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800 visitors at the test camp
Many participants of the test camp also took the opportunity to attend the 33rd Material Flow Congress – held for the first time in Dortmund – under the direction of Professor Johannes Fottner. A total of around 800 visitors came to Dortmund's Westfalenhalle to view approximately 100 innovations.
With my back against the wall
The shift to rail freight through the Alps has suffered significant setbacks recently. According to BLS Cargo, the main culprits are the dilapidated German infrastructure and the numerous line closures and construction sites along the north-south corridor. This is also impacting personnel policies.
Kion and Siemens together in a parallel universe
Kion will be the first company in Europe to use Siemens' new simulation software " Digital Twin Composer " , thereby also seeking a degree of independence from the US market, where NVIDIA has so far been the dominant solution for merging the digital and real worlds in smart warehouses.
Columbus's "egg"
Now Linde MH also offers an expanded series with an integrated lithium-ion battery: The major advantage, according to the manufacturer, is the increased space in the driver's cab, which is up to 35 percent above the industry average, and the fact that the footwell has grown significantly with the elimination of the traditional battery compartment.
“Best of Intralogistics” in the test camp
As part of the Test Camp Intralogistics and the International Intralogistics and Forklift of the Year (IFOY) Award, the preliminary certificates for 2026 were presented in Dortmund by Jan Drömer, Chairman of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Section, to the 17 nominees who will now go into the final round.
SVTL meets in a historic setting
The general assembly of the Swiss Association for Temperature-Controlled Logistics will take place on May 8th Lenzburg Castle and , in addition to the usual agenda items, personnel management, modern advertising for skilled workers on social media and the question of whether humanoid robots will one day be helpful .
MAGA in the approach path
German technology remains highly regarded when it comes to rapid material handling, the elimination of weaknesses, and service quality. Following successful projects in Oklahoma and Texas, the steel trader " Steel and Pipe Supply " (SPS) in Kansas City once again relied on Kasto saws and storage systems.
Rent warehouse equipment instead of buying it
Bito is launching an offensive with an economical alternative for companies that want to re-equip, expand, or temporarily supplement their warehouse and production areas, but don't want to tie up their capital long-term: renting instead of buying is the motto. The advantages – especially in " dynamic times " – are obvious.
«Kanpai» with sake on the pharmaceutical chain
Logistics provider Yusen is presenting an expanded global platform for the healthcare sector at LogiPharma in Vienna, where companies such as Novartis, Bayer, Takeda, and hospital supplier UCB are currently participating. The platform focuses on the professional delivery of specialized healthcare solutions.
Streamlined logistics
Coop's own rail connection for urban logistics in Zurich, streamlined logistics vehicles and the outsourcing of all operating room logistics in a cooperation between the Seeschau Clinic and the Swiss Post are the projects that are entering the final sprint for this year's Swiss Logistics Award from GS1.
Smart technology for fast-moving products
Smart technology for fast-moving products
The logistics provider Koch, having already installed a high-bay warehouse with 36,000 pallet spaces, also wanted to automate its storage area for fast-moving goods. Still supplied five EVX iGo and three MX-X iGo forklifts, which can be supplemented by manual and automated forklifts as needed during peak periods.
Today, five automated EXV iGo high-lift pallet trucks transport the fast-moving items in a double-loading pattern from goods receiving to the separate high-bay warehouse. There, three automated MX-X iGo narrow-aisle forklifts take over the pallets.
Flexibly add
Instead of a permanently installed conveyor system that takes up valuable space, the logistics service provider can react quickly and flexibly to order peaks or changing markets with additional manual and automated industrial trucks.
Photos (all): G. Knehr
International's automated warehouse in Bramsche-Engter, northern Germany, currently boasts 98 percent availability international freight forwarding company GmbH & Co KG, headquartered in Osnabrück, employs more than 850 people at 14 logistics locations.
Diversity is the name of the game
Founded in 1900 as a transport company , the owner-managed family business is today one of the most versatile logistics companies in Germany, offering everything from national general cargo transport and European transport to sea and air freight and complete warehouse logistics.
iGo pilot navigation
More urgently than ever, digitalization, flexibility, availability, and intelligent warehouse management systems are also high on the agenda here. Since no two warehouses are alike, a smart warehouse concept makes optimal use of the available space to enable easy access to goods and transparent inventory management at all times. To achieve a high degree of flexibility in warehousing, the logistics center is divided into automated, semi-automated, and manual storage areas.
Reliably supported
For fast-moving A-grade goods, an automated storage area with 18,900 pallet spaces was set up using AGVs. Patrick Leue, Head of Contract Logistics at Koch International, emphasizes: “ Still provided us with reliable and dedicated support from the planning stage to the commissioning of the entire intralogistics system. Together, we were able to put the automated warehouse into operation after just one year. ”
Christian Riebesehl, Still Project Manager and Intralogistics Operation Manager: “ During normal operation, approximately 24 trucks are loaded and unloaded daily. Due to the high dynamics of goods handling, we have designed our intralogistics solutions for a maximum throughput of approximately 38 pallets per hour in double-loading mode. ”
High dynamics
To record the external dimensions and weight for optimized storage space, the AGVs first transport the pallets in goods receiving to the two contour inspection stations. This results in a combined throughput of 15 pallets per hour in goods receiving and 23 pallets per hour in shipping.
Riebesehl: “ Initially, we designed the transport system with AGVs as a taxi system: Koch would have had to coordinate all transport orders himself in the ERP system without background knowledge of the warehouse processes and would have used our AGVs merely as ‘taxis’. ” However, the control system knows all relevant data and coordinates of the AGVs and also knows which contour control station is currently free and which storage location needs to be addressed.
Black-box algorithm
“ To relieve Koch of the burden of handling transport orders, we consolidated all transport data traffic in a black-box algorithm: Koch now only submits the transport orders to our AGV control system, which then manages all related processes in the warehouse ” emphasizes the STILL project manager. Patrick Leue from Koch adds: “ The high process reliability of the automated transports also minimizes damage to our goods. ”
Another storage area with 9,800 pallet positions for goods with overhangs – such as bagged goods or slower-moving B and C consumer goods – which cannot be stored automatically, is also operated with semi-automated MX-X narrow-aisle forklifts. The narrow aisles maximize storage volume. During process-optimized racking, the " iGo pilot navigation " precisely determines the fastest route to the correct pallet position – simply at the touch of a button and regardless of the driver's experience or knowledge.
Manual for heavy consumer goods
A wide-aisle warehouse with an additional 7,400 storage locations for bulky and heavy consumer goods completes the overall warehouse concept. This warehouse houses, among other things, liquid detergents and cleaning agents in IBC containers and heavy big bags, which can be easily maneuvered with FM-X reach trucks. " Contract logistics frequently experiences peak order volumes. The new warehouse is designed for a daily throughput of 1,500 pallets. We can move 800 of these pallets automatically. This corresponds to a throughput of up to 45 trucks per day. Furthermore, the product range at the new location changes approximately three times a year. Therefore, the quality and reliability of the material handling equipment played a significant role in our decision to choose Still " emphasizes Patrick Leue.
Further optimizations are already being planned using the analysis tool " iGo insights " This cloud-based tool is currently being tested by Koch International. It is directly linked to the transport control system and derives concrete recommendations for action from the collected process information. Patrick Leue emphasizes: " The collaborative partnership with Still is always goal-oriented. All contacts are motivated and highly committed. "
