Success thanks to innovative ideas for service
Forwarders are not just facing increasingly fierce competition due to the growing number of East European trucking companies. In terms of costs, factors such as the rise in energy prices have reduced the profits required by these firms even further. The introduction of tolls in 2005 paved the way for further cost increases as already announced.
In order to offset the downturn in market conditions with innovation, successful companies in this sector have carved out a name for themselves by specific realignment, so improving their position in the market. One such successful company is DOLD with its HQ in Buchenbach.
The most recent example of Dold's innovative ideas is a field trial with biodiesel. When the final results of the oil analyses become available shortly, Dold will decide whether to use biodiesel instead of conventional fuel for all trucks in the future, including those in Alzey. Given the 140,000 litres of fuel consumed each month by Dold's HGVs, this will make itself felt at a financial level. Most truck tanks have a capacity of 600 litres according to Dold. Yet another further advantage is that the price of biodiesel is not affected by day-to-day fluctuations.
The fleet based at the Buchenbach site contains over 14 trucks, and at Alzey (Rhine-Hesse) another 37 vehicles are used for everyday operations. While Buchenbach concentrates on the transport of timber, the business in Alzey is geared to the activities of the paper trade. At this site, Dold is responsible among other things for transporting packaging materials for the company THIMM.
Existing situation and expectations on new transport technology
Where Alzey had previously made use of conventional pallet loading onto standard trucks via forklifts, the company hoped that the new automated transport system and new warehouse would bring about major cost reductions while improving safety and quality in the fields of transport and storage.
Problem
To deal with these tasks Dold called on the expertise of Westfalia Storage and Loading Systems.
Scope of supply
Westfalia Storage Systems was asked to supply a high-density satellite® storage system, constructing a new building measuring 77 m in length x 18 m in width x 12.5 m in height.
The structure was designed as 2 storage blocks, with 5 levels and 52 channels. The depth of the channels varied between 5 and 9 pallets one after the other, with the articles and their high turnover speed acting as the decisive criteria. At Dold in Alzey both Euro pallets (1200 x 800 mm) and industrial pallets (1200 x 1000 mm) are used for warehousing. The calculated storage capacity is 4,375 pallet positions.
Under this contract, Westfalia supplied the racking, storage and retrieval vehicles (SRVs) as well as the feed and removal materials handling technology, incl. the double-pallet transverse transport vehicle (TTV). Westfalia's software skills were a decisive factor for ordering the standard 2004 software package. At the customer's request, a special solution for printing the bar code labels was provided to obtain the necessary data for storage and retrieval. This information includes the article number, number of containers, number of pallets and use-by date printed on the label. Data tracking already starts after the transverse transport vehicle as both sides of the belt feeder are equipped with two scanners which are designed to read labels even at large reading distances.
The contract awarded to Westfalia not only included the warehouse but also another key component, a 2-axle SpeedLoader as a semi-trailer and two automatic loading systems. This project was undertaken by Westfalia Loading Systems. The exact specification for this subcontract ran as follows:
- 1 SpeedLoader mobile (conveyor belt system)
- 2 SpeedLoaders stationary (conveyor belt system level with floor of hall)
- 1 automatic alignment station (loading)
Pallet feed for conventional loading from warehouse via 8 gravity tracks for provision of pallets ready for dispatch in the order of 2 truckloads (in total 52 or 64 pallets).
Commissioning
Westfalia's staff knuckled down to work on the installation of the SpeedLoaders and the warehouse in May and November 2003 and ended their work when commissioning took place in January 2004.
Integrated logistics
The mobile SpeedLoader with conveyor belt system, a 2-axle box-type vehicle measuring 13,620 mm in length, 2,550 mm in width and 4,000 mm in height, handles the shuttle traffic over the 0.5 km route between THIMM's production facility and DOLD's warehouse. It is used to transport most of the items produced, with the exception of special dimensions and direct deliveries for bulk buyers.
This vehicle can either transport these packaging materials (cardboard) with max. 32 Euro pallets (800 x 1200 mm) or 26 industrial pallets (1000 x 1200 mm) up to a maximum payload of 21,000 kg.
At the warehouse two automatic TBS systems are installed side by side at floor level for unloading. They act as the interface to the Westfalia Satellite high-density storage system: the incoming pallets are automatically unloaded by the SpeedLoader and passed to the warehouse by the materials handling equipment. This process is performed by the double-pallet transverse transport vehicle with lifting table. After the goods have been sorted, the pallets are automatically stored in the new high-bay warehouse.
This process is performed in reverse order to retrieve pallets. Gravity tracks or the conveyor belt system are used to transport pallets earmarked for retrieval to the dispatch zone. With the stationary SpeedLoader pallets are automatically conveyed onto the mobile SpeedLoader.
Performance data at the warehouse
Although Dold operates in 3 shifts around the clock, and the target performance of the Satellite has been set at 58 pallets/h, Westfalia's design for the automatic warehouse only provided for one storage and retrieval vehicle. This had however to be especially quick to cope with warehousing requirements: With a travelling speed of 200 m/min and a lifting speed of 90 m/min it is ideally equipped to do its job.
To make sure that the Satellite does not become a bottleneck, it was designed with a travelling speed of 90 m/min. This capacity is provided by the units with loading weights ranging between 200 and 1000 kg per pallet.
Special feature
The automatic pallet orientation system is a special design to make up for any misalignment of the goods on the pallet – within defined limits. However, if the load is completely out of position, this system will be unable to restore a tolerable state.
Service
As the scope of supply of WESTFALIA STORAGE SYSTEMS (high-bay warehouse, transverse transport vehicle etc.) is covered by a service contract, a maintenance contract should also be concluded for the SpeedLoaders and alignment station of WESTFALIA LOADING SYSTEMS.
Summary
By investing in the automatic Satellite high-density storage system at Alzey, Dold has succeeded in consistent realignment of its logistics. This allows the company to increase its storage capacity. Networking production with the automatic high-bay warehouse by a shuttle service and integrating automatic loading and unloading with the SpeedLoader result in fast response times between the producer and the logistics service provider. This allows Dold to offer the customer an attractive service catering for his interests.
