NORDWEST Builds New Central Warehouse with KNAPP Tech

NORDWEST Handel AG, a leading company in the industrial B2B sector, has chosen KNAPP to automate their new central warehouse in Alsfeld, Germany. The innovative solution includes an automated small parts warehouse, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and bespoke work stations. It will raise the efficiency and flexibility of NORDWEST’s warehouse logistics processes and is due to start operation at the end of 2026.

Cutting-edge automation solution for logistics center

NORDWEST Handel AG, an important trade association that connects manufacturers and wholesalers in the steel, construction, trades & industry and building services sectors, invested in a state-of-the-art automation solution from KNAPP for a hall in Alsfeld with a footprint of 68,000 m² (731,945 ft²). The automation concept draws from tailor-made, flexible, scalable systems that optimize operating processes and the flow of goods. Once finished, the new central warehouse will be a major node in the industrial B2B company’s goods flow in Germany and will serve as a model for sustainable logistics.

“Our new central warehouse will make us and our specialist trade partners even more competitive on the international stage. It will allow room for future growth and let us take our services on offer to the next level,” says Thorsten Sega, member of the NORDWEST Management Board responsible for the business area of logistics.

Innovative logistics processes increase efficiency and flexibility

The heart of the new automation solution is the Evo Shuttle small parts warehouse, which reaches a height of 20 meters (66 ft). There, 210 shuttles store and retrieve containers efficiently across 170,000 storage locations. Goods-to-person picking work stations of the Pick-it-Easy series, along with customized decanting and packing work stations, optimize their respective processes while making them ergonomically sound. Autonomous mobile robots, the Open Shuttles, round out the solution by connecting the small parts warehouse with the consolidation work stations and transporting goods to the right place just in time. The final touch is carton erectors at the packing stations and shipping ramps with telescoping conveyors. A material flow computer running SAP® EWM MFS by KNAPP controls the entire system.

“The new automated central warehouse will allow our partners to profit from high goods availability and even more efficient logistics processes that perfectly handle the detailed shipping structures common in our industry. Its key advantages are longer ordering windows, shorter order lead times and same-day shipping,” continues Thorsten Sega.

A historic milestone for NORDWEST and KNAPP

The order for the new central warehouse is the largest in the history of KNAPP Industry Solutions and is also the largest single investment NORDWEST has made in their over 100-year history. “We are excited to support NORDWEST in this groundbreaking project and to implement a cutting-edge automation solution together. Our technology will bring efficiency and flexibility to NORDWEST’s new logistics center and take it to a whole new level,” says Christian Brauneis, Vice President of KNAPP Industry Solutions.

Fast facts on the KNAPP tech in the NORDWEST central warehouse

• Evo Shuttle automated small parts warehouse: 210 shuttles, 170,000 storage locations for containers, triple-deep storage across six aisles
• 8 Open Shuttles for automatically transporting small parts
• 16 Pick-it-Easy work stations for efficient picking
• Tailor-made decanting and packing work stations
• Carton erectors to automate the packing process
• Shipping ramps with telescoping conveyors
• Software: SAP® EWM MFS by KNAPP for controlling processes
• Go-live planned for the end of 2026

About KNAPP Industry Solutions

KNAPP Industry Solutions is the specialist within the KNAPP group for tailor-made solutions for industrial, manufacturing and distribution logistics as well as for autonomous mobile robots. In Austria, the Dobl location and the KNAPP campus together form the center of solution development and implementation for these sectors. As a value chain tech partner, KNAPP supports renowned manufacturers such as Terberg, Pankl Racing, Würth, Magna, Knorr-Bremse, VW and Fronius in their value creation.

About NORDWEST Handel AG

NORDWEST Handel AG, headquartered in Dortmund, is one of the top-performing industrial B2B trade associations, with a total business volume of 4,801 million euros in 2023. The association supports over 1,255 specialist trade partners in the steel, construction, sanitation and HVAC (building services) industries by combining their purchase volumes and creating a central payment scheme, as well as by providing a powerful central warehouse and comprehensive services. NORDWEST is also active in other parts of Europe, especially Austria, Switzerland, France, Poland and the Benelux countries.

www.nordwest.com