Turbocharged manufacturing
The logistics center is equipped with the “Multi Shuttle” storage system from manufacturer Dematic. Overall, the 80-meter long, 20-meter wide and 21-meter high building complex provides 62,000 container storage spaces – divided over five lanes of 28 levels each. The system can transport the majority of the containers from the warehouse directly to the assembly line via a roller transport system. The transport system, which is around three kilometers long, can handle up to 1,500 movements per hour of goods into and out of storage. Around 190 different types of containers can be transported at speeds of up to 0.8 meters per second. The two existing high-bay shelving systems are also connected, along with the automated small parts warehouse, the quality area, module production, the empty container cellar and the goods receipt area. “We are saving a huge amount of space on the assembly line with the system, since it delivers the required parts on a fully automated basis and as-needed” says Hauptmann.

Optimal use of space
All production space at the Wieselburg ZKW location is already being utilized. At the same time, there are an increasing number of components and variants, taking up more and more space each year. The new logistics center not only expands storage capacity, but also makes it possible to convert former storage space into production areas. The project was planned in January 2019 by ZKW and Dematic. Regional companies handled the construction and infrastructure. The tight timeline was challenging, as was the process to connect the logistics center to the production plant. This challenge was overcome by a seven meter high bridge over the Erlauftal railway. Due to the limited space available in the production warehouses, a 100-meter long exterior tunnel was constructed to ensure the supply of materials for the entire plant. “The goal is to transport the majority of containers from the warehouse directly to the assembly line via the transport system in the future” says Hauptmann.