To manage the products in the 138 markets where Thule operates today, the company has chosen Mecalux as its partner. The new building measures 135 meters in length and 51 meters in width. Within the walls, six automated stacking cranes will lift and move the up to 40,000 pallets that the facility can accommodate.
Paweł Pępiak is Head of the Distribution Center for Europe and the Rest of the World. He explains that the primary purpose of the construction is to speed up the flow and optimize the available space.
Our goals are to increase throughput, utilize our storage space and ensure product traceability, he says, continuing:
Automation will improve cost-effectiveness and streamline processes, allowing us to deliver good service and increase customer satisfaction.
Monorail System in the Floor
The logistics property itself is equipped with a system that controls both temperature and humidity. To physically connect the new automated section with the already existing manual warehouse and production hall, a track system and a pallet lift are installed.
On the floor of the facility, an electric monorail system will move. The machine's task will be to pick up the pallets at goods reception and transport them directly into the automated warehouse. The same system also runs the goods out of the storage space to one of the 16 channels at the loading dock when the goods are to be shipped on to the customer.
The entire logistics machinery is controlled by the Easy WMS software. The system calculates where each specific product should be placed based on which category it belongs to and how quickly it is turned over. The software also handles order picking and ensures that the products are traceable.
Digitization and the new machines are ultimately intended to reduce the number of manual lifts, increase safety for personnel and ensure that logistics can meet future needs.