The Solution
One thing was clear for VOG from the very beginning: an off-the-shelf logistics solution was completely out of the question. The new processes had to be smoothly interlinked with the existing structures at the company location in Linz and had to be adapted optimally to the needs of the wholesaler.
No problem for SSI SCHAEFER!
In 2023, after just two years of project duration, a customized future-proof concept was realized with the construction of a manual warehouse and an automated pallet high bay warehouse.
Apart from the 7,500 storage locations in the manual warehouse, the new, fully automated pallet high bay warehouse constitutes a real capacity upgrade: It provides space for a total of 11,000 pallets with double-deep storage and allows for a top performance even during peak times with four energy-efficient SSI Exyz storage-retrieval machines. As requested, the automated warehouse was connected to a dispatch building and to an existing hall by means of a bidirectional conveying system, which ensures that goods can be flexibly moved into and out of the warehouse.
VOG's entry into automation turned out to be a success, not least due to the smart logistics software WAMAS. The material flow system WAMAS MFS controls and optimizes all processes in real-time alignment with WAMAS WCS, which assigns orders to available capacities in conveying systems and picking. This way, the system can handle up to 180 pallets per hour, far exceeding VOG's original requirements. It achieves an extremely high level of performance that the wholesaler can rely on even in the future, thanks to preventive maintenance and augmented support by SSI Schaefer.