Spaichingen/ Borgholzhausen, July 2, 2024 - Founded in 1984, the family-run company Heppler GmbH CNC-Technik stands for high-quality and sophisticated CNC precision parts. At the headquarters in Spaichingen, Germany and at the two German branches in Herrenberg and Bergkirchen, precise quality components are produced on CNC machine tools - precisely manufactured workpieces for individual requirements and complex shapes as well as pre-assembled assemblies.
Since March 2024, the East Westphalian intralogistics specialist Westfalia Technologies GmbH & Co. KG has also been automating complex tasks in the intralogistics of the machine tool specialist with around 350 employees, which manufactures for well-known companies in the sensor technology, mechanical engineering, hydraulics, pneumatics and electrical industries. Using state-of-the-art equipment, Heppler not only implements ideas in medium batch sizes, but also stores them precisely and fully automatically.
Westfalia has implemented a single-deep automated telescopic fork warehouse with 637 storage locations in a new hall at its headquarters in Spaichingen, which both expands production and houses the company's internal logistics. In this case, the focus is not on additional space requirements, but on optimizing the storage, picking and dispatch processes.
Compact storage system for Euro pallets and pallet cages
Since March 2024, a very compact, approx. 8-meter-high storage and retrieval machine (SRM) with low approach dimensions and maximum energy efficiency has been operating a single-deep, just 61-meter-long, 4.2-meter-wide and 8.9-meter-high warehouse for Euro pallets and mesh boxes using fast, precise telescopic forks. The system is also supplemented by adjacent conveyor technology and picking stations.
"The shelf grid of the high-bay warehouse is designed for different load units and heights," says Westfalia project manager Frank Ratert. "The logistical tasks of this automated warehouse: combined storage location management in the automated and manual warehouse of the new logistics hall, precise and seamlessly traceable inventory management of all warehouses, material flow control in the Westfalia conveyor technology and control of order picking."
The load units weighing up to 1.2 tons on Euro pallets and pallet cages are stored, managed and controlled via TERRA workstations from the WORTMANN group of companies and the Savanna.NET® all-in-one intralogistics software developed by Westfalia. The Warehouse Execution System (WES) combines the functions of a Warehouse Management System (WMS) and a Material Flow Controller (MFC).
"Pick-by-Light" accelerates order picking
The two picking stations of the storage system are equipped with lifting tables and lighting for load units - "pick-by-light" for short. "The system marks the goods to be picked with a light spot," explains Ratert. "The laser marks the load unit quadrant from which the employees remove the goods at the picking station." Open pallets are then put back into the system. This assistance system prevents picking and booking errors. Stocks are seamlessly recorded and tracked.
Digitalization streamlines warehouse processes
"No removal without booking," says Moritz Lange from Sales at Westfalia Technologies GmbH, summarizing a key advantage. "Previously, it could happen that workpieces were removed - for example for quality control, to measure them or to demonstrate them to a customer - and then not put back in the right place or booked."
"If the recorded stock does not correspond to the actual stock, in the worst-case scenario this can mean that a workpiece cannot be found in time or that a stock shortage only becomes apparent during picking and packing. Individual workpieces are then reproduced in small batches at higher cost. Deliveries have to be split into partial deliveries and may be delayed. Automation eliminates such process errors. This should further improve delivery reliability and on-time delivery in the future." The bottom line is that automation reduces the workload on personnel and ensures process reliability.
Flexible warehouse execution system for multi-pallets
"The single-deep warehouse is very straightforward to implement logistically on the software side. This is because the storage and retrieval machine can access any storage location, which means - unlike in deep storage channels - it can access any load unit at any time," says software project manager Ulrich Middendorf, describing the special features of the project for the Heppler Group. "Unlike in our compact warehouses with Satellite® technology, no special storage or sequencing strategies are required for route provision. This telescopic warehouse is particularly small by Westfalia standards. Another special feature is that Savanna® is very finely tuned to order picking. Our Warehouse Execution System can be adapted particularly well to individual customer requirements and IT environments thanks to its flexibility and open interfaces via the universal TCP/IP protocol."
Savanna.NET® uses "Pick-by-Light" in the warehouse system for Heppler GmbH for both picking and dispatching: "In this case, our software is designed for multi-pallets," explains Ulrich Middendorf. "In the system, there are complete load units with Euro pallets or mesh boxes and special pallets that can hold up to eight towers of plastic boxes. Operators have to load these multiple pallets, remove parts, rearrange pallets or divide an article tower on a pallet into several towers for reasons of packing stability - and record all of this correctly in the system."
For this purpose, a goods receipt with a barcode is scanned by a radio scanner during dispatch. An accompanying label with a corresponding QR code is then printed out for each item tower and attached to each item tower. This QR code saves paper. Instead of creating a consignment bill for every stock change, every change is recorded digitally. A label with a pallet ID is created and attached for the entire pallet during the booking process. A light spot indicates the pallet quadrant in which goods are to be stored, relocated or removed, both when goods are placed and when partial pallets are picked and then put back into storage. When goods are removed from storage, the removal is confirmed on the screen with a button, the original pallet moves back and the ordered and requested items are added to the customer order.
Complex order picking partially automated
"This principle allows us to book all load units to the exact piece. From standard order picking to special cases, such as when full pallets with a single or many similar items are sent out to customers. Or when a partial pallet has to be reorganized by filling up or merging various towers of other pallets. Or, a third special case, if, for example, a single remaining tower of articles is to be distributed statically more favorably over the entire pallet. If the distribution on a load carrier changes, new goods accompanying labels are printed and attached to the updated stock using a scanner." Every stock change is thus seamlessly recorded.
According to Middendorf, the software therefore enables item-specific picking and management of multi-pallets. In addition to the software and the workstations, Westfalia supplies the corresponding peripherals including radio scanners, pick-by-light, label printers and several info displays.
"All processes are digitized. The employee is guided through the entire process so that there are no more booking or picking errors. Goods can only be picked once they have been correctly booked into the system. This increases process reliability and reduces the overall administrative effort and associated costs," explains Moritz Lange. "At our customer Heppler, automation is clearly focused on process automation. Even if there was sufficient storage space available and the previous intralogistics throughput was sufficient, automation has decisive advantages - even with just a few 100 storage locations. The faster throughput and additional storage space are welcome side effects."
The Westfalia system also automates and speeds up the search for a suitable storage location. In addition to the robust and reliable Westfalia storage technology, multiple checks at control stations and on the load handling device of the storage and retrieval unit ensure that the system runs smoothly. Incorrectly packed load units are ejected before storage in order to rectify packing errors. The WES operator can always keep an eye on the position and status of each load unit.
As general contractor and manufacturer of key components, Westfalia supplies the racking, the SRM and the conveyor technology including PLC, the IT infrastructure from WORTMANN and the warehouse execution system developed in-house. A future expansion of both the system and the software is possible at any time. The implementation has been running since October 2023 and the warehouse system was successfully put into operation in March 2024.
For Patrick Heppler from the Heppler Group, warehouse automation is a further step in the success story of the family-run company for CNC precision parts: "The cooperation with Westfalia Technologies during the system introduction was very good, everything worked smoothly. Our new Westfalia storage system leaves nothing to be desired and is very user friendly."
