be moved to the new SSI LOGIMAT machines so that the warehouse can be dismantled to make room for the remaining nine Vertical Lift Modules.

“In personal consulting and one-to-one talks as well as with optimization suggestions for the existing vertical solution, we were able offer Koenig & Bauer a customized solution,” resumes Benjamin Mayr, Sales Dynamic Systems at SSI SCHAEFER.

Successful cooperation: (from left to right) Peter Wukitsevits, Area Sales Manager at SSI Schaefer and Ing. Rudolf Vogl, General Manager at Koenig & Bauer.

The EDEKA Group Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen expands and automates their regional warehouse in Gochsheim, Germany with SSI SCHAEFER.

From the central warehouse in Gochsheim, EDEKA supplies part of their stores in Northern Bavaria. To guarantee the future of the location, EDEKA decided to complement the existing logistics center with another warehouse complex and thereby opted for automation. The order for implementing the warehouse extension was placed with the intralogistics expert SSI SCHAEFER with a location in Giebelstadt, Germany, close to the EDEKA warehouse in Gochsheim, Lower Franconia, Germany. Next to the existing building, a 4-aisle high-bay warehouse in silo design for double-deep storage of pallets is built. Four energy-efficient storage-retrieval machines, type SSI Exyz, are responsible for storage and retrieval. In addition, SSI SCHAEFER installs a roll container conveying system and a pallet conveying system.

The future high-bay warehouse will primarily accommodate dry goods. EDEKA opted for an automatic high-bay warehouse to create additional storage capacities and achieve the desired performance at peak times as well.

The regional warehouse in Gochsheim receives goods from EDEKA suppliers as well as goods directly from the EDEKA central warehouse. After goods-in, the pallets are transported on a pallet conveying system to the high-bay warehouse (HBW) where the goods are temporarily stored. Each aisle in the HBW is equipped with two picking levels each working according to the tunnel picking concept. The pallets stored temporarily in the high-bay warehouse are supplied to ergonomically optimized picking work stations using gravity roller conveyors. There, the cases are picked manually onto the corresponding roll containers or pallets and transported to goods-out on a special roll container conveying system. If a store requests single-item pallets, these pallets are directly retrieved from the high-bay warehouse and automatically transported to goods-out on a pallet conveying system.

The SSI SCHAEFER logistics software WAMAS® is in charge of warehouse management. The software has been in use at the majority of the EDEKA companies throughout Germany since 2003. The order is complemented by a service and maintenance contract for the location.

Completion and commissioning of the new logistics complex is planned for 2021.

Edeka Gochsheim - The EDEKA Group Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen commissioned SSI SCHAEFER to expand and automate their regional warehouse in Gochsheim, Germany.

The leading wholesaler and service provider Galexis AG ensures timely and consistent drug supply of all partners in the Swiss health sector. High-quality, modern intralogistics guarantees high customer satisfaction and successful market presence. In order to be prepared for future requirements, the distribution center in Lausanne-Ecublens is comprehensively expanded. The distribution center in Niederbipp has already been expanded.

Galexis, a company of the Galenica group, is market leader in Switzerland and renders health logistics services throughout the country. The leading wholesaler and service provider in the Swiss health market ensures timely and nationwide drug supply. Galexis operates high-performance distribution centers in Niederbipp and Lausanne-Ecublens to efficiently supply pharmacies, medical practices, drugstores, homes and hospitals.

Successful partnership with SSI SCHAEFER

Back in 2007, SSI SCHAEFER laid the foundation for one of the most modern distribution centers in the Swiss health sector for Galexis in Niederbipp. Instead of costly renovating the warehouses in Bern-Schönbühl and Zürich-Schlieren, Galexis decided to implement a new, state-of-the-art solution together with the intralogistics expert SSI SCHAEFER. In 2016, the storage system was extended by a 3-aisle miniload with 81,500 bin storage locations as well as 65,000 bins to increase the system performance to up to 4,000 bins per hour.

Expanding shipping area in Niederbipp

Recently, the latest expansion at Niederbipp was successfully completed. The existing sprinter shipping area was expanded to a total of four shipping areas. Thanks to this expansion, a capacity of 4,000 bins/hour can be processed in the sprinter shipping area alone. For this purpose, a conveying section was removed and replaced by a high-speed roller switch diverter (RSW). The entire allocation and distribution is controlled automatically and intelligently by the warehouse management software WAMAS®.

New building and capacity expansion in Lausanne

The existing distribution center in Lausanne is currently comprehensively expanded and modernized. The project consists of two phases to be completed between the middle of 2020 and 2022. The distribution center has 4,000 m² of storage surface and enables the processing of 37,000 lines per day.

In the basement, eight picking work stations with new flow, pallet and overstock racks will be installed in addition to the existing system parts. The system will be extended by a second shipping section including a shipping preparation line with Document Drop, Lidding and Inserting and a strapping machine. The increased redundant system design means higher reliability and performance.

To raise storage capacity, three zones with four SSI Carousels each will be implemented on the ground floor. This SSI SCHAEFER technology has also been applied in the distribution center in Niederbipp, where it increases the capacity by 18,000 bins and sustainably supports the supply of Western Switzerland. The SSI Carousels are supplied by ten Goods-in Stations and are connected by several hundred meters of bin conveying system. Also, the basement is supplied from these Goods-in Stations. The used cartons are taken away from the work stations using the integrated used carton belt. Orders are picked at three ergonomic two-level Get and Pick Stations that achieve a picking performance of up to 2,250 lines/hour.

Pallet and cantilever racks round off the modern concept and serve as overstock buffer and pallet picking area for large containers. The new roller container conveying system with lift will transport cross-docking deliveries automatically to the shipping area. For items with increased requirements for storage temperature, a refrigerated area with racks and picking station will be installed. In the overall project, a new version of the warehouse management software WAMAS connected to the SAP EWM of Galexis, is applied.

With the help of the planned expansion, Galexis AG meets the market requirements and commits to the long-term and successful partnership with the intralogistics expert SSI SCHAEFER.

Trend-setting system design for Galexis: In the new distribution center in Lausanne about 37,000 lines per day are processed.

To increase storage capacity, three zones with four SSI Carousels each will be implemented on the ground floor.

In order to break logistics paradigms and modify their current supply chain, La Costeña, one of the biggest manufacturers of canned food in Mexico, worked together with SSI SCHAEFER to develop a major logistics solution that aims at increasing storage capacity, picking efficiency and dispatch production.

With about 80% of the company's production currently being carried out in Ecatepec de Morelos, an efficient material flow was called for. In order to achieve this goal, SSI SCHAEFER and La Costeña collaborated to build a unique 6,820 m² logistics center with state-of-the-art technology that Mexico has never seen before. The special feature of the project is the integration of the existing warehouses into the new logistics center, which was perfectly tailored to the customer's needs. An integrated, central picking system will also play an important role in future processes. With the new distribution center, La Costeña will have the desired flexibility and scalability in terms of performance and storage space.

To meet the customer's demands, SSI SCHAEFER creates a 6-aisle channel storage system with a total of 28,332 pallet storage locations. The storage system is made up of two modules which are connected by a pallet conveying system. In each of the modules, three storage-retrieval machines (SRM) type SSI Exyz are used, each of them equipped with a load handling device (LHD) type SSI Orbiter LHD. The SSI Orbiter LHD moves the pallets on the lower levels of the rack system into the multiple-deep channels. In the upper area of the rack aisles, six SSI Lift&Run systems per module, also equipped with SSI Orbiters LHD, are applied. Order pallets ready for dispatch are buffered there.

For optimal material flows, SSI SCHAEFER installs a pallet conveying system with a total length of 1.4 km, 13 vertical lifts to supply two picking levels as well as numerous handling systems, such as automated label applicators, film wrappers and displays indicating loading status. To ensure stable and safe operation, SSI SCHAEFER carried out a very detailed soil analysis, in which the size of the warehouse, the number of employees, the weight of the loads and the fact that the plant is located in a seismic zone were taken into consideration. The results of the analysis were incorporated into the planning of the rack system and thus made a decisive contribution to the plant optimization. The completion of the logistics center is scheduled for 2021.

SSI SCHAEFER has always understood the development and subsequent needs of La Costeña and, for this reason, has offered them the best solution, with the latest technology and a thoroughly innovative project.

As general contractor, SSI SCHAEFER builds a new logistics center for the Mexican food canning manufacturer La Costeña in Ecatepec de Morelos.

From left to right: José Luis Hernández (logistics manager at La Costena), Alfredo del Bosque (logistics director at La Costena), Liliana García (head of automated warehouses at La Costena) and Alberto Romo (project manager at La Costena) in November 2019 in Ecatepec de Morelos/Mexico.

SSI SCHAEFER is providing a reliable foundation for an efficient logistics operation for the spare parts specialist bilstein group, with a steel structure from its own production line to create an automated miniload system and racking installations.

The bilstein group, based in Ennepetal, Germany, is investing in an additional logistics center at its Gelsenkirchen site in order to ensure the global availability of its products and services, both now and in the future. The leading specialist in the independent aftermarket for passenger cars and commercial vehicles is once again counting on the manufacturing expertise of the reliable partner and intralogistics expert, SSI SCHAEFER, for the construction of this in-house steel structure for manual and fully automatic systems.

Equipped for the Future in Dynamic Markets

The bilstein group, now in the seventh generation of family ownership, is headquartered in the town of Ennepetal in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and brings together the brands of febi, SWAG, and Blue Print under one roof. The company supplies wholesalers and repair shops with more than 60,000 different spare parts and repair kits, helping to keep drivers of cars and commercial vehicles around the world moving. “Our industry is constantly changing,” says Felix Wortmann, Project Manager at the bilstein group.

“The new structure in Gelsenkirchen will help us to significantly increase our logistics capacities, something which is particularly important as we develop our company to be fit for the future. This second, fully automatic German logistics center will help make us even more customer friendly and enable us to continue to reliably supply our quality products to wholesalers.”

Alongside the high availability of their range of products, another objective of this project was to achieve reliable and rapid order processing using sophisticated technologies. When it came to awarding the contract for the in-house steel structure for the various manually operated racking installations and the fully automated miniload system, the bilstein group once again opted in favor of SSI SCHAEFER, the world’s leading provider of warehouse and logistics systems.

Intralogistics Steel Construction as the Foundation for Efficient Logistics Organization

It has been full steam ahead with the installation work at Gelsenkirchen since August 2020. As intralogistics specialists, SSI SCHAEFER were directly contracted by the bilstein group and are responsible for manufacturing and installing the steel structure for the automated miniload system, a mobile rack system, a wide-aisle warehouse, a pallet flow rack, and a bin conveying system platform. “Manufacturing expertise is extremely important when it comes to steel structures, as these form the basic framework for an efficient intralogistics system,” emphasizes Vanessa Henrich, Head of Product Management, Product Line Steelwork High Bay Warehouse, at SSI SCHAEFER.

“Helping to ensure a project runs smoothly is not just about complying with the relevant standards and legal requirements. When paving the way for future expansions, it’s also important to take additional aspects into account at an early stage, such as optimal usage of the hall space and a high degree of scalability.”

Reliable Partnership

Given the ambitious schedule leading up to commissioning, there was also a need for fast communication. In this situation, SSI SCHAEFER acts a central contact for the large part of the steel structure, supplying all the components required from a single source; having fewer points of contact saves time and costs. “We have worked on projects with SSI SCHAEFER before and have found them to be a strong and reliable partner who think in the long term and work with us as equals,” adds Felix Wortmann. These factors are important, as the ultimate aim is to remain competitive in a dynamic sector.

Keeping One Eye on the Finishing Line: Completion of Steel Construction by mid-2021/Commissioning by mid-2022

So far, the project has not suffered any interruptions to the implementation of the tightly scheduled level plan due to the coronavirus pandemic. Together with the planner and SAP EWM general contractor responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of the overall intralogistics, all the partners are working hand in hand to achieve the goal of starting operations at the new logistics center by mid-2022. As Vanessa Henrich puts it, the steel structure will then act as the foundation or a type of “racetrack” on which the other intralogistics components will later safely and quickly carry out the warehousing and transportation tasks assigned to them, and will help to ensure the bilstein group’s delivery capabilities

Felix Wortmann, overall Project Manager for the new structure for the bilstein group in Gelsenkirchen.

The bilstein group is once again counting on SSI SCHAEFER for the intralogistics steel structure for the new logistics center: “We have worked on projects with SSI SCHAEFER before and have found them to be a strong and reliable partner who think in the long term and work with us as equals,” explains Felix Wortmann, Project Manager for the new structure for the bilstein group.

Steel construction competence for timely finish in Gochsheim, Germany

On target: safely, quickly and efficiently. With these objectives, SSI SCHAEFER, as general contractor, is building the regional warehouse for the EDEKA Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen group in Gochsheim, Germany. Taking this expansive step, the German wholesaler is responding to the continuously growing sales volume and is ensuring a future-proof supply for relevant markets. As early as May 2021, the new, semi-automated logistics complex, with a sophisticated picking area directly integrated into the steel construction, will commence operation. Future-focused planning and a streamlined project management contributed to the successful implementation of the project.

The preparatory civil engineering work started in February 2020. Since then, the 4-aisle high bay warehouse (approx. 100 x 32 x 28 m LxWxH) with more than 10,000 pallet storage locations for single-deep and double-deep storage, has visibly taking shape. The warehouse was built in a cost-optimized silo design and will be primarily used to store dry goods. The 2-level picking area, which SSI SCHAEFER has integrated into the rack lines of the steel structure, is particularly tailored to the requirements of the location. The required pallets are transported directly to the ergonomic work stations, on the respective level, on gravity roller conveyors. This saves time and reduces process costs. The requested goods are taken from the staging areas and handed over to the characteristic EDEKA blue roller charts or pallets intended for store deliveries. There is also the possibility to transport single-item pallets directly to the goods-out area.

Steel construction to support warehouse organization

"The advantages of semi-automation from goods-in to replenishment are the optimization of process efficiency and the elimination of forklift transports for replenishment," explains Dr. Stefan Winter, Project Manager for logistics at EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen mbH. "Furthermore, we increase the number of picking stations on a given footprint with two picking levels and ensure maximize capacity with the high bay warehouse." This is also the result of dedicated, prudent and long-term planning – SSI SCHAEFER has already proven its effectiveness to EDEKA several times. "Every company has their own specific requirements, which means that every intralogistics system is always an individual solution," says Bastian Affholderbach, Sales Engineer at SSI SCHAEFER. "We are therefore guided by the maxim of always being close to our customers from the first contact in order to respond exactly to their wishes and requirements." This is the only way to develop a tailor-made system solution and implement it within an agreed budget and time frame. This basic premise also meets the wholesaler's expectations:

"SSI SCHAEFER supported us with excellent concept planning and cost optimization already in the sales phase," says Dr. Stefan Winter.

“In the construction phase, everything comes from a single source. Here, SSI SCHAEFER stands out with consistently thorough planning and work preparation as well as individual solutions tailored to the local conditions and requirements of the customer,” adds Dietmar Zier, Head of Construction and Technology at EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen mbH.

Professional project planning and implementation

The assembly of the high bay warehouse silos was completed by the end of 2020. Four SSI Exyz storage-retrieval machines were installed in November. Roofs and walls were completed in February 2021. Roller conveyors and the entire steel construction were also completed to schedule, in February 2021. Picking level one was installed at a level of +/- 0 m, level two at a height of 7.5 m. “Thanks to our many years of experience as a full-service provider in the field of intralogistics, we can guarantee adherence to deadlines, even with solutions that are not quite commonplace,” says Marcel Huck, Overall Project Manager at SSI SCHAEFER. “At the same time, our customers benefit from a high level of in-house production, which excludes dependencies on external suppliers.” In addition, an in-house assembly company is responsible for the work at the construction site. Having only one contact person for all sub-systems also convinced Dr. Stefan Winter: “Above all, the interface reduction thanks to the logistics GC and the associated lower coordination effort is advantageous. As a result, the project organization is much more streamlined.”

The project will have been completed within a period of only twelve months: Starting from May 2021, the new EDEKA pallet high bay warehouse in Gochsheim, Germany, which is controlled by the SSI SCHAEFER logistics software WAMAS®, will be successively filled with dry goods. The handover of the turn-key system is scheduled for June 2021. In order to maintain constant system availability for future productive operation, the successful grocery wholesaler also relies on the know-how of SSI SCHAEFER, the intralogistics experts, for service and maintenance.

SSI SCHAEFER completes rack construction of automated miniload system for bilstein group on time

The steelwork of the new automated miniload system for the spare parts specialist bilstein group in the new logistics center in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, is a crucial milestone for the entire project. In order to ensure that further installations can start as scheduled, SSI SCHAEFER paved the way for a reliable just-in-time installation during the sales and planning phase. The first commissioning took place at the beginning of December 2020 in parallel to the installation, the last parts of the rack structure for the miniload system were approved in the middle of February 2021. At the same time, the general contractor pushed the installation and commissioning of other sub-systems.

The 15-aisle automated miniload system has a capacity to store more than 227,000 containers. The system is the core component of bilstein group’s new logistics center. The leading expert in spare parts for cars and utility vehicles is thus able to guarantee customers the highest degree of availability and delivery capacity in this dynamic sector.

Handover milestone always on the agenda

As a responsible partner in the area of in-house steel rack constructions, SSI SCHAEFER is supporting this project, which due to the tight schedule, is an extremely demanding one. The aim was to install the steel construction of the miniload system successively and make it available to other sub-systems by the middle of February 2021 to be able to start commissioning of storage-retrieval machines, among others:

“We were able to meet this requirement for an implementation on schedule and on budget, as agreed, despite a few Corona-related adversities, “ summarizes Vanessa Henrich, Head of Product Management, Product Line Steelwork High Bay Warehouse, at SSI SCHAEFER.

Clear time and project management

The installation of the steelwork started in August 2020. The rapid construction progress was also the result of intensive preparation at a very early stage. As early as the sales phase, SSI SCHAEFER planned the installation work in close cooperation with the general contractor. The resulting, realistically realizable milestones could therefore be contractually guaranteed to the bilstein group. IPMA certified project managers coordinated further services on site that were rendered by an in-house installation team. As a result, the first important baton could be timely handed over to the installation partner.

In-house grouping of supply chain components

There were slight disruptions at the end of 2020 due to pandemic restrictions. “However, we made up for this delay very quickly in the following weeks, so that we were able to keep our promise to the customer despite new challenges,” explains Vanessa Henrich. “The decisive factor was that SSI SCHAEFER is able to influence almost the entire supply chain, because as a manufacturer we not only bundle our own production, but also all in-house services, from engineering to implementation and quality assurance.” Thanks to this positioning, SSI SCHAEFER is able to keep promises to customers and partners, and ensure a timely implementation. In further steps, SSI SCHAEFER will implement a new mobile rack system, a wide-aisle warehouse and a pallet flow rack in bilstein group’s new logistics center.

The aisle in the automated miniload system has been equipped with a track rail for the storage-retrieval machine and the corresponding fire protection system.

As general contractor for intralogistics, SSI SCHAEFER provides a new logistics building for Work in Progress Textilhandels GmbH (Carhartt WIP), including a Cuby shuttle system, a compact bin and carton conveying system as well as picking locations with sequencing tower. Furthermore, the existing automated shipping buffer will be extended and connected to the new system technology.

Carhartt WIP supplies 70 of its own retail stores and eleven outlet stores worldwide through an omni-channel strategy from their central logistics center at the company headquarters in Weil am Rhein, Germany. The rapidly growing B2C demand is met by an online shop. In the course of this project, SSI SCHAEFER extends the storage capacity of the Carhartt WIP logistics center and increases the process efficiency of made-to-order production for various distribution channels, thanks to optimized material flows and modern system technology.

SSI SCHAEFER will implement a fully automated 5-aisle Cuby shuttle system with about 35,000 carton storage locations, a pre-zone and a high-speed loop in the add-on building, which exceeds 4,000 m². The dynamic and completely scalable storage system is operated by ten lifts to ensure high performance with a compact design. A potential expansion by three aisles is already considered in the installation layout. To guarantee successful sequencing of source cartons and consistent material supply of the eight connected picking locations, SSI SCHAEFER will install eight sequencing towers with 2 x 23 transfer locations each. An optional expansion by up to four towers for this automation area is already included in the installation layout. The picking locations are equipped with Put to Light technology and integrated into the system concept and material flows.

The new 1.6 km conveying system is set to supply 20 new packing work stations, a semi-automated returns work station and eleven special handling work stations for value-added services (VAS). Additionally, it is connected to the material flows of the already existing system. The existing system will be modified as well: SSI SCHAEFER will extend the 8-aisle miniload by two aisles with 9,800 storage locations. For further process support, SSI SCHAEFER also integrates a wide range of handling systems into the new conveying system, such as automatic carton openers and erectors, tape carton sealers, scanners and label applicators. SSI SCHAEFER implements the warehouse management system WAMAS^® in the WIP logistics center for warehouse management and process control. Material flow structures for B2B shipping remain intact, while SSI SCHAEFER will restructure the material flow for B2C shipping, returns handling and the special handling area (VAS). In doing so, the system technology of B2B shipping is considered and incorporated to a large extent. The go-live date for the entire system is planned for the first quarter of 2020.

SHOP APOTHEKE EUROPE, one of Continental Europe’s leading online pharmacies, commissioned SSI SCHAEFER to equip their new logistics center in Sevenum, the Netherlands. The highly automated solution will increase the possible shipping volume to more than 35 million parcels per year and has been designed for zero-error tolerance and 24/7 operations. The investment is in the medium double-digit million range.

SHOP APOTHEKE EUROPE currently supplies more than 5 million active customers in Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland from its existing warehouse in Venlo. The product range includes more than 100,000 over-the-counter and prescription drugs, nutritional supplements as well as beauty and personal care products. The new logistics center will provide the basis for meeting constantly growing demand. “Our customers will have an even wider product range to choose from and will receive the orders even faster,” says Theresa Holler, head pharmacist and COO of SHOP APOTHEKE EUROPE.

Challenges mastered through collaboration

In the course of the intralogistics project engineering, SSI SCHAEFER closely cooperated with the online pharmacy and Miebach Consulting. Miebach Consulting’s experts have been working with SHOP APOTHEKE EUROPE since 2018; they were responsible for the initial conception/detailed planning as well as the call for tenders and now monitor the implementation. 

“For SSI SCHAEFER, this project is a further important step to extend our business in the healthcare e-commerce sector,” says Klaus Murko, Vice President Healthcare & Cosmetics at SSI SCHAEFER. “SHOP APOTHEKE EUROPE is a top partner to build a successful future together.” 

A maximum of flexibility, sufficient options for future extension and a technical performance matching the demand were the requirements for the new logistics system. “Patient safety comes first, so maximum process security is crucial,” adds Theresa Holler. Ergonomics also played an important role, particularly in the design of the work stations in the incoming goods area where supplied goods are repacked to special bins.

High performance density nailed

The automated small parts warehouse (ASPW) includes the SSI Miniload 1-Mast designed for double-deep storage and the SSI Miniload 2-Mast designed for single-deep storage. Furthermore, an SSI Cuby shuttle system is used as order buffer. Shuttle vehicles supply the storage locations with up to 800 double cycles per aisle per hour. The high-performance shuttle system needs comparatively little space and can be flexibly extended if needed. Modularity combined with efficient use of space and a high picking quantity are the characteristics of the A-Frame. The picking automats enable fast processing of complex orders even at peak times.

In addition, Put to Light work stations and work stations for single order sorting and compiling bulk orders will be installed. The SSI SCHAEFER scope of supply and services also includes a 10 km carton and bin conveying system including a cross belt sorter, a platform extending over 11,000 m², static and pallet racks as well as various handling systems to support shipping preparation. The required bins are also provided by SSI SCHAEFER from a single source. The logistics software WAMAS® coordinates the material flow.

The installation of the intralogistics components was started in spring 2020. The go-live for the entire system is planned for the beginning of 2021.