Moselland has a fully automatic "wine rack" in its cellar
With exports accounting for over 50% of sales, the Winzergenossenschaft Moselland eG cooperative with its HQ at Bernkastel-Kues is not only the largest wine producer in Rhineland-Palatinate but also the largest exporter of wine in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region. Its focus on the Riesling grape, which represents 50% of its business, makes it the largest producer of Riesling in the world.
But specialisation does not preclude variety: besides Riesling, the concern also grows Elbling, Rivaner, Silvaner, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris as well as Dornfelder and Pinot Noir. Up to 200 different wines from this cooperative are available on the market, and numerous national and international awards are proof of their excellence.
By the end of the 1990s, the steady growth enjoyed by the company meant that it had outgrown its existing storage capacities. An additional storage facility was available in the shape of the 2300 m² cellar, which is located directly underneath the bottling and dispatch areas and had been used to store wine in tanks until the 1980s.
Branch-specific requirements
With the objective of ensuring optimum space usage that would also cater for future needs, Moselland opted to invest in a fully automatic Satellite® storage system. Fully automatic operation was also the criterion for the materials handling technology, which was to transport the goods carriers from the storage system in the cellar to the production facility one floor up and to dispatch.
This made special demands on the computerised inventory management system. This was to be tailored to the specific needs of winegrowing and guarantee simple operation. In addition, it was also expected to additionally manage an existing block storage facility.
Flexible storage concept
Today, 6100 wine and empty glass pallets are stored in the cooperative's 2300 m² cellar 10 m in height. The high-density Satellite® storage system consists of blocks of different depths, which are served by two storage and retrieval vehicle (SRVs). In each block, storage and retrieval is performed on four storage levels and in 47 storage rows.
Westfalia's design included variable channel depths, which provide for 4 - 11 pallet positions. The centre block, which is served by both SRVs, can accommodate up to 19 pallets stored in one channel one after the other. The differing channel depths allow the wine pallets to be stored in line with the needs of production according to bottling sizes (batch size).
The finished product is stored on Euro pallets for transport within Germany and on industrial pallets for export. All channels are therefore designed to accommodate both types of pallet. This provides for greater flexibility when managing storage positions, giving consideration to both the bottling volume and destination.
Multi-level flow of materials
A roller chain conveyor is used to transport pallets loaded with wine from the bottling area to the warehouse entrance. Two vertical conveyors link the ground floor and the cellar. The goods carriers arriving in the cellar are transferred to a roller chain queuing conveyor by the vertical conveyor. This transports the pallet of wine to the transfer point, where it is taken over by the storage and retrieval vehicle.
The SRV then stores the finished product as double loads and removes a goods carrier with empty bottles. The retrieved pallets with empty bottles are transported to the production facility by a vertical conveyor and via the linking queuing conveyor route. The warehouse and dispatch area are linked by a roller chain queuing conveyor approx. 80 m in length. It transports the retrieved pallets of wine directly to the dispatch area or supplies the order picking zone.
Challenge for the fitters
One special challenge was installation of the two vertical conveyors as they extend 3 m beyond the cellar ceiling. After weighing up all options and taking the cost‑benefit factor into account, the designers at Westfalia Storage Systems decided to take the equipment apart. After positioning the vertical conveyors, the equipment parts were securely reconnected using a specially developed system.
Individual inventory management software
The inventory management software has been adapted to the specific needs of a wine-grower: every pallet is automatically assigned data such as the article number, company number and official control number via the filling jobs and/or the goods forecast, so that storage is initiated for each production line at the touch of a button on an IR remote control.
Every pallet is also provided with an identification number via an automatic labelling system, which allows pallets to be traced at all times. On storage, the identification number is automatically transmitted to the inventory management system via stationary scanners. Every pallet is assigned a 36-position article number which includes the official control number as well as the wine number. As inputting the complete article number would slow down searches for items, a special fuzzy logic was developed for Moselland.
To find an article, it is only necessary to enter part of the article number. Whenever a combination of figures frequently recurs, the program lists all possible articles, and the user selects the item required. The warehouse management computer of the high-density Satellite storage system is also used to manage the stocks of the old block storage facility and the order picking zone. Consolidation of the data means an overview of all stocks is available at any time.
Integrated emergency strategy
To ensure that all products are constantly available, Westfalia has developed an emergency strategy for the warehouse: if a storage and retrieval vehicle is temporarily unavailable due to maintenance or an error message, the other SRV can move all pallets in the centre block. This means up to 5640 pallets can be accessed by this storage and retrieval vehicle. All incoming stock orders are checked by the warehouse management computer and then routed to the active SRV.
If the disabled storage/retrieval vehicle is re-activated, automatic data matching of the position and number of pallets is performed. Implementation of this strategy is of interest due to the approach depth of 16 m for the Satellite® when entering the storage channel and the versatile interaction between the inventory management system and the system control of the SRV.
These are the highlights:
- Maximum space usage in cellar due to high-density Satellite® storage system
- Optimised efficiency of entire logistics system thanks to multi-level materials handling technology
- Reduction in staffing and forklift costs as well as reliable goods transport through full automation
- Complete transparency, high flexibility and simple operation due to inventory management software specially adapted for Moselland
- Permanent supply availability of goods stored in centre block thanks to integrated emergency strategy
