Case Study Gebr. Märklin

A blue wonder.

When you walk up the steps of the former front entrance of Märklin’s time-honored headquarters in Göppingen you begin a journey through time. Every door reveals a fascinating view of the individual production stages required to make the legendary metal toys. Unlike other major brand names, Märklin intentionally chose to retain its entire production in Europe. The coveted collectors’ items are manufactured in Györ, Hungary and at the headquarters in the Stuttgarter Straße. Despite the feeling of nostalgia and childhood memories, daily business always remains a matter of finding innovative solutions and streamlining production costs. Because even legends still need to remain competitive. To this day, Märklin remains the market leader for sheet-metal toys.

The partnership between Märklin and SSI SCHAEFER

Historically, Märklin's handmade products were repeatedly damaged during transport between the individual production stages. In particular, the perfectly replicated paintwork suffered from a lack of perfectly fitting containers. Something manufactured with so much love for detail needs to be perfectly protected when moving through production. In light of this, Märklin showed a major demonstration of trust when they chose SSI SCHAEFER to resolve the long-standing and exceptionally expensive problem.

Visitors at Märklin will see what appears to be a simple blue box everywhere they turn. This inconspicuous box is the product of more than two years of joint development from Märklin and SSI SCHAEFER. This unique box is the solution for transporting the high-quality yet delicate products safely through production. Anyone who experiences the dedication with which the employees replicate every detail of the historical trains can easily understand why both companies invested so much time and work in creating this simple yet brilliant carrier system for transporting the locomotives. Today, roughly 10,000 blue boxes reliably circulate through Märklin’s production. A robust slot and screwdriver system developed specifically for the Swabian company firmly holds the small models in place during transportation. This is a solution which can be quickly fitted and emptied.

Following the success story of the blue box, which decreased transport damage costs to almost zero, it was now time for the next chapter: a yellow box with a special fitting system for the steam locomotives. The entire collaboration between SSI SCHAEFER and Märklin reflects one of SSI SCHAEFER’s most important company values: the pragmatic search for a solution that precisely matches the needs for the customer. We utilize solution-oriented technologies to consistently develop innovative products for our customers and our ultimate goal is to create a lasting and sustainable relationship with the customer.

Trend topic Sustainable Intralogistics

Maximum storage and transportation security are decisive for reliable product availability. For Gebr. Märklin, too, this is key to long-term success.

Consistent goods availability enables companies to supply their customers rapidly and reliably. In the age of online commerce, this plays a key role.

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Availability

The basics of the success story

Flexibly respond to the specific needs of each customer. This is the only way we can jointly translate the individual challenges into tailor-made solutions - as with the individualized blue box for the traditional Märklin company.

A-Frame Picking System

Customized Packaging

Unique packaging solutions provide excellent protection for your products
Packaging protects products during transport from the manufacturer to the consumer. Yet simple packaging is often inadequate. SSI SCHAEFER offers you engineered, customized solutions which offer optimal protection for your products during transport and storage.

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SSI SCHÄFER container detail view
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