www.ssi-schaefer.com

No. 27
Company magazine
Cover story – E-commerce
LOXXESS:
Flexible fashion logistics
4
Healthcare
Food industry
RhönSprudel:
Streamlined beverage
intralogistics
8
Brocacef:
12
Automated A-Frame picking
system for medicines
www.ssi-schaefer.com
Obituary
Gerhard Schäfer
1924 – 2015
The managing shareholder of the SSI Schäfer group passed away unexpectedly on 19 July 2015 at
nearly 91 years of age. He was one of a kind as an industrialist – a unique personality, a charismatic
and unconventional leader who was not afraid to do the unexpected or go against the flow. He was at the
helm of the company and guided its destiny for all of seven decades.
Gerhard Schäfer was the first apprentice of the company established by his father in 1937. After his
father’s untimely death in 1951, the four brothers Hans, Gerhard, Theo and Manfred Schäfer took
charge of the company, leading it on an impressive path of development and diversification.
The transformation of SSI Schaefer from a local manufacturer of stovepipes, transport and bottle cases
into a globally operating enterprise in the fields of intralogistics and waste disposal systems bears
Gerhard Schäfer’s personal signature. His entrepreneurial vision was not only the driving force behind
the company’s early internationalisation but also made him recognise the trend towards automation in
intra-logistics and act accordingly. For him, corporate strategy was not something you learn from a textbook – he had it in his genes. He always made decisions quickly and without hesitation. Above all, he
knew how to say all there is to say in a short statement and make a powerful point along the way. As
an industrialist he firmly believed in putting customer requirements first, he championed innovation and
diversification, and he strongly advocated the company’s ‘one-stop shop philosophy‘.
In Gerhard Schäfer we also lose somebody deeply marked by his origin and difficult youth. For him it was
always the company that came first, never his personal status. He was always open to new ideas, direct
and uncomplicated. Above all, he treated all human beings as equals.
Gerhard Schäfer’s outstanding achievements as an industrialist shine brightly and are clear for everyone
to see. As employees, we are proud and grateful that we were able to contribute our share. Now it is our
duty and challenge to continue his life’s work in his spirit.
Rudolf Keller
CEO SSI Schaefer
2
Editorial
Dear readers,
Logistics is often accurately defined as being the art of ensuring “the right
products are in the right place at the right time.” Logistics service providers
have to a large extent fulfilled this basic requirement and to a high standard. As a result, customers are now turning their attention to maximising
cost-effectiveness and speed.
In other words, speed is key to competitive differentiation. We do not have
control over long-distance shipments or traffic congestion. However, we can
greatly accelerate the internal processes of transferring and picking goods.
And we can do this by deploying smart technologies and efficient organisation. In this issue of Update, we highlight some examples of this approach
in action.
Rainer Buchmann
Managing Director, SSI Schaefer, Graz, Austria
Contents
4
16
E-commerce
Cover story LOXXESS:
Flexible fashion logistics
Manufacturing
Project Diesel Technic/
Blanco/Sarens Group
Project RedMart/Suning
4
8
Food industry
Project RhönSprudel/Refresco/
A.J & C.I Snell/
Royale Marine/Fonterra
8
12
Healthcare
Project Brocacef/Attends/
Galexis/Dräger
15
Logistics service
Project PKT/TransWest
18
Special feature
Solution AGVs – Obstacle-free
intralogistics
20
Inside SSI Schaefer
Interview End-to-end expert advice
Solution Cut & Weld containers in custom
sizes, from standard parts
News Intralogistics prize for Batch
Pick’n Scan Sorter/VDI Award
for 3D-MATRIX Solution®/Supply
providers
Chain Day
12
3
Cover story – E-commerce
Flexible fashion logistics
The SSI Schaefer conveyor system at LOXXESS’s logistics centre in Bor combines and streamlines automated and manual processes for both hanging
and flat-packed garments.
Bor, Czech Republic. LOXXESS’s sophisticated
answers to e-commerce and mail-order logistics
challenges continue to attract new customers to
the medium-sized enterprise. The fashion label
BON’A PARTE is just one example. LOXXESS built,
and now operates, the Danish brand’s central
warehouse for the European market – based in
Bor, Czech Republic. In addition to storage and distribution, it has assumed responsibility for a number of additional customer-specific tasks. These
include quality control, picking, and processing
returns. SSI Schaefer implemented a state-of-theart conveyor system in the warehouse that can be
used for both hanging and flat-packed apparel.
4
Every day, thousands of clothes packaged in cartons arrive at the 12 loading docks at LOXXESS’s
warehouse in Bor, just a few kilometres from the
German border. After being unloaded, flat-packed
garments are sent on to one of 80 ergonomic
workstations – where they are inspected, entered
into the IT system, and put away onto modular
shelving. Individual items for a particular order are
picked from shelves using handheld RF terminals,
put into containers, and conveyed via a belt system to one of 52 packing stations.
Premium goods of high value are placed on hangers, and then attached to an overhead conveyor.
Cover story – E-commerce
Pin co nveyor
or
La dd er co nvey
The blouses, trousers, coats and other
items pass through a tunnel finisher, where
they are steamed to remove any creases.
Then, they are placed in protective garment
covers and moved via an SSI Schaefer
pin conveyor from ground level to a static
storage area on the third floor of the warehouse. The pins, mounted on roller chains,
are compatible with most standard retail
hangers.
SSI Schaefer also installed a single-item
sorter to improve putaway for hanging garments. This exceptionally versatile ladder
conveyor, which allows both manual and
automatic loading and unloading of goods,
can be easily and reliably operated and is
remarkably quiet.
A single order may comprise both hanging and flat-packed garments. The various
picking zones are linked by conveyors.
Moreover, the SSI Schaefer Warehouse
Management System (WMS) manages the
flow of goods to the packing stations.
The main challenge was to implement
a solution that delivered the flexibility
LOXXESS needed. In particular, it had to
combine manual and automated processes, and handle both hanging and flatpacked garments. The result is a modular
solution that can be used to serve multiple
businesses in the retail industry – and is a
future-proof investment for LOXXESS and
its customers.
s for
of tec hnolo gie
ms
A co mbinatio n
flat-p ac ke d ite
d
an
ing
ng
ha
both
5
E-commerce
Online grocery shopping ramps up
intralogistics challenges
How do you ensure the smooth operation of a fulfilment centre for an online retailer
of fresh, packaged and frozen food, plus household goods? Working hand-in-hand,
RedMart and SSI Schaefer came up with an answer.
Singapore. RedMart, Singapore’s leading online
food retailer, required a major intralogistics overhaul. Its operations were expanding rapidly, and
it became clear that a move to a brand new storage facility was an urgent necessity. Moreover, its
e-grocery business comes with a host of intrinsic
challenges: a large number of SKUs that must be
put away in a defined sequence, time-sensitive
shipments, and perishable fresh foods, to name
a few. Against this background, RedMart tasked
SSI Schaefer with implementing an intelligent
combination of storage and picking systems. The
result is a 10,000 m2 state-of-the-art warehouse,
specifically built for e-commerce orders.
SSI Schaefer worked closely with RedMart to
develop a solution that incorporates a variety
of standard solutions to great effect. It includes
pallet racking with 1,140 positions, and a twotier free-standing shelving mezzanine measuring
940 m2. Moreover, SSI Schaefer installed longspan racking totalling 1,000 shelves, plus live
storage shelving with some 500 shelves for storing cartons. The warehouse is divided into four
temperature-controlled zones: an approximately
22 °C room-temperature area, two cold rooms at
Within the
6
first week
of commis
sioning, pi
7°C and 2°C, and a −18°C freezer store. These
zones are linked to ensure productivity as the retailer grows.
The warehouse’s configuration lets RedMart offer
the largest selection of dry and fresh groceries
in Singapore. Owing to its complexity, the project
is being carried out in two stages. During phase
one, RedMart can offer over 15,000 SKUs. After
phase two, this will grow to more than 50,000. The
warehouse’s layout has been planned carefully to
increase storage density and streamline material
flows. And RedMart is already noticing the difference: within the first week of operation, picking
rates doubled.
“RedMart’s vision is to become the world’s most
customer-centric e-commerce platform. And efficient fulfilment and world-class infrastructure are
key to achieving this goal. Online food retail presents a number of challenges, and we are pleased
that we chose SSI Schaefer as our partner for
racking. Their team played an important role in the
design and implementation of the project, and the
results exceeded our expectations,” states Vikram
Rupani, Co-founder, COO and CFO at RedMart.
cking rate
s doubled.
RedMar t st
or
in its 10,0 es fresh, packaged
, and froze
00 m 2 war
n foods, an
ehouse.
d hous
ehold good
s,
E-commerce
Suning Commerce Group
and SSI Schaefer at the
contract-signing ceremony in Nanjing, China,
in January 2015.
Enhancing multi-channel distribution
SSI Schaefer has embarked on a large-scale project for China’s Suning
Commerce Group.
Nanjing, China. Suning Commerce Group is one
of China’s largest private retail enterprises – but
refuses to rest on its laurels. The Group’s new
logistics centre, once completed, will provide storage for 1.5 million products, and will be able to
process 1.8 million order items every day. The project is being carried out in two phases, due to its
sheer scale.
The Group started out as an electrical appliances
retailer 25 years ago. Today, it leverages multiple
distribution channels and offers a broad range of
products – including electronics, office supplies,
beauty products, clothes and food. Suning now
aims to expand its portfolio to include express and
value-added services.
To meet the Group’s storage needs, SSI Schaefer
is installing an automated small parts store with
some 500,000 positions, an automated pallet
storage system with 20,000 positions, and modular shelving with approximately 18,500 bays. Moreover, the SSI Schaefer A-Frame picking system significantly accelerates throughput for A-class items.
To address Suning’s order-picking needs,
SSI Schaefer will deploy the tried-and-trusted
Schaefer Carousel System (SCS) – capable of
storing and picking up to 350,000 items. High-performance pick-to-tote picking stations will be used
to assemble orders from the SCS. As a result,
Suning will be able to process orders quickly and
flexibly – for both its e-commerce and bricks-andmortar retail business channels.
The logistics facility also includes a pick-to-belt
carton picking system, plus designated storage
and picking areas for special items. Suning will
leverage an SAP IT system for inventory management tasks, while SSI Schaefer WAMAS logistics
software will be used to control equipment.
SSI Schaefer will also install a powerful sorting
system, including cross-docking functionality, for
express packages from third-party providers. Once
fully up and running, the system will be able to sort
up to 32,000 packages every hour. In addition, the
new logistics facility will include a returns centre,
with a total of 46 workstations.
Suning plans to incorporate 180 workstations
into its large packaging area, where orders are
prepared for shipment. These workstations will be
specifically tailored to the needs of e-commerce.
From here, each order will either be shipped
straight away, or stored temporarily in an additional 20-carousel SCS before being sent as part of a
consolidated shipment. In the latter situation, a
sorter will divert each package to its destination,
at a rate of 18,000 packages per hour. The goods
are then loaded into lorries for delivery.
Suning is expanding – and so is SSI Schaefer. The
intralogistics specialist is extending its market
activities in China. In addition to its presence in
Shanghai, it now has a site in Nanjing.
7
Lebensmittel
The high-rise racking
comprises channels
four units deep, with
space for 9,384
euro pallets.
WAMAS® streamlines beverage
intralogistics
SSI Schaefer has replaced RhönSprudel’s block storage warehouse with
an automated high-rise racking system served by Orbiter® shuttles –
without expanding the original building’s footprint.
Ebersburg-Weyhers, Germany. Mineral water and
soft drinks manufacturer RhönSprudel is located
at the heart of the Rhön Biosphere Reserve in central Germany. Every year, the enterprise produces
some 300 million units, including mineral water
and soft drinks, in glass and in PET bottles that
are reused or recycled.
Previously, RhönSprudel stacked beverages
in conventional block storage in a warehouse
prior to shipment. The facility offered only limited
space, and forklift traffic between loading ramps,
the production department and storage was very
high. RhönSprudel was ultimately forced to rent
warehouses in the vicinity. However, this increased
lorry traffic, raised logistics costs, and added complexity to its existing operation process.
8
It was clear RhönSprudel needed greater storage capacity, and more efficient goods flows.
Thomas Storch, Head of Operations at RhönSprudel, explains the difficulties posed by the ensuing
project: “It was a complicated undertaking. The
former logistics building had to be dismantled,
and the new high-rise solution had to be installed
and integrated with neighbouring facilities and
systems. These included peripheral buildings for
production, storage, and shipping, plus existing
equipment and pipes and ducts, for example, for
water and power.”
SSI Schaefer proved equal to these challenges.
In just 12 months, the intralogistics expert dismantled the original facility, and replaced it with
a three-aisle high-rise racking system, served by
Food industry
If a lorry is due to arrive in a particular timeframe,
WAMAS provides information on which product,
from which batch, and in what quantity, should be
retrieved in readiness. “We originally planned to inThe automated racking for pallets is a channel stall gravity roller conveyors – however, the chosen
storage system up to four units deep. In each of solution has the advantage that only those pallets
the three aisles, a storage and retrieval machine – to be loaded onto the lorries are brought to the
of the latest Exyz generation – transfers pallets de- shipping area,” notes Martin Keller, Project Manlivered by a conveyor system to designated chan- ager at SSI Schaefer, Giebelstadt, Germany.
nels. SSI Schaefer Orbiter shuttle load-handling
devices can carry pallets weighing up to 1,000 kg.
As the system is designed to put away and retrieve
nearly 100 pallets per hour, there is ample capacity to accommodate high stock turnover – for example during the summer season.
Orbiter shuttles. The new system has 9,300 pallet positions, and connects the production department with the lorry loading area.
Orbiter shuttle
load-handling
devices put away
and retrieve
goods.
Moreover, SSI Schaefer’s WAMAS logistics software allocates and manages storage positions
in the facility, and interfaces with the existing
warehouse management system. Using WAMAS,
the depth of items stored in the channel can be
varied. This flexibility enables leftover items in a
batch to be stored efficiently. In addition, a visualisation system provides staff with views of the entire plant, including individual conveyors, so they
can manually intervene, if necessary.
Exyz – an exceptionally energy-efficient storage and retrieval machine
Exyz storage and retrieval machines (SRMs) are designed for high efficiency. They feature regenerative brakes as standard. Furthermore, an optional Green Logistics version allows for additional sophisticated hardware and software features. The machine is of lightweight construction, consuming up to 25 per cent less power than conventional systems.
Moreover, it incorporates a counterweight in its mast to offset the lifting carriage. Via an intermediate circuit, energy recovered from braking actions is harnessed to power drives for both horizontal and vertical movements. This technology
can cut the system’s electricity consumption by up to 20 per cent. In addition, by adjusting the SRM’s speed and acceleration in line with actual requirements, operators save even more energy, and minimise wear and tear.
Refresco beverages to be stored via automated systems
Grünsfeld, Germany. SSI Schaefer has been tasked with providing a state-of-the-art
logistics centre for Refresco. The contract encompasses the logistics concept, the
building shell and steel structures, and intralogistics systems, including high-rise
racking, conveyors for pallets, and peripherals. In addition, SSI Schaefer will integrate
system control software with the SAP ERP and warehouse management solution via
an interface, and implement a visualisation system.
A transfer bridge will directly link Refresco production lines with the high-rise racking,
ensuring pallet transfer from bottling to logistics will be fully automated. Conveyors
will also connect the racking with the shipping department, and with the external
goods receiving area. The strapping of two Düsseldorf half pallets onto to a euro pallet after the bottling process, transfer to logistics, stock replenishment, and putaway
are also fully automated.
This solution will provide Refresco with more than 21,600 pallet positions, and ensure excellent efficiency – even during peak times. It also has capacity to support future business growth. As a result, the
beverage producer will be able to increase its current annual output of over 1.6 billion litres of juice, iced
tea, juice drinks, and carbonated products. Completion of the facility is slated for late summer 2015.
The groundbreaking
ceremony for
Refresco’s new
distribution centre
in Grünsfeld. (Photo:
Matthias Ernst)
9
Food industry
Better for berries, better for business
Hereford, United Kingdom. A.J & C.I. Snell is one
of the UK’s leading fresh and frozen fruit growers.
The family-owned and operated company tasked
SSI Schaefer with supplying and installing a mobile pallet racking system for a new freezer store
for berries.
Established in 1989, the business produces an
impressive 1,300 metric tons of strawberries,
raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, plus
a further 700 tons of blackcurrants every year.
These are subsequently processed into juice, or
individually quick frozen (IQF).
A.J & C.I. Snell operates a state-of-the-art packhouse in addition to the new freezer store. As a
result, the company is able to offer a variety of
services, including blast freezing and puree production, as well as contract storage and packing
for local farmers.
Although A.J. & C.I. Snell’s core business is the
supply of fresh fruit to supermarkets, the new
freezer store enables the accumulation of stock
for supply beyond the traditional growing season.
Snell’s broad customer base includes a number of famous high-street names, such as M&S,
Sainsbury’s and Tesco. Additionally, as the largest
blackcurrant grower in the UK, it sells produce to
Every year, 1,300 metric tons
of strawberries, raspberries,
blackberries and blueberries
are harvested and frozen, or
processed into juice.
10
food processing organisations, including Yeo Valley and Lucozade Ribena Suntory.
SSI Schaefer was actively involved in sizing and
designing the new freezer store from the very
beginning. Bob Jane, Dynamic Systems Sales
Manager at SSI Schaefer elaborates: “Although
we regularly supply systems for use in temperature-controlled environments, this is the first time
we have installed mobile pallet racking to efficiently store soft fruits.”
The mobile pallet racking system holds up to
900 standard pallets. Additionally, the store has
a free-standing area where bulky items can be
stacked in Dolav boxes – meaning the facility can
house a total of 1,000 pallets. This has multiple
advantages, including greater storage capacity for
frozen fruit and lower refrigeration costs.
Co-owner Anthony Snell highlights the reasons behind the investment in the new cold store: “After
considering a number of alternatives, we chose
a mobile racking system because it provided us
with the space efficiency required to minimise our
freezer running costs. The building provides us
with enough capacity to offer the benefits of cold
storage to other organisations in the area who may
be looking for a facility to store frozen produce.”
Food industry
SSI Schaefer mobile racking
system for heavy loads
ensures easy access to all
products.
Bapatla, India. In the south-eastern state of
Andhra Pradesh lies the town of Bapatla, a short
distance from the bountiful Bay of Bengal. It is
home to Royale Marine, established in 2011, a
company specialising in farmed shrimps. Its core
business includes the procurement, processing,
packaging and sale of this seafood to the global
market – in line with national requirements and
customer preferences.
A wide variety of end-products are prepared on
two state-of-the-art production lines. These include head on shell on (HOSO), headless shell on
(HLSO), block frozen and individually quick-frozen
(IQF) shrimps. Royale Marine has consistently
invested in intelligent solutions and equipment in
Keeping the
shrimps cool
Mobile racking safeguards
quality and access
order to fulfil international food standards, quality
controls, and food safety requirements.
Rapid, highly efficient production processes and
an uninterrupted cold chain are vital to preventing frozen seafood from spoiling. With this in
mind, Royale Marine decided to build its own
purpose-built on-site refrigerated warehouse. The
goal was to maximise usage of available space
while ensuring unimpeded access to all products.
SSI Schaefer mobile racking system addressed
both these imperatives in full. It offers around
1,700 pallet positions, and has enabled Royale
Marine to significantly increase picking rates and
accelerate distribution.
Moving dairy products with Orbiter® shuttles
Heerenveen, the Netherlands. Fonterra’s new
production plant in the Netherlands operates 24
hours a day, 365 days a year. It commenced operation in early 2015, and processes over 2 million
litres of whey a day to manufacture 25,000 metric
tons of powdered lactose and 5,000 metric tons
of whey protein annually. These are subsequently
utilised in the medical, pharmaceutical and food
industries.
Fonterra is a co-operative headquartered in New
Zealand, but known worldwide for the production
and export of dairy products. In the Netherlands,
it required high storage capacity and high throughput, prompting it to opt for the SSI Schaefer
channel storage system with Orbiter shuttles.
The 2,475 m2 warehouse now offers 3,900 pallet
positions. The lactose and whey protein products are efficiently stored in 100 channels, each
38 m deep and 5 tiers high.
The Orbiter shuttle system reliably stows and
retrieves pallets at a speed of 1 m/s. A warning
light indicates when a shuttle is active within
any given channel. Pallets, docking stations and
Orbiter shuttles can be easily moved into and out
of the channels by forklift. And there is no need
to replace shuttle batteries thanks to innovative
power cap technology.
Dairy products can
be efficiently stored
in 100 channels,
each 38 m deep.
Healthcare
SSI Schaefer’s A-Frame picking
systems are a fully automated
solution for assembling complex
orders rapidly and reliably. Available in a variety of designs, they
are suitable for low, medium and
high-turnover items.
A fully automated A-Frame picking system
for medicines
Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Brocacef’s new distribution centre lies just a short distance from
Eindhoven Airport, in the south of the Netherlands.
Built in 2014, the 10,000 m2 warehouse supplies
medication to pharmacies, hospitals, and other establishments.
Brocacef processes 35,000 order items every day
in Eindhoven. With this in mind, SSI Schaefer opted to automate picking processes to the highest
degree possible, and to introduce stackers and a
conveyor system for moving cartons and containers. As in the Amsterdam facility, A-Frame automated picking systems were implemented for high,
Brocacef, a pharmaceutical retailer and distributor, medium, and low-turnover items – creating storage
has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. for a total of 3,000 SKUs.
As a result, its original warehouse had reached
the limits of its capacity – but was not suitable for However, the decision to construct a new wareexpansion. Moreover, utilising additional storage house was not only influenced by the need for
space at Brocacef’s Amsterdam distribution centre greater capacity. Recently, Brocacef has increaswas not an option. Against this background, the ingly focused on central filling for repeat prescriptions. Within the scope of this approach, Brocacef
business decided to construct a new warehouse.
includes a label with patient information with the
Brocacef tasked SSI Schaefer with providing medicines being shipped – a process otherwise
the facility’s intralogistics systems, including performed by individual pharmacies. Brocacef’s
solutions for slow to fast-moving items, and for new distribution centre helps the enterprise offer
products of varying sizes. SSI Schaefer installed these central filling services.
a 2,800 m2 free-standing mezzanine for storing
slow-movers – plus pallet racking with wire mesh
panels, live racking, and modular shelving, for
storing small to medium-sized SKUs. In addition,
a special, water-tight PVC covering was placed on
the warehouse floor.
12
Healthcare
A one-stop, fully automated solution
SSI Schaefer has combined a new high-rise racking system, end-to-end conveying technology and WAMAS® logistics software to create a comprehensive, one-stop solution.
Aneby, Sweden. Change is afoot in the Swedish
province of Småland, best known as the backdrop
to Astrid Lindgren’s popular children’s stories. Acquired by USA-based Domtar Personal Care in 2012,
Swedish enterprise Attends, located in the city of
Aneby, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers
of medical hygiene products, babies’ nappies and
incontinence products for adults.
Due to rising demand and business growth, the
company decided to add two production lines to its
existing eight in its 42,000 m2 manufacturing facility. For the first time in its history, Attends opted
for a fully automated logistics solution – and tasked
SSI Schaefer with its implementation.
“We were up against extreme time pressure and
were working right through the cold Swedish winter.
So it was a challenging project that demanded a
high level of commitment from everyone,” explains
Anders Bohlin, SSI Schaefer Sales Manager for
Northern and Eastern Europe. SSI Schaefer delivered a one-stop solution – assuming responsibility
for everything from the logistics concept and project
planning to development of a turnkey five-aisle highrise racking system with 19,100 pallet positions.
The entire solution is integrated with the production
department. Furthermore, SSI Schaefer logistics
software WAMAS is now the IT backbone for inventory management, process control, material flow
management and system visualisation.
The Aneby site houses 220 SKUs, totalling 45 million individual items. On the factory floor, robots
compile single-SKU pallets. These and pallets containing a mixture of items are transferred to the highrise racking system via a conveyor to be put away
and removed using energy-efficient Exyz storage
and retrieval machines. “When it comes to handling fully laden pallets, this is certainly one of the
most advanced intralogistics solutions in Sweden,”
says Dag Sjökvist, Attends Technology Manager in
Aneby.
To ensure products are ready for shipping at the right
time, WAMAS initiates and manages the retrieval of
pallets from the high-rise racking system and coordinates conveying to the shipping area. Currently, 25
fully loaded lorries leave the Aneby site every day.
However, this figure is set to rise to 45 in the near
future, nearly doubling previous throughput.
Pallets for putaway are transferred
to the Exyz storage and retrieval
machines in the high-rise racking
system via dedicated transfer
stations.
13
Healthcare
New automated small parts store
accelerates medicine delivery
son with distribution centres across the globe.
SSI Schaefer is contracted to implement a second
automated small parts store for double-deep storage – including a logistics concept, storage and
retrieval machines, approximately 4 km of container conveyors with double destackers and around
85,000 containers.
SSI Schaefer is implementing a second
automated small parts
store for Galexis –
including storage and
retrieval machines, a
control system, container conveyors and
approximately 85,000
containers.
The Schaefer Miniload Crane (SMC2 XL) storage
and retrieval machines feature two telescopic fork
load-handling devices that can put away and retrieve 125 units per hour – or perform both actions in a single operation 43 times per hour. The
machines automatically deliver replenishments
for order picking from live storage. The orders are
then picked manually at 33 workstations, as part
of a paperless process designed in line with the
goods-to-person principle.
Niederbipp, Switzerland. Galexis, a major player
in the healthcare market, has tasked SSI Schaefer
with expanding its pharmaceuticals distribution
centre in the Swiss town of Niederbipp. The facility is the most advanced of its kind in the
Swiss healthcare industry and stands compari-
Completion is slated for mid-2016. The new small
parts store will enable Galexis to increase throughput at the Niederbipp facility to 4,000 containers
per hour – a rise in output of around a third.
Combining production and Kanban delivery
from a single source
Lübeck, Germany. Dräger, a manufacturer of medical products
and safety equipment, is planning to consolidate its manufacturing and logistics operations at a single site in
Lübeck, Germany. By doing so, the company aims to
accelerate its production processes, reduce inventory
size and cut costs by eliminating the need to transfer
materials between multiple plants. As Holger Völkel, who
heads Dräger’s manufacturing logistics team in Lübeck, explains, “As part of our ongoing ‘factory of the future’ project, we aim to
ensure that our manufacturing and logistics processes are truly interconnected. In
concrete terms, our goal is to supply production staff with the materials they need within two
hours of them submitting their requirements.”
SSI Schaefer is teaming up with Dräger to establish a logistics centre that will combine production and
Kanban delivery. The scope of services includes an automated small parts store with 120,000 storage
positions, plus seven container storage and retrieval machines (SRMs) and automated high-rise racking
with 6,500 euro pallet positions. This warehouse will be served by energy-efficient Exyz SRMs.
Moreover, the facility will feature user-friendly workstations that will be connected to the small-parts store
via a container conveyor or to the high-rise racking via a pallet conveyor in line with the goods-to-person
principle. SSI Schaefer’s WAMAS logistics software will streamline all warehouse and material flow process
management tasks. The intralogistics specialist will construct the new facility without interrupting ongoing
operations.
14
A 3D illustration
of the planned
logistics centre
at Dräger’s site in
Lübeck, Germany.
Logistics service providers
One success leads to another, and another
PKT’s One Logistics
Hub centre now has
a storage capacity
of some 55,000
pallet positions.
Klang Valley, Malaysia. PKT is at the forefront
of supply chain management. The medium-sized
enterprise has strong national and international
operations, offering end-to-end logistics solutions
for freight forwarding, customs brokering, contract
logistics, haulage and distribution management.
720 bays for spare parts – for big-name players
such as Volvo, Naza KIA and Mazda. PKT was impressed by SSI Schaefer’s highly professional approach in this first phase, and gave the green light
to continue on to The Wave. The second phase
involved racking in single and double-deep configurations, offering a total of 35,000 pallet posPKT constructed its new 109,000 m2 One Logis- itions for fast-moving items. In the final project
tics Hub in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The centre stage, The Lighthouse was equipped with a varcomprises three warehouses, named The Ship, iety of shelving systems for storing spare parts for
The Wave and The Lighthouse. It features intra- A.Sonic, Volvo, Nasim, Mazda, Citroen and Naza
logistics solutions from SSI Schaefer.
KIA. Combined, the warehouses house approximately 55,000 pallet positions.
This large-scale project began with The Ship,
where SSI Schaefer installed racking with some On the heels of its One Logistics Hub success,
13,000 pallet positions, plus a three-tier mezza- SSI Schaefer has been contracted to supply and
nine with a modular shelving system comprising install solutions for other PKT storage facilities.
Sub-zero storage solutions
nv
Oostkamp, Belgium. Mobile pallet racking from
SSI Schaefer can be deployed in extremely harsh
conditions, including sub-zero temperatures. The
systems are ideal for businesses like TransWest,
which stores and distributes chilled foodstuffs.
The Belgian company enjoys an excellent reputation, and has operations in Benelux, Germany and
France.
are then stored at TransWest’s freezer warehouses at −22°C until, at the customer’s request,
they are shipped to their final destination. Where
necessary, it is possible to pick individual cartons
for a customer order.
TransWest wanted to increase its storage capacity by raising the number of pallet positions. It
contracted SSI Schaefer to install mobile racking,
TransWest has five cold storage warehouses in primarily for frozen meats and vegetables. The
Oostkamp, with combined capacity for 25,000 solution has not only added 10,000 pallet poseuro pallets. Loaded pallets are collected directly itions – it saves a great deal of space, cutting the
from the customer’s production plant. The goods original storage system’s footprint by 44 per cent.
15
Manufacturing
Faster, better picking
of spare parts
SSI Schaefer has successfully
restructured Diesel Technic’s
intralogistics in Dubai.
Dubai, UAE. Within the scope of a large-scale
project, Diesel Technic tasked SSI Schaefer with
consolidating its existing warehouses to create a
single, central distribution centre. The new facility
is used to supply parts to customers across the
Middle East and Africa.
in the automotive industry; as a result, Diesel
Technic sought a storage solution that would guarantee access to all products, at all times.
The solution by SSI Schaefer comprises high-rise
racking with a very narrow aisle (VNA) configuration for heavy large and medium-sized items, plus
Diesel Technic was founded in 1972 in Sulingen, a modular shelving system for small parts. The
in northern Germany. Today, the Diesel Technic racking is almost 15 m high, and has 12,200
Group is one of the largest suppliers of spare pallet positions. In combination with the modular
parts for the independent automotive aftermarket storage system’s 9,600 shelves, this maximises
(IAM). The company’s experience and skills and usage of both horizontal and vertical space.
reliable end-to-end services are valued by distriThe project has improved Diesel Technic’s time
bution partners in over 140 countries.
management and enables greater precision. As
Diesel Technic’s goal for the new distribution cen- Michael Reuschel, Warehouse Operations Mantre in the free economic zone (FEZ) of the port of ager at Diesel Technic, explains, “The new wareJebel Ali in Dubai was to improve picking accur- house is tailored to meet our specific needs – and
acy and speed – by installing best-in-class stor- lets us make best possible use of our resources.”
age solutions. Demand for spare parts runs high
Top image:
The new, central Diesel Technic
logistics centre in Dubai
enables the company to supply
parts to customers across the
Middle East and Africa.
The high-rise racking is 15 m
tall and has 12,200 pallet
positions. When combined
with 9,600 modular shelves,
this makes maximum use of
both horizontal and vertical
space.
16
Manufacturing
SSI Schaefer
expands Blanc
o’s logistics ce
(Photo: Blanc
ntre
o)
by adding high-r
ise racking.
Symbolic key handover
for high-rise storage
Precisely one year after construction began, the fully automated
high-rise storage system for Blanco’s Bruchsal logistics centre
has been completed.
Bruchsal, Germany. The new high-rise storage
system for Blanco, a specialist in kitchen sinks
and mixer taps, has been successfully completed and commissioned. In a special ceremony, SSI Schaefer Project Manager Ingo Wunder symbolically handed the key to the facility to
Mathias Rüdele, CEO, Blanco logistics center.
Furthermore, Jürgen Kalkenbrenner, Head of
Automated Systems at SSI Schaefer gave a
speech celebrating the companies’ positive and
effective partnership.
The high-rise system was built on a 4,300 m2
footprint. Its approximately 18,000 pallet positions are seamlessly linked via a conveyor sys-
Symbolic key handover:
from left: Ingo Wunder,
Project Manager at
SSI Schaefer, Mathias
Rüdele, CEO, Blanco
logistics center, and
Jürgen Kalkenbrenner,
Head of Automated
Systems at SSI
Schaefer.
(Photo: Blanco)
tem to the receiving and picking departments.
Four energy-efficient Exyz storage and retrieval
machines (SRMs) put away and retrieve pallets.
SAP WM software is employed to perform warehouse management tasks and to control material flows via the SRMs and conveyors.
“The cutting-edge technology used for the new,
fully automated high-rise racking system and the
expansion of the picking department dovetail
neatly with existing processes. The end-to-end
logistics solution SSI Schaefer implemented provides us with exactly the flexibility we need – and
with the ideal conditions to meet future requirements,” emphasises Rüdele.
Keeping small parts
in easy reach
Brussels, Belgium. The Sarens Group is a major international player in the rigging and transport of exceptionally heavy equipment, with over 4,200 employees and
operations in more than 60 countries. The enterprise
prides itself on its commitment to safety, innovative
solutions and operational excellence.
Parts warehouse for maintenance work on cranes
and special-purpose vehicles. The facility includes
a mezzanine with modular shelving and containers
for the storage and order picking of small items.
Sarens contracted SSI Schaefer to install advanced intralogistics systems in its warehouse in Wolvertem, just
north of Brussels. The facility, which stores parts for
maintenance work on cranes and special-purpose vehicles, was completely restructured. In addition to a mezzanine with modular shelving for small parts, SSI Schaefer provided plastic containers for storage and order picking. The solution has doubled capacity. Moreover, it enhances efficiency by
making full use of the warehouse’s height.
“Sarens is constantly looking for the safest and most efficient storage solutions for our business’s unique operations.
SSI Schaefer offered us exactly the right combination of shelving and containers and successfully completed the installation work. We are pleased with the results and enjoyed working with SSI Schaefer,” notes Patrick Thomas, Category
Manager at Sarens.
17
Special feature
AGVs – obstacle-free
intralogistics
SSI Schaefer is broadening its portfolio
with AGVs suitable for diverse loadhandling devices and capable of
performing picking tasks.
Giebelstadt, Germany. Demand for flexible, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) is growing across
multiple industries. Companies often want to create better links between existing processes
through semi-automation – for example, to better connect storage with production and shipping.
AGVs are often introduced to existing storage environments. As a result, capital expenditure is
generally within SME budgets.
In intralogistics, speed, accuracy and flexibility are key. Customers are looking for greater throughput and lower inventories. And they need greater responsiveness to changes in terms of timing,
volume and delivery destination. AGVs are often the answer to these challenges.
In scenarios where SKU movements are highly standardised, AGVs can be deployed to automate
processes, without the physical obstacles and inflexible use of space associated with fixed conveyor systems. In other words, AGVs bridge the gap between forklifts and
conventional storage and conveying systems.
AGVs for automated pallet transfer
Norway; Vietnam. Tine SA, Norway’s largest producer,
distributor and exporter of dairy products, operates a
temperature-controlled logistics centre with fully automated processes. For example, as part of the material flows management system, AGVs connect the
production department with the logistics centre. The
laser-guided robots move pallets to transfer stations
prior to putaway; the pallets are then stowed in highrise racking in a channel storage system.
In addition, SSI Schaefer has worked with Vinamilk,
Vietnam’s leading dairy product manufacturer, to create
the country’s most advanced logistics centre, in the
southern province of Binh Duong. AGVs deliver pallets
from production to areas across the warehouse.
At Tine, AGVs convey pallets
intended for putaway from the production department to the neighbouring logistics centre.
18
The distribution centre for Norwegian logistics service
provider Vectura AS also features state-of-the-art automation. At the Gjelleråsen production site near Oslo,
AGVs use laser navigation to convey pallets across
the warehouse – without the inflexibility and obstacles
created by fixed conveyor systems. The robots transfer pallets from a filling system to an electrified monorail, which serves storage and picking zones throughout
the facility.
Special feature
AGVs navigate via optical or laser guides or sensors. By employing cutting-edge technology of this
kind, they ensure outstanding safety, reliability and
precision. Moreover, they lower operating costs
and enhance efficiency.
Solutions of this kind enable a high degree of
automation, reduce damage to conveyed items
and eliminate many manual tasks. Additionally,
they can be deployed in worker-unfriendly environments, for example, in freezer warehouses.
SSI Schaefer now has a majority holding in the
Belgian AGV designer and manufacturer MoTuM –
broadening the existing portfolio to include larger
AGVs. The vehicles are equipped with a fork or
elements suited to carrying pallets and trollies.
They mean greater flexibility for transferring, putaway and picking. Expanding AGV usage to include
picking goes hand-in-hand with a focus on swarm
intelligence and decentralised control. Swarm intelligence enables individual vehicles and devices
to communicate with each other to create a complete, coordinated system.
SSI Schaefer has a complete offering in this field,
including fleet controllers for traditional conveying
tasks, on-board computers and swarm intelligence
solutions. The enterprise has already completed a
number of major AGV projects all over the world –
examples that attest to the versatility of this technology in a variety of scenarios.
How does swarm intelligence work?
Within swarm intelligence, vehicles operate independently instead of relying on continuous signals from a central control system. The individual AGVs communicate with each other to coordinate availability, routes and order prioritisation.
Because of their decision-making ability, the vehicles are able to move freely within the warehouse, navigating via sensors and reacting to unforeseen events and obstacles. Deploying this type of technology opens up new opportunities
in intralogistics. Conventional AGVs are employed for simple transfers, and for connecting storage systems with the
point of need. Swarm intelligence opens up the scope of application to include picking, putaway, staging, sorting and
sequencing.
Made-to-measure AGV solutions from MoTuM
France; Belgium; USA. SSI Schaefer and MoTuM
have completed a number of major projects that
see the implementation of AGVs to transfer pallets. For example, Longchamp, a French fashion accessories company, previously used eight standard
forklifts in its logistics centre. MoTuM converted
the machines to self-driving operation, including
swarm intelligence.
Moreover, MoTuM designed and manufactured
15 custom-made AGVs for Belgian transport and
logistics service provider 2XL. Managed via a central control system, the devices take the shortest
routes to transfer goods throughout the facility.
SSI Schaefer’s 2Lite® maintenance-free battery
solution provides the power required to ensure
smooth, 24/7 operations while transferring over
366 pallets an hour.
MoTuM’s AGVs, tailored to the customer’s specific
needs, are also deployed in a pharmaceutical company in the USA.
AGVs transfer pallets at Belgian
transport and logistics service provider 2XL’s facility.
19
Inside SSI Schaefer
End-to-end
expert advice
Andreas Hampe,
Director, SSI Schaefer
Business Consultancy
Customers turn to SSI Schaefer for the
supply and installation of tailor-made
intralogistics systems. But not only that,
an increasing number are also looking for
expert advice – both before and after implementation. Early this year, SSI Schaefer
created the Business Consultancy Group
to meet this growing need. Andreas Hampe
provided us with insights into the work of this
new organisational unit.
The Business Consultancy Group was established early this year. Could you tell us something about
your service portfolio and your team?
The idea for the Business Consultancy Group has been gestating for some time. The goal was to provide our customers with comprehensive value added advice. A typical logistics investment can easily
run into eight figures and calls for more than just excellent project management. Our role is to take a
look at the bigger picture, at all aspects of the project. We have established a core team that provides
the customer with support across a variety of areas where we have extensive hands-on experience:
process and material flows, and IT to name a few. And for longer-term deployments, we can call on
other specialists, both within our own organisation and beyond.
What kind of customers do you serve, and what are they looking for?
Primarily, we help our existing customers by analysing the equipment and processes they have in
place, and proposing ways of improving and streamlining them. At a later stage, we can advise and
assist them with the implementation of agreed changes. We support new customers with expertise
on the commissioning phase and on change management for new logistics processes. In this regard,
we focus on SSI Schaefer core industries, including retail, automotive, food, manufacturing and increasingly e-commerce.
What do you offer that goes above and beyond conventional project management?
Project management concentrates on the efficient organisation and smooth execution of the agreed
tasks. But we have observed that, unfortunately, the wider context of the logistics project is frequently
neglected. To resolve this situation, Business Consultancy Group addresses issues such as change
management, preparing staff for implementation, relocation, commissioning and all related topics. We
are able to apply our entire skillset to offer our customers an end-to-end package.
What does that mean in concrete terms?
Our clearly defined goal is to offer our customers significant value added service. We begin analysing
the current situation, either prior to installation or later, when the system is already up and running.
We then draw up an action plan, and present it to the customer‘s project team. Hand-in-hand with that
team, we agree on the details of the proposed activities and then put them into practice.
20
Inside SSI Schaefer
Cut & Weld containers
in custom sizes, from
standard parts
Thomas Jettkant, Head of Sales, Customised
Packaging, at SSI Schaefer explains, “We manufacture Cut & Weld containers with unique dimensions for customers whose products do not fit in
standard euro or modular sizes.”
Neunkirchen, Germany. SSI Schaefer boasts a
broad portfolio of containers and inserts. These
products come in various dimensions and materials and are tested to ensure robustness, reliability and durability. In addition to injection-moulded
products, SSI Schaefer offers Cut & Weld containers in sizes tailored to customers’ specific needs.
Customer-specific – Customers choose from
popular, standard containers. These are then manufactured to defined dimensions using hot-plate
(sometimes called mirror) welding. Segments from
standard sizes, and single or multiple containers,
are combined as needed to make the new tailored
solution. Moreover, using a template, the container can be easily reproduced.
Versatile – The Cut & Weld containers
are made of polypropylene. This thermoplastic polymer is extremely durable and
resistant to nearly all solvents and fats,
and to most acids and alkalines. The proven
material is odourless and skin friendly. As a
result, Cut & Weld containers can be leveraged for a wide variety of tasks across multiple sectors, including electrical engineering and
the automotive industry.
Robust – Despite being welded from multiple
parts, the containers are exceptionally strong with
a load capacity of up to 600 kg. The seams of
the Cut & Weld products have approximately 90
per cent of the strength of those on a standard
container.
Customisable – Customers can choose the colour
of their Cut & Weld containers. In addition, they
can have their name, logo or another identifier
affixed via hot stamping or compression moulding.
Depending on the cut, the final product can also
feature a label holder.
SSI Schaefer Cut & Weld containers are
made-to-measure for each customer.
Standard containers are cut, and their
parts welded, to create a tailored and
exceptionally cost-efficient solution.
Cost efficient – Because Cut & Weld containers
are long-lasting and made from standard products, they offer customers an excellent, costeffective solution.
Cut & Weld – The approach creates
containers that are geared
to a unique task, yet are
fully reusable. They
can be employed
for products
Using hot-plate welding,
segments from standard
sizes, and single or multiple
containers, are combined
as needed to make a new,
tailored solution.
that, because of their size, were previously
packed with the help of fixes like cardboard or foil -which are at best recyclable, but rarely re-usable.
Now these goods can be stored in robust,
long-lasting plastic containers.
21
Inside SSI Schaefer
Batch Pick’n Scan Sorter
wins intralogistics prize
Graz, Austria. A panel of scientists, industry experts and journalists from Initiative Mittelstand
(an association designed to promote SMEs) and
Huber Verlag für Neue Medien (a specialist IT
publisher), has honoured the SSI Schaefer Batch
Pick’n Scan Sorter with a special award, the
Industriepreis – for the most innovative solution
in intralogistics and production management. This
accolade recognises pioneering work on the part
of SMEs in manufacturing in German-speaking
countries.
Rainer Buchmann,
Managing Director at
SSI Schaefer, Graz,
with the award for the
intralogistics and production management
category.
Dr Willibald Günthner (member of the board of VDI-GPL), Rudolf
Keller (Managing Director, SSI Schaefer Holding), Elmar Issing
(Director, Business Solutions Group at SSI Schaefer) and Gregor
Blauermel (Managing Partner of B416 Unternehmensberatung, a
consulting company) at the award ceremony (from left).
VDI award for
3D-MATRIX Solution®
Giebelstadt, Germany. The SSI Schaefer 3D-MATRIX
Solution, a dynamic storage and picking system for containers, cartons, trays, layer trays and pallets, has received the
VDI innovation award for 2015. The accolade was presented
at the 24th German Material Flows Conference in Garching,
Germany, just north of Munich.
The Batch Pick’n Scan Sorter is a new, modular
solution that greatly enhances productivity and efficiency when receiving goods, managing returns
and sorting goods by orders or shipping destinations. Barcodes can be read automatically from
six sides, so products are quickly and accurately
identified before they are sorted – with a throughput of 4,500 items per hour.
“Conventional horizontal sorters require a lot of
room. In contrast, the Batch Pick’n Scan Sorter
makes the most of available space; empty bins
are suspended from an overhead conveyor. As a
result, the solution reliably captures product information and sorts items, including very small
SKUs, with a much smaller footprint than other
sorter systems,” explains Rainer Buchmann, Managing Director at SSI Schaefer, Graz.
By winning the prize, SSI Schaefer has also been
placed on a list of best manufacturers for 2015
(INDUSTRIE-Bestenliste 2015).
22
The award from the VDI (German Association of Engineers)
honours new logistics developments that streamline completion of complex orders and excel in terms of reliability
and availability. “The judges selected SSI Schaefer’s entry
as the most innovative solution with key benefits for logistics,” emphasised panel chair Dr Willibald Günthner during
his prize-giving speech. Dr Günthner is a professor at TUM
(Technical University of Munich), and a member of the board
of the VDI Society for Production and Logistics (VDI-GPL).
The SSI Schaefer 3D-MATRIX Solution revolutionises warehouse organisation by introducing an additional dimension.
Machines transferring, putting away and retrieving goods
operate independently and simultaneously in the x, y and z
axes. This technology enables access to every item in storage, at any time, without compromising performance. This
means putaway, picking, staging and sequencing tasks can
be performed by a single system.
Rudolf Keller, Managing Director, SSI Schaefer Holding,
and Elmar Issing, Director, Business Solutions Group at
SSI Schaefer, accepted the award.
Inside SSI Schaefer
Supply Chain Day at
SSI Schaefer a resounding
success
Visitors got up close and personal with
logistics at SSI Schaefer’s sites in Betzdorf,
Bremen, Burbach, Dortmund and Giebelstadt, Germany.
Some people may think logistics is a niche topic
of little interest to the general public – but they
should think again. Because large numbers of
logistics fans, experts, school pupils, students,
graduates, former and current employees, and
their friends and neighbours took part in Supply
Chain Day at SSI Schaefer. Five German sites
opened their doors, inviting guests to tour warehouses, visit the technology centre, listen to experts’ presentations and explore the worlds of
logistics and storage, plus learn about career and
training opportunities in the field.
300 visitors to our logistics centres alone,” said
Klaus Loerzer, Managing Director, SSI Schaefer
Dienstleistung. “We were delighted to see such
a good turnout and large interest in our industry.”
Visitors to Burbach and Betzdorf
gained insight into
entire logistics
processes – from
order intake to
ready-to-ship
goods.
Andreas Oy, Global Sales Manager, and Toralf
Langner, Sales Manager for Standard and Catalogue Business, both at SSI Schaefer, are members of their local German Logistics Association
(BVL). In collaboration with the organisation, Oy
and Langner were responsible for arranging the
events at SSI Schaefer. “The response was so positive,” explains Langner, “that we plan to make our
The event aimed to increase public awareness Supply Chain Day a firm fixture on SSI Schaefer’s
and interest in the topic of logistics and present calendar of BVL events and activities.”
SSI Schaefer as an attractive, modern employer.
“Supply Chain Day was a resounding success, with
At the SSI Schaefer technology centre in Giebelstadt, guests experienced fully automated
picking solutions, ergonomic workstations
and warehouse systems in action.
23
Increase warehouse efficiency
with the right software
At SSI Schaefer, over 700 IT specialists combine their skills to analyse and
streamline your warehouse processes. For both existing and future storage
systems, functionality-rich solutions are available that can be seamlessly integrated
with your intralogistics hardware. Our WAMAS® software and SAP logistics modules
control, enhance and monitor storage facilities in many industries.
About update
Published by (responsible for content): SSI SCHÄFER / FRITZ SCHÄFER GMBH • Fritz-Schäfer-Strasse 20 · 57290 Neunkirchen/Germany
Public Relations / editorial team: Angelina Kuhn – email [email protected]
www.ssi-schaefer.com
SSI SCHAEFER LTD.
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update en/uk 0831-092015-w 16/112015 Printed in Germany by Griebsch & Rochol • © SSI SCHÄFER • Products featured in articles may be subject to change and technical modification. Errors and omissions excepted.