SCHÜCO International KG, one of the world's leading specialists in window, door and façade technology, has contracted SSI SCHAEFER to expand its facilities for accessories and fittings logistics at the Metal division in Bielefeld.
As the general contractor for intralogistics, SSI SCHAEFER is expanding the existing buildings at Schüco's headquarters with a logistics facility covering an area of 7,500 square metres. "Over the coming months, the most modern logistics centre for accessories and fittings in Europe – maybe even in the world – will be constructed here," states Andreas Engelhardt, CEO and Managing Partner of Schüco International KG. "We are laying the groundwork for the future parts supply of our roughly 12,000 international customers, as we will be able to deliver our products to customers more quickly and in sequenced batches," summarises Engelhardt.
The strategic goal of the Bielefeld-based Group is to be the industry's "best in class" for customer service, too. This starts with error-free picking and extremely fast order processing: fully automated processes will soon aid picking according to the goods-to-person principle. The new logistics centrepiece is an automated high bay warehouse (HBW) with 12,000 pallet storage locations and two picking halls with an automated miniload system including Cuby shuttles as shipping buffers and the most modern robotic technology. The areas in the existing warehouse are being restructured and incorporated into the optimised material flows and logistics processes. As a SAP partner, SSI SCHAEFER is supporting Schüco with the further implementation of SAP EWM.
Following the first groundbreaking ceremony at the end of September 2016, the installation and assembly of the steelwork and intralogistics systems will start in March 2017. SSI SCHAEFER's aim is to complete the new distribution centre within twelve months and thus to hand over a turnkey logistics facility to Schüco at the end of this year. Hundreds of thousands of fittings, seals and accessories for windows, doors and façades will be stored in the new distribution centre and then picked and shipped directly to Schüco customers and other Schüco sites around the world.
In addition, SSI SCHAEFER has been awarded the contract for the retrofitting of the existing high bay warehouse, including the pre-zone. This work will start after the start-up of the new building in the first quarter of 2018.