Smart goods transport in a dynamic logistics centre

Logistics service provider Koch International commissioned STILL to install a high-bay racking facility for 36,000 pallets including industrial trucks at its warehouse in Bramsche-Engter, near Osnabrück in Northwest Germany. Due to the shortage of skilled workers, Koch is one of many companies with a growing need for automation solutions that can be scaled and implemented quickly. In the second phase of the project, the warehouse area has now been automated for fast-moving goods. Five automated EXV iGo high-lift pallet trucks are now being used to transport fast-moving goods in a double cycle from the incoming goods area to a separate high-bay warehouse. The pallets are then collected by three automated MX-X iGo very narrow aisle trucks. Instead of using a permanently installed conveyor system, which would take up valuable space, the logistics service provider can respond quickly and flexibly in the event of order peaks or fluctuating market conditions by using additional manual and automated industrial trucks.

Koch International

Heinrich Koch Internationale Spedition GmbH & Co KG, based in Osnabrück, has more than 850 employees at 14 logistics locations. Founded in 1900 as a haulage business, the family-owned and operated business is now one of Germany’s most versatile logistics companies. Koch International develops custom transport and logistics concepts for its customers in a wide range of sectors: its solutions range from countrywide transportation of individual items and European transport, to ocean and air freight, through to complete warehouse logistics. 

Smart intralogistics at the new Bramsche-Engter warehouse

The range of goods handled in the new warehouse consists of consumer goods for the food industry and the cleaning and detergent industry and is therefore suitable for standardised storage using Euro and industrial pallets. The sustainable building provides ample space for healthy growth, covering an area of 20,000 square metres with 36,000 pallet storage locations and modern office and social spaces. 
Digitalisation, flexibility, availability and intelligent warehouse management are higher on the agenda than ever for many companies, and Koch International is no exception. As no two warehouses are the same, a smart warehouse concept makes optimal use of the existing space to enable easy access to goods and transparent stocktaking at all times – an important prerequisite for maximum handling capacity and productivity. To achieve a high level of storage flexibility, the logistics centre is divided into an automated, semi-automated and manual warehouse area.

Tailored automation for fast-moving goods

An automated warehouse area with AGVs, containing 18,900 pallet storage places, has been set up for fast-moving “A” goods. Patrick Leue, Head of Contract Logistics at Koch International, emphasises: “STILL has always given us their unwavering support and commitment, from planning right through to commissioning of the overall intralogistics system. The close cooperation with STILL as well as their wealth of experience allowed us to commission the automated warehousing system in just one year.” Christian Riebesehl, STILL Project Manager and Operations Manager Intralogistics Solutions, adds: “During regular operating hours, around 24 lorries are loaded and unloaded every day. Due to the highly dynamic nature of goods handling, we have designed our intralogistics solutions for a maximum throughput of around 38 pallets per hour in a double cycle."
To determine the external dimensions and weight for optimal storage, the AGVs first transport the pallets to the two contour checking stations in the incoming goods area. This enables the combined handling of 15 pallets per hour in incoming goods and 23 pallets per hour in outgoing goods. 
Turnkey process automations are successfully implemented and commissioned thanks to the Hamburg intralogistics provider’s extensive experience and the proven capabilities of its industrial trucks, as well as its ability to tailor its solutions to requirements on site. Christian Riebesehl explains: “We initially conceived the transport system with AGVs as a taxi system: This would have meant that Koch would have to coordinate all transport orders in the inventory management system without any background knowledge of the processes in the warehouse and use our AGVs solely as ‘taxis’.” But the STILL control system knows all the relevant data and coordinates of the AGVs as well as which contour checking station is currently free and which storage location it needs to travel to. “To make it easier for Koch to handle the transport orders, we consolidated all the relevant data traffic into a black-box algorithm: Koch only needs to send the transport orders to our AGV control system, which then manages all the relevant processes in the warehouse,” the STILL Project Manager continues. Patrick Leue from Koch adds: “Thanks to the high process reliability of the automated transports, damage to our goods is also kept to a minimum.“

Semi-automated storage area for slow-moving goods

An additional storage area with 9,800 storage places for goods that overhang – such as bagged goods or slower-moving “B” and “C” consumer goods – which cannot be stored automatically, is operated with semi-automated MX-X very narrow aisle trucks. The use of narrow aisles maximises the storage volume. The iGo pilot navigation assistance system ensures process-optimised racking by accurately determining the fastest route to the appropriate pallet storage location – all with just the push of a button and regardless of the driver’s level of experience or knowledge.

Manual storage area for bulky and heavy consumer goods

The wide-aisle warehouse with a further 7,400 storage locations for bulky and heavy consumer goods is the final part of the entire warehouse concept. As well as other goods, this is where liquid detergents and cleaning agents in IBC containers and heavy Big Bags are stored, which can be effortlessly manoeuvred using FM-X reach trucks. “Order peaks are a common occurrence in contract logistics. The new warehouse is designed to handle a peak daily throughput of 1,500 pallets. Of this capacity, 800 pallets can be moved automatically. This corresponds to a goods turnover of up to 45 lorries per day. In addition, the range of goods changes around three times a year at the new site. The quality and reliability of the industrial trucks also played a significant role in our decision to work with STILL,” emphasizes Patrick Leue from Koch.

Summary

The automation of transport processes is, in many respects, the key to economically successful intralogistics. When increased order volumes lead to delivery delays, storage capacities reach their limits or a lack of qualified workers negatively affects productivity, automation provides more potential for optimisation than any other solution. At Koch International, availability in the automated warehouse area is 98 per cent. There are already plans for further optimisations using the iGo insights analysis tool from STILL. The cloud-based tool is currently being pilot tested at Koch International. It is directly linked to the transport control system and provides specific recommendations for action based on the collected process information. Patrick Leue emphasises this point, saying: “Our partnership with STILL is always goal-oriented. All contact partners are motivated and pour a lot of heart into what they do. We will certainly need tools like this for automated operation around the clock.”