The Würth Group has 400 companies in more than 80 countries with over 63,000 employees. The article range includes over 100,000 items such as screws, plugs, tools, fittings for furniture as well as construction and industrial safety products.

In the most modern, high-performance distribution centre of the Würth Group, around 60,000 order positions are processed daily, and most of the items in the range are heavy. All warehouse processes are decoupled from each other, thanks to the combination of a dynamic workload control system and the use of a buffer. This guarantees maximum flexibility between automation, the use of resources in manual, semi-automatic and fully-automatic stations, and departure times – resulting in a highly-flexible, end-to-end system. Moreover, the goal was a system with one-touch-handling. Each item that leaves the logistics centre is touched only one time during processing.

The ergonomic Pick-it-Easy work stations are designed according to the latest occupational health information and make it possible to pick even heavy parts ergonomically. Special start and route algorithms coordinate all of the processes within the warehouse. Four fully-automatic pallet cells complete the dispatch process where cartons are stacked on a goods-out pallet based on optimal packing patterns.

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Allied Electronics & Automation, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, is an authorized retailer for industrial automation and power supply products, including sensors, wires and cables, as well as testing and measuring equipment along with tools and hardware. The company has 46 sales offices across Canada, Mexico, Chile and the USA, and a distribution warehouse boasting 57,000 square meters.

As a multinational company, Allied Electronics & Automation not only supplies manufacturers producing large quantities, but also private customers for small orders. With regards to order processing, this means that flexibility and reliability are especially important to the company.

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Besides distributing pharmaceuticals, Alpha Pharm supports over 850 pharmacies and the Alpha Clinics health centres with medical assistance.

As the margins for pharmaceutical wholesalers in South Africa are determined by the South African Department of Health and the costs for electricity and personnel are continuing to rise, Alpha Pharm opted for a state-of-the-art automation solution. In addition, the company was facing a growing number of SKUs that needed to be handled with the same storage space.

The OSR Shuttle™ with sectioned storage containers offers a space-effective, flexible and secure solution for storing small articles. The Pick-it-Easy work stations permit ergonomic and reliable order fulfilment, because the goods-to-person principle reduces the walking time for personnel and increases efficiency.

In manual picking areas, RF picking supports personnel and makes error-free working a reality. The container flow is streamlined and the KNAPP solution raised the throughput while lowering the error rate.

apo.com Group GmbH is moving into a new sector in pharmaceutical retail – e-commerce. Through the online portal, apodiscounter.de, customers can order their medicines online and receive them comfortably at home within 24 hours.

apo.com Group GmbH turned to the new KNAPP-Store to automate goods-in for slow movers, to handle returns and to efficiently store a broad range of articles.

The KNAPP-Store fulfils the requirements that apo.com Group GmbH had for performance and storage density, and significantly increased the degree of automation and efficiency of the warehouse. In the e-commerce business, which is influenced by a large number of small-quantity orders, the advantages of the KNAPP-Store are especially effective in comparison to manual picking, because it can process orders faster, with less effort and no errors.

Phoenix and KNAPP have been working together for many years and today, KNAPP’s automation technology is used at 83 locations. Apotek1, a member of the Phoenix Group, is the leading pharmacy chain in Norway with more than 3,000 employees. Two distribution centres supply about 500 pharmacies. With the OSR Shuttle™ solution, Apotek1 is equipped for the strong growth in the internet business. Apotek1 sees enormous potential for growth, especially in over-the-counter medicines.

Arvato Supply Chain Solutions is an innovative and international leading service provider in the field of supply chain management and e-commerce. Partners come together with industry specialists in the fields of Telecommunication, Hightech, Entertainment, Corporate Information Management, Healthcare, Consumer Products and Publisher. About 15,000 employees work together to provide practical and relevant solutions and services worldwide. Using the latest digital technology, Arvato develops, operates and optimizes complex global supply chains and e-commerce platforms, as the strategic growth partner for its customers. Arvato combines the know-how of its employees with the right technology and appropriate business processes to measurably increase the productivity and performance of its partners.

Boots UK is the leading commercial enterprise for health and beauty articles in the UK. The online business is characterized by a huge stock of goods for small orders consisting of different products as well as extremely high seasonal peaks.

The balanced interaction of manual and automated processes handles orders much more efficiently. In addition, the Burton Centre has sufficient flexibility and capacity to smooth over peaks in demand. With the innovative KNAPP solutions, Boots UK is in the position to develop the services for its customers even further and is equipped for the future growth of the boots.com business.

BRAX, the clothing specialist from Herford, supplies 60 countries with high-quality clothing – to build the new logistics system, BRAX relied on the know-how of Dürkopp Fördertechnik, a member of the KNAPP Group.

For storage a barcode scanner reads the label on the pair of trousers and allocates them to a roller adapter. Each pair of trousers can be traced throughout the entire system. The warehouse system comprises 3 levels holding 200,000 articles – each level has more than 32 stand-alone modules. A vertical, reversible platform-elevator transports each pair of trousers to its assigned level.

The trousers are divided into sorting runs and transferred to one of 30 batch buffer lines. A three step matrix sorter creates an arbitrary sequence of trousers and by decoupling the three sorting steps, the matrix sorter reaches a speed of about 6,000 items per hour. The matrix sorter is an optimal solution in terms of space requirements and costs.

For dispatch the trousers arrive in the multifunctional goods-out buffer, where, for example, value added services can also be carried out. The trousers finally arrive at the packing area, comprised of 20 packing work stations. The trousers are decoupled from the roller adapters and packed for shipping.

As Norway’s leading wholesaler specializing in heating, ventilation and sanitation technology solutions, Brødrene Dahl employs 1,500 employees. The company has a network of 80 sites across Norway and is also engaged in the export business with selected customers.

The French men’s fashion company has a network of more than 1,000 shops in France, Italy, Spain and Belgium. Celio is number one for men’s fashion in France and offers a wide range of clothing for business and leisure.

With this automation solution, 15,000 articles per hour can be picked; the service level was raised to 97 percent and the error rate reduced. The KNAPP mix of technologies optimized processes along the entire supply chain. The modular solution also easily adapts to changing order structures.

Diesel Technic AG is one of the largest suppliers of commercial vehicle spare parts and accessories for the independent aftermarket (IAM). As a full-service partner, the company and its subsidiaries supply spare parts manufactured by DT Spare Parts and SIEGEL Automotive to their customers in over 150 countries. The dimensions of the more than 36,000 products range from DIN and standard parts such as screws, washers and nuts to vehicle body parts and complete exhaust systems. Consequently, the demands for flexibility and performance in the spare parts logistics are high.

At the central warehouse in Kirchdorf, the continuously growing product range and increasing performance demands on the logistics made it necessary to expand the warehouse capacities. “We chose KNAPP as a partner because their shuttle solution with the pick and pack work stations offers the speed and process reliability that we need in our spare parts logistics and it can be flexibly expanded in line with our growth,” explained Dr Steffen Vondran, CEO of Diesel Technic AG, on why they decided on KNAPP’s flexible shuttle solution.

Storage is triple-deep and up to 17 metres high. Diesel Technic AG therefore has incredibly high storage density despite the limited floor space. The vehicle parts are supplied from the shuttle system and picked according to the goods-to-person principle. Ergonomically designed Pick-it-Easy Shop work stations allow intuitive, error-free operation. Empty containers can be stored in the system and quickly retrieved as needed. The flexibility of the system supports the future growth of the company; the system can be expanded by two further rack line systems.

Digi-Key Electronics distributes electronic components, prototypes, parts with special designs and mass-produced production parts. As one of the fastest growing retailers for electronic components, they now count over 4,000 employees. While their annual number of online orders has increased to over 3.7 million, they process and ship a total of 5.3 million orders per year. What’s more, all orders are shipped on the same day.

Digi-Key Electronics has erected a new, 20.4-hectare distribution center, which will start operation in 2021. This center will accommodate both Pick-it-Easy work stations ensuring efficient processing and workplace safety and an OSR Shuttle™ Evo – a highly automated storage system. At full capacity with 1,000 shuttles in operation, the shuttle system alone can store 1.86 million items. The electronic components and parts are picked at the ergonomically designed goods-to-person work stations.

Thanks to the OSR Shuttle™ Evo and the Pick-it-Easy work stations, Digi-Key Electronics will be able to grow along with future demands. The distribution center has also been designed with the environment in mind: It uses high-tech equipment, modern environmental engineering solutions and innovative lighting.

Digmesa is a company manufacturing and distributing flow meters for fluids. They offer a wide range of mechanical flow sensors as well as innovative and contactless ultrasonic sensors.

In combining the locations of the two subsidiaries, Digmesa Polyform AG and Digmesa AG, the processes of both companies had to be restructured and production was moved to a new hall. The focus of the merging process was to automate the transport processes to be able to supply the injection molding machines with empty containers and to transport the finished pieces to the assembly machine area. By automating the transport processes, employees will be able to work more efficiently and focus on tasks that generate value. The search was on for an easily expandable solution that would use the available space effectively, and that could also cover the task of organizing all the orders. Since it was vital to meet the deadline for moving, the solution had to be implemented within only four months.

The flexibility offered by the Open Shuttle was a decisive factor in Digmesa’s decision for KNAPP. Thanks to the Open Shuttle, the existing space and paths can be optimally used, and the robot’s integrated lifter allows containers to be transferred at different heights.

The Open Shuttle has become the link between the two sister companies, connecting production with assembly.

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In Hamm, the reusables from about 400 EDEKA and trinkgut stores needed to be processed efficiently, so the sorting solution RMS was used. KNAPP achieved a system that automatically records and sorts returned beverage crates and bottles, supplying them to the beverage producers ready for shipping.

The sorting system is semi-automatic and provides end-to-end transparency for the flow of empties. KiSoft RCS is the central software managing 100,000 crates/day without using paper. It is responsible for the complex material flow, management of empties and the precise booking of goods by retailer. Electronic image recognition technologies identify 200 different types of bottles and 1,000 types of crates. The bottle-sorting robot assembles unmixed beverage crates. The patented transfer shuttle, the automatic depalletizing and palletizing robots and container and pallet conveyor systems complete the system.

Romanian company founded in 2001, eMAG is a pioneer of the Romanian online commerce market and has become a leader with a presence in Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland. For 18 years, the company has been constantly investing in services based on technologies developed in Romania, which help customers save time and money.

With a growing range of products both through its own offer and through its partners in the Marketplace, eMAG is the place where anyone can search and order anything, from anywhere. Customers benefit from value-added services such as 30 days right of return, opening the package upon delivery, call center 24/7, Pick Up and Return Service, financing in installments through eCredit, the mobile application and “Payment with a click”.

A specialist in producing customized medicines, Fagron is the world-wide leader in pharmaceutical compounding. The company is represented in 29 countries on 5 continents and supplies about 150,000 pharmacies and 55 countries with high-quality and innovative products.

Up to 1,500 orders are processed daily in a few hours in the Oud Beijerland DC and in minimal space, which called for a powerful, space-effective and secure picking system. The fast-mover autopicker SDA-2000 is the ideal solution: About 80 percent of articles ordered per day are stored efficiently in the SDA and are automatically picked. Automated picking is efficient and guarantees the highest quality. Articles such as tubes or pill bottles, which are not suited to autopicker picking due to their dimensions, are picked with the help of the tube autopicker.

A high-performance state-of-the-art distribution centre was built in Capelle aan den IJssel. The heart of the solution is the OSR Shuttle^TM, where most of the assortment is stored making efficient, reliable order processing possible. Every day about 1,500 orders are processed in the warehouse.

The KNAPP solution unites efficiency and quality in a tight space and optimally fulfils Fagron’s requirements. By using the central belt autopickers, 80 percent of orders are automatically processed, and with the tube ejectors, tubes and bottles can also be processed. The orders are completed within a few hours: Orders can be made until 5 pm which can be dispatched by 7 pm.

Farmacity is the leading pharmacy chain in Argentina, running 300 pharmacies. The chain also sells cosmetics and consumer goods, under house brands Look and Simplicity, in shops and online at farmacity.com.

Automating the warehouse was essential to company expansion. Before automation, Farmacity was no longer able to supply their pharmacies and shops with articles. Today, 60,000 order lines are processed every day, with capacity to spare. Thanks to automation and restructured processes, the output of the distribution centre was significantly improved without the need for additional personnel. The solution also increased storage density and throughput, and lowered the rate of picking errors.

Key technology? The autopicker. The SDA autopickers process 70 percent of the order lines, which is 55 percent of the entire picking volume. The icing on the cake, however, is the groundbreaking Vision Central Belt technology that automatically keeps track of the traceability codes.

FNAC DARTY, headquartered in Ivry-sur-Seine, France, is a multinational company. Founded in 1954, FNAC DARTY specializes in the sale of entertainment products. The company has more than 26,000 employees around the world, 19,000 of which are in France.

With requirements continually on the upswing, FNAC DARTY commissioned KNAPP to expand the existing warehouse in Massy, France to help keep them on their successful path. In 2016, they extended their warehouse for the first time and installed a pocket sorter for easy handling of various items. In 2017, they added an OSR Shuttle™ system for sequencing and better coordination of the outbound deliveries. During this step, the automated dolly stacker was installed as well. The dolly stacker brings ergonomics to the delivery of various items and containers to the stores. Demand was so great, the pocket sorter and the OSR Shuttle™ had to be doubled in size in 2020.

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Garmin Ltd. is one of the leading providers of navigation systems for the automotive, aerospace, marine, as well as sports and outdoor industries. Since design, marketing, manufacturing and storage activities are all carried out internally, the company can better monitor schedules and ensure quality and high-level services. As a multinational organization, the Swiss-American company has more than 14,500 employees working at 65 locations around the globe.

Getriebebau NORD has been developing, producing and distributing drive systems since 1965 and is the leading provider of complete solutions in their sector worldwide. The family business owes its success in part to their employees, around 4,700 in total, working in 48 subsidiaries as well as additional sales partners. The NORD DRIVESYSTEMS Group is headquartered in Bargteheide, Germany, and is home to the company’s development, production and worldwide logistics.

The Bargteheide location is the hub for the company’s worldwide logistics, providing materials to the international subsidiaries. Over the past years, the company has been steadily improving the supply of materials from internal and external suppliers. The benefits generated by these improvements have led to a much higher workload for the existing storage solutions.

The shuttle system handles three basic processes at NORD: In addition to various assembly processes, the onsite storage facilities are also supplied with small parts. A pack station located at the small parts warehouse is used for the international supply of materials. The employees are supplied with the parts for packing directly from the conveyor. The KiSoft One software, connected to NORD’s SAP® WM, keeps an eye on the whole process.

The KNAPP solution was also special in that the automated small-parts warehouse was equipped with NORD drive technology.

The Boticário Group is a leading cosmetics company, not only in Brazil but also worldwide. Each year, the company produces around 300 million cosmetics that are sold in 15 different countries. The Boticário Group combines six different brands under one roof, including O’Boticário, and is the largest cosmetics franchise in the world with 3,800 shops. The Boticário Group’s products can be found in the franchise shops, online or through direct sales and in pharmacies, multi-brand stores and department stores. The Boticário Group aims to deliver their comprehensive article range as fast as possible and in the best quality, and therefore selected automation technology by KNAPP for their two distribution centres in Bahia and São Paulo.

O’Boticário’s goal for the design of these DCs was twofold: to achieve maximum productivity and the highest degree of technological excellence. The very latest automation technologies combined with KNAPP’s unique process know-how make the warehouse in Bahia arguably the most innovative distribution centre for cosmetics in Latin America. The OSR Shuttle™ is the at the heart of the KNAPP solution, and as an all-in-shuttle, is responsible for important processes such as storage, picking and replenishment for the picking areas. Along with the OSR Shuttle™, fully-automatic order start stations, fast-mover autopickers and sorter technology all ensure that dispatch sortation runs smoothly and efficiently. The control, monitoring and optimization of the components is handled by the KiSoft software. The manual processes are also supported by the software; in the manual warehouse areas, for example, Pick-to-Light displays guide the employees through efficient and error-free order fulfilment. In this way, the distribution centre in Bahia achieves a throughput of 4,500 cartons per hour, thereby surpassing the anticipated performance.

“All the processes are so simple, fast and highly-efficient that the solution can currently process 60,000 items per hour and even has the potential to increase performance in the future. I am very happy to have the privilege of working with the Boticário Group as a partner and of supporting them on their path of success.”

Marcio Schilling, Director Sales, KNAPP Sudamérica

Returns management is a central demand in the fashion area and is the core competence of Hermes Fulfilment. The company belongs to the Otto Group and is a full service provider offering customized services all along the supply chain.

To optimize returns management, Hermes Fulfilment decided to automate part of the returns handling process using an OSR Shuttle™ from KNAPP. The powerful KNAPP solution for efficient and cost-effective returns handling is synchronized with other warehouse processes. Structurally, the OSR Shuttle™ was integrated into the existing building.

The software transmits the ideal storage location for each mixed container. Storing up to 10 various articles in a container permits the optimal balance between storage density and picking performance. Picking is carried out at the Pick-it-Easy work stations. The work stations are designed with intelligent KiDesign and unify efficiency, ergonomics and multifunctionality. The computer controlled user guidance guarantees error-free work.

The safety of the OSR Shuttle™ was confirmed by TÜV Rheinland. The system is completely enclosed by a fence and can only be entered through an interlock system. All access points are secured by sensors and the system also has a fire protection sprinkler system. Servicing platforms and other platforms are available for maintenance of the system.

ICI Paris XL is a leading retailer for cosmetics and perfume in Benelux. From their 20,000 m² distribution center in Vilvoorde, Belgium, the company supplies 290 stores and fulfills the online orders for Belgium and the Netherlands. In 2017, ICI Paris XL started operation with the OSR Shuttle™ in combination with Pick-to-Light.

The OSR Shuttle™ comprises four rack line systems with 20 levels. 80 shuttles are connected to four ergonomic Pick-it-Easy work stations. Since each work station can access all the goods in the storage system, orders can be completely processed at just one work station. Using optical sensors at the target locations as well as pick-to-light and a touch screen display of the item, high quality order fulfillment is now ensured. By combining a shuttle system with the work station, performance now clocks in at about 2,750 order lines an hour.

In total, there are 26,000 storage locations for containers sized 600 x 400 x 220 mm (23.62 x 15.75 x 8.66 in.), whereby the containers can also be divided into quarters. The containers are stored triple-deep in the racks, providing the ultimate storage density. The building’s ceilings are about 7.5 meters (about 25 ft).

“In our search for the right supplier, KNAPP had the best solution for us. Considering price, quality and performance, we selected the OSR Shuttle™ by KNAPP from three options.”

Patrick Willems, Supply Chain Manager, ICI Paris XL

implantcast is a highly-specialized medical technology company involved in the development, production, sterile packaging and sale of medical products, especially artificial joints.

The Buxtehude location controls production and the entire goods flow. After experiencing strong growth, the company decided it was time to change from manual stock management to goods-to-person picking. Their current way of working was also prone to errors and checking the date of minimum durability was difficult. The new solution needed to be integrated into the existing facilities, while providing opportunities for future expansions as the company expects continued growth.

In the end, implantcast opted for a system solution with flexible, 3D-capable shuttles and integrated RFID technology. The solution includes ergonomic work stations from the Pick-it-Easy series that are equipped with integrated image processing technology developed by the KNAPP subsidiary, ivii, which implements the zero defect strategy.

The integrated solution enables implantcast to boost productivity considerably. The scalable and automatic small parts warehouse now ensures that the parts are supplied to the work stations quickly and ergonomically. The warehouse can also be adapted to future company growth in terms of size and performance. Thanks to the RFID and Vision technologies, ivii could substantially increase both the picking productivity and dispatch quality. The triple checking of individual parts guarantees 100 % quality assurance and ensures that the right endoprothesis is delivered to the right end customer.

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John Lewis (JL) is one of the leading department stores in the UK and comprises diverse companies such as John Lewis Stores and the supermarket chain, Waitrose. In order to further strengthen and expand its market-leading position in omni-channel retail, JL relies on its partnership with KNAPP. The Magna Park distribution centre is the heart and logistics hub of the John Lewis distribution network, allowing the company to set new standards in customer service.

The KNAPP solution means an enormous increase in capacity for the distribution networks and forms a base for planned growth. The innovative automation solution offers JL numerous advantages and fulfils all its requirements pertaining to efficiency, ergonomics, potential to make savings and flexibility. The intelligent omni-channel solution combines all the distribution models of JL: the availability of goods is optimized for both stores and end customers. Shop-friendly picking raises the level of service at stores and significantly reduces the amount of work required at the point-of-sale.

Knorr-Bremse is the world’s leading manufacturer of braking systems and supplier of additional sub-systems for rail and commercial vehicles. At the Mödling site in Austria, we implemented a comprehensive automation strategy for the plant.

To optimally use the space in the existing building, the solution included mounting a conveyor system to the ceiling that connects the goods-in area with the shuttle system, the picking work stations and production supply. The small parts are efficiently stored in the OSR Shuttle™ Evo, helping Knorr-Bremse to achieve high storage density. The small parts warehouse has around 16,000 storage locations for 600 x 400 mm (23.6 x 15.8 in) containers in one double-deep and one triple-deep rack line system. The automated warehouse has 18 rack levels at first and can be expanded by another 7,000 storage locations in the future.

As part of the implementation, the picking process was also changed. It is now carried out according to the goods-to-person principle thanks to the four Pick-it-Easy Flex work stations. The work stations are ergonomically designed, optimally supporting employees in their work. Three different types of process are carried out here. Knorr-Bremse picks orders for their own production, buffers and then supplies them to the tugger train station in the right sequence. Besides this, orders from other subsidiaries as well as spare parts kits for end customers are picked. The company was able to achieve a picking performance of around 120 order lines per hour per person and per station.

The solution implemented also included our KiSoft One software, which covers all software hierarchies from warehouse management and control to machine control and is the interface to Knorr-Bremse’s SAP WM system.

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At the centre of the system is the high-performance storage and picking system OSR Shuttle™ with two rack line systems and 12,000 storage locations. At the two Pick-it-Easy work stations, goods are picked ergonomically and efficiently according to the goods-to-person principle. Along with the powerful Streamline conveyor system, three Open Shuttles also convey goods within the facility. These driverless warehouse vehicles are a flexible and space-effective addition to other conveying means; paths remain free for personnel, forklift trucks and other transport vehicles. Long distances can also be covered without the need to build comparably expensive static conveyors. The integration of the higher-level warehouse management system KiSoft WMS makes managing all the warehouse processes easy.

KRAMP Denmark specializes in spare parts, hydraulics and products for the agricultural sector. From their 21,500 m² central warehouse in Skjern, KRAMP supplies its customers in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. Fast delivery of goods takes highest priority and customers enjoy the fastest possible delivery for their orders – with next-day delivery at the latest.

Louisiana Wholesale Drug Company (LWD) was founded in 1979 when a group of independent pharmacists recognized the need to offer their patients a comprehensive range at the best price with top-quality service. LWD now comprises 178 pharmacists who run a total of 250 pharmacies. To support further company growth, LWD decided to expand and automate the DC in Sunset, Louisiana.

Fast-moving medicines are picked completely automatically using the proven Central Belt System. The Central Belt System is equipped with the Vision Central Belt add-on, which provides a 100% check for the automated picking area. Vision Central Belt captures the security data such as serial numbers, lot information or date marks, fulfilling legal requirements while increasing efficiency and quality.

In the areas where checks take place, Vision Item Check increases efficiency and fulfils the highest demands for quality. Since Vision Item Check captures data from 1D and 2D codes, it is suitable for applications in goods-in or for the efficient handling of returns. Vision Item Check and the add-on, Vision Central Belt, are easily integrated into existing systems for a reasonable investment.

Luxottica is the market leader for top-of-the range eyewear, developing, producing and selling high-quality luxury, sport and fashion eyewear. Founded in Italy in 1961, they released their first independent eyewear collection in 1971. Today, Luxottica sells their own brands as well as other well-known international brands such as Ray-Ban, Bulgari or Michael Kors. Luxottica’s distribution network includes more than 9,200 stores spanning 150 countries on 5 continents.

KNAPP was commissioned to modernize and automate the distribution center. By adapting the systems to how fast the products move and by eliminating walking times, the picking performance was greatly increased. Using Pick-to-Light made it possible to improve efficiency in paperless picking and storage procedures.

Magna, one of the world’s largest automobile industry suppliers, is a mobility technology company with a global team of 161,000 employees. With 65 years of experience and a systems approach in the design, development and manufacturing of every aspect of the automobile, Magna is well equipped to redesign mobility during a period of major change. Magna Spiegelsysteme GmbH in Assamstadt, Germany, specializes in vision systems. Their core competence is in the production of side mirrors.

Increasing global competition and the analysis of the internal processes indicated that, in Magna’s logistics and supply chain, something needed to be done. A solution was sought that provided Magna Assamstadt with greater flexibility and that would increase the degree of value creation at the location.

Magna opted for a solution by KNAPP that met these requirements. It includes a new small parts warehouse, the OSR Shuttle™ Evo, with two aisles for triple-deep storage and space for 20,300 storage locations. Six Open Shuttles connecting directly to the OSR Shuttle™ Evo supply various outlying work stations in the warehouse with empty containers. Furthermore, they pick up finished parts for transfer to the parts warehouse. The Streamline conveyor system is the connection element between the goods-in area, the shuttle warehouse, assembling and for transfer to the Open Shuttles. KNAPP’s KiSoft One software with web service interface to Magna’s SAP R3/WM ensures smooth processes.

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The international MALL group, with the online portal mall.cz, is the leading online trader in the Eastern European region. Currently, the MALL group supplies 18 Eastern European countries with a total population of 130 million people and plans to continually expand its market.

Against the background of this growth strategy and the increasing order numbers, as well as the time-consuming manual processes involved in consolidating and packing orders, Mall.cz decided to build a new highly-automated distribution centre just outside of Prague.

The KNAPP team designed a solution for the project that won over Mall.cz thanks to its high flexibility and scalability. The fact that the solution is able to grow through the years as the demand for performance increases, proved to be especially convincing.

KNAPP’s solution directly addresses the specific requirements of Mall.cz and provides fast and efficient order processing. At the heart of the 50,000 m² logistics solution is a pocket sorter system with matrix sortation, which is combined with an OSR Shuttle™ and high-performance conveyors, upon which most of the goods can be conveyed directly. Highly automated processes, coupled with manual processes, provide the right support for the rapid growth Mall.cz is experiencing, and allow the company to provide optimal customer service with same and next day delivery. At the same time, the mix of technologies provides Mall.cz with maximum cost efficiency and flexibility in processing the wide range of articles and large order volume.

KiSoft acts as the warehouse control system (WCS), managing, monitoring and optimizing all the processes in the warehouse. In addition, KiSoft also communicates with the control systems of the subsystems, such as the control software KiSoft SRC for the OSR Shuttle™.

Marc Cain selected a design-oriented new building that which centralized six locations at the headquarters in Bodelshausen and that housed a flexible solution with the most modern technology. Marc Cain selected KNAPP as a partner who understands textiles, for a solution by a single source.

The highly automated solution includes a four-aisle OSR Shuttle™ and a hanging goods area that extends across 5 levels. Over three million items of clothing pass through the warehouse each year and up to 35,000 articles are picked on a daily basis.

B2C orders are processed at separate Sort & Pack stations. During peak periods, up to 1,250 packages are shipped daily. Exclusive online orders are packed with sophistication. The goods are wrapped in tissue paper and dispatched in premium-quality cartons with Marc Cain branding, together with an added gift.

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The Marks and Spencer Group plc (M&S) is an international retailer of clothing, commercial goods and food. The key factor in favour of the KNAPP solution was the OSR Shuttle™ technologies, which form the heart of the intralogistics system in Bradford. The OSR Shuttle™ supplies the ergonomically designed Pick-it-Easy work stations and processes all medium and slow-moving products in the warehouse with unrivalled efficiency.

The DC operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. Always on duty – a team of KNAPP Resident Engineers keep the system availability at full steam thanks to their preventative maintenance and fast reaction times. The DC in Bradford supports the 84,000 m² M&S distribution centre in Castle Donington, allowing M&S to optimize delivery efficiency to their stores. Optimized supply improves sales potential in stores and increases customer satisfaction, which is the key to M&S’s competitiveness.

With around 78,000 employees, the McKesson Corporation is the biggest health company in the world and the fifth largest company overall in the USA. In addition to its sites in the USA and Canada, McKesson also has international sites in Europe and Australia. With the help of KNAPP’s all-in shuttle technology, McKesson sells non-prescription medicines, dietary supplements, groceries and beverages, in addition to prescription medicines and cosmetics.

Every day at Migros in Zurich, up to 1,400 different dairy, convenience and catering articles, including baked goods, arrive on site either in standardized Migros handling units or in foldable crates. Manually handling such heavy units would place tremendous strain on the employee. KNAPP comes to the rescue with FAST Picking – an automatic, high-performance picking system.

Articles arriving at the warehouse are automatically depalletized, stored and palletized for shipping to stores. An OSR Shuttle™ System with 12 aisles, 7 levels and 12,500 storage locations is the heart of the solution. The automatic destacking and stacking modules cover three functions; pallets are destacked, the units are then placed on trays for short-term storage in the OSR Shuttle™ and finally pallets are built with the units according to order. KiSoft Pack Master calculates the optimal pallet image so that the handling units are stacked in a shop-friendly manner. The solution supplies around 150 stores both accurately and cost-effectively.

At automobile supplier MSG Mechatronic Systems, the YLOG-Shuttles store raw materials from the goods-in area, supply the work areas and provide materials to the staff at an ergonomic picking level. The YLOG-Shuttle system also features flexible, temporary storage for semi-finished and finished products.

The YLOG-Shuttle System is coupled by interface to SAP Business One, providing the strict lot management the MSG needed. Particularly meaningful was the way the system takes into account the specific hardening time in the production process. The shuttle system eliminates storing things on the floor and forklift traffic in the production area. Flexible, temporary storage is efficiently connected to the various work stations, which have different cycle times. The system can be expanded easily in the future in terms of storage locations and performance.

Novaltia operates four distribution centres and delivers to around 1,000 pharmacies, up to five times daily. The majority of picking procedures in the distribution centres are automated in order to process enormous order volumes of up to 120,000 articles per day efficiently and securely.

KNAPP continues to work with Novaltia as a partner in logistics, expanding and modifying the existing distribution centres. The DC in Zaragoza is an innovative complete solution with central belt technologies, OSR Shuttle™ with goods-to-person work stations, comprehensive KiSoft software solution and a stacker crane.

Novaltia has opted for the KNAPP-Store for the efficient and safe handling of slow-moving articles, returns, and articles that are subject to stringent legal regulations. The free-moving Open Shuttles cover the complex conveying stretches within the warehouse. When humans reach the limit of their capabilities, the Pick-it-Easy Robot takes over. The robot really delivers – high performance at a steady rate and top picking quality.

Video: Novaltia

OLYMP Bezner KG is the market leader for premium men’s clothing, offering modern design, high product standards and great quality for a great price.

In their made-to-order DC, OLYMP has an OSR Shuttle™ with 265,000 storage locations, which provides temporary storage for the dispatch area and which supplies the pocket loading stations. Two pocket sorters are downstream of the OSR Shuttle™. This means every dealer receives the required shirts, ties, polos and knitted goods in a sequence based on customer request as a package – in short, shop-friendly.

Control system KiSoft WCS and ergonomic, employee-friendly work stations complete the KNAPP solution. With this system, there is plenty of flexibility for OLYMP’s order structure, allowing B2B and B2C orders to be processed at the same time.

Pankl Racing AG, headquartered in Austria, is part of the international KTM group and specializes in the areas of aerospace, racing and high performance. Pankl High Performance Systems is a new division of Pankl Racing AG and produces high-quality drivetrains for motorcycle applications for KTM at its new site in Kapfenberg. The high production performance of up to 160,000 items per year led to the entire value creation being pooled under one roof. In total, 12 different types of drivetrains are manufactured for both on and offroad driving. Along with high performance, optimum quality is crucial to all of the processes. This is why Pankl chose an innovative solution from the KNAPP group’s portfolio for its assembly area.

Semi-finished parts and bulk material are stored centrally in the YLOG-Shuttle system. The shuttles can change between levels and rack line systems, allowing them to reach every single storage location in the rack system. The shuttles retrieve the parts required for assembly and bring them directly to the ivii.smartdesk work stations. Here, assembly is guided by software with a real-time feedback system. During assembly, the system records all the parts, checks that they have been correctly installed and informs the employee of the result. Green means that everything is correct whereas red means there is an error. In the event of an error, ivii.smartdesk assists in the correction process.

The KNAPP solution combines maximum performance and efficiency with a zero-error strategy, and provides personnel with a modern working environment. Gamification of the assembly steps motivates personnel and helps to establish a learning organization.

Video: Pankl Racing Systems

ProServ is a full service provider and supplier in the health industry, serving health facilities in the Cologne area. ProServ selected KNAPP’s comprehensive, future-oriented all-in-shuttle solution.

The key technology is the OSR Shuttle™, which covers all the most important warehouse processes centrally, including: space-effective storage of containers up to 30 kg, replenishment management for refilling all flow racks and dispatch buffering of all load carriers, container sequencing

The warehouse management software KiSoft WMS controls, monitors and manages numerous processes ranging from goods-in, stock and storage location management, picking, replenishment control, cross-docking and the handling of returns, ensuring smooth warehouse operations.

Generating a precise sequence of containers yields clear improvements in delivery quality and speed. Manual and automated work processes are harmoniously integrated in the warehouse. Special focus was placed on the ergonomic design of all manual work areas and the intuitive operation of the user interfaces.

With more than 30,000 employees, RaiaDrogasil is the largest pharmacy chain in Brazil. The company includes more than 1,500 pharmacies, which are directly supplied from 9 distribution centres. To make the design of the picking processes optimal, a solution was needed for the overstock area and automatic replenishment for picking. The OSR Shuttle™ solution by KNAPP provided optimal automation for the replenishment process. Just one OSR Shuttle™ rack line system achieves the same replenishment performance for RaiaDrogasil that would be provided by 12 stacker cranes.

Thanks to the chaotic storage in the OSR Shuttle™ and to the RFID technologies of the pocket fulfillment system, REI has access to every article in the system at all times. Goods from the OSR Shuttle™ and sorter pockets are picked at the hybrid work station Pick-it-Easy Multi. Using the goods-to-person principle means that every article is only touched once. The ergonomic design of the work station and the smart user guidance with easyUse create a comfortable working environment and reduce the time needed to train new employees.

The Goodyear DC supplies REI stores with new and replenishment goods, and processes online orders for the services Pick-from-Store or direct shipping to the end customer. The warehouse control software KiSoft WCS monitors, optimizes and controls all the processes in the warehouse and ensures an even supply of orders to the work stations.

Deliveries arrive at the REI shops already sorted according to theme, colour and size thanks to an innovative sorter matrix. This saves store employees a great deal of work as they put away the goods, and frees up time for consultation with customers.

Sanacorp and KNAPP have been working together for decades. Today, 15 Sanacorp sites use KNAPP’s automation technology, including conveyor systems and central belt autopickers tailored specifically to the requirements of pharmaceutical wholesale.

Sanacorp now also relies on new KNAPP technology at its subsidiary in Bad Segeberg. A KNAPP-Store is used for the slow-moving article range, which increases the degree of automation considerably. The KNAPP-Store meets current pharmaceutical industry requirements – among other things, the autopicker supports lot tracking and the recognition of security features, thereby providing transparency of all stored articles.

Along with the KNAPP-Store, the high-performance SDA autopicker is used for processing fast-moving articles at Sanacorp, which allows high order volumes to be processed efficiently and safely. Thanks to the fusion of central belt systems, KNAPP-Store and SDA, the fastest and most expensive order lines can be processed within one system.

As a German wholesaler for electronic components and devices, Schukat electronic supplies B2B customers in 50 countries around the globe. The company stocks a total of 35,000 products, which are shipped within 24 hours for blanket and forward orders.

To support Schukat electronic’s enormous growth and provide optimum services, the company has built a state-of-the-art warehouse center at their headquarters in Monheim am Rhein. The new logistics solution used in the distribution center had to meet a number of requirements, such as flexibility to expand storage capacity, highest system stability for reliable goods delivery, and efficient, ergonomic design of employee work processes. In addition, new customer services and possibilities to triple the delivery performance have been created. A significant benefit is the increase in flexibility that the special system architecture of the OSR Shuttle™ Evo offers, which allows performance and storage capacity to work independently of each other. The first solution expansion includes four rack line systems with 34 rack levels and 64,000 storage locations. The system also functions automatically thanks to 68 shuttles and two lifts. Thanks to the system’s flexible design, its final expansion will comprise 10 rack line systems with 140,000 storage locations, 140 shuttles, four lifts and twelve goods-to-person work stations.

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With a market share of 10 percent, Sinopharm is number 1 among the 15,000 pharmaceutical wholesalers in China. More than 5,000 employees work in the more than 250 distribution centres in China. Sinopharm wanted to increase efficiency in its work processes and therefore selected a KNAPP automation solution. By doing so, the error rate was significantly decreased. Furthermore, Sinopharm customers profit from the zero-defect strategy thanks to a higher service level.

The French company distributes electronic products of international manufacturers to customers in every corner of the world. As a worldwide market leader in electronics wholesale, Sonepar S.A. has 44,000 employees working in over 3,000 subsidiaries in 48 countries worldwide.

Terberg Benschop is a family-run company, specializing in the manufacture of terminal vehicles, RORO vehicles, shipyard tractors and the like. The vehicles are used in ports, distribution centres, airports, and industry as well as in road and rail construction.

In order to process the increased number of orders efficiently and flexibly, Terberg needed to centralize the production warehouse so that bodywork construction, the line supply for vehicle assembly and the global spare parts warehouse were all together in a new building.

Terberg opted for an OSR Shuttle™ solution comprising 4 decanting work stations, 2 picking work stations for 3 different picking processes and 2 dispatch work stations. KNAPP developed a solution specifically for filling kanban racks which are required in production for assembly. What’s more, there are two types of picking at the Pick-it-Easy Flex work stations: spare parts picking and picking into the roll containers that supply the production lines.

The goods-to-person system provides higher capacity and the Pick-to-Light system optimally supports the employees as they work, preventing errors.

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With 300 employees, Teva is the worldwide market leader in the production of generics. Teva supplies about 4,500 customers from a central warehouse in Israel. A retrofit solution for the existing location was implemented using an OSR Shuttle™. The shuttle solution provides Teva with sufficient flexibility to account for the growing e-commerce business and in the future to handle the B2C and B2B orders at one location.

The Very Group is one of the largest digital retailers and providers of flexible payment options in the UK. The range of goods includes clothing, accessories, interior decoration, electronics and home garden equipment. The goal of the solution is to optimize ergonomics for employees and to process orders even more quickly, providing an extraordinary customer experience. Additionally, items from different warehouse areas can be combined into one packing unit.

Skygate – the name of the warehouse – is a highly automated, state-of-the-art online fulfillment center. With its pocket sorter system and Pick-it-Easy work stations, the automatic storage and picking system OSR Shuttle™ Evo provides a highly efficient solution and offers maximum flexibility during peak periods. With this new solution, orders are ready for shipping just 30 minutes after they are received. The intelligent software KiSoft Analytics monitors and provides an overview of all processes from the goods-in area to the goods-out area, ensuring optimal performance.

VOLA A/S is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of taps and shower mixers. VOLA places great value on customization and high quality. Their products clearly distinguish themselves from mass produced ones. The company’s entire production is driven by customer orders: Taps are only produced after they have been ordered by a customer, and stock rotates twice a week. To manage this, the processes in the entire company have to run like clockwork.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a great shift in VOLA’s orders: The number of projects significantly decreased in the B2B sector and substantially increased in the private customer segment. This posed a great challenge to the company with regard to their picking and packing processes. They received more orders requesting smaller quantities and with fewer positions. With the shift came also more orders of different component combinations.

Thanks to the new storage system, VOLA could strengthen its position on the high-end market and create added value for its customers in the delivery process. The solution consists of an automatic OSR Shuttle™ Evo, two Pick-it-Easy Flex work stations based on the Pick-to-Light concept, additional manual stations, five pack stations for shipping and the Streamline conveyor system.

Volkswagen Slovakia unites quality and passion for the automotive industry. Their dedication means their customers around the globe are rewarded with unforgettable driving experiences. Volkswagen is one of the largest companies in Slovakia and has been manufacturing cars in the country since 1991. Volkswagen Slovakia is represented in Bratislava and Martin, with the works in Bratislava being the only location in the world where as many as four different automotive brands are manufactured.

To keep up with the positive development of the Bratislava location and to achieve their cost reduction plans with logistics activities on-site, Volkswagen Slovakia decided to invest in a cutting-edge logistics center. The technology also had to keep operational costs low, use space effectively and supply material to the assembly lines as efficiently as possible.

In addition, Volkswagen needed a system that supports different types of small load carrier and is able to plan complex tugger train routes to ensure that the material is supplied to the assembly line within a fixed period of time. With the OSR Shuttle™ Evo, KNAPP could offer a state-of-the-art solution that automates the processes involving small load carriers and supplies them to Volkswagen’s assembly lines in exactly the right sequence.

Following KNAPP’s motto of “making complexity simple”, the allin-one solution enables Volkswagen to store up to 160,000 small load carriers and provide material to their tugger trains in the required sequence at a performance rate of 1,320 double cycles per hour for the storage and retrieval process each.

The Walgreens Boots Alliance Group is the UK’s leading commercial enterprise for health and beauty products and offers next-day delivery to its customers in Britain and Ireland. The online business is characterized by a huge stock of goods for small orders consisting of different products as well as extremely high seasonal peaks. In the past 6 years, the order volume of 6,000 orders per day during normal periods and 18,000 orders per day during peak periods has grown to be 28,000 to 95,000 orders per day respectively. The innovative KNAPP solution puts Boots UK in the position of supplying next day delivery by 8 am to 2,400 stores for pickup by the end customer.

Faster delivery times and increasing orders led Weisser to relocate its decentral warehouses to the central production location in Neresheim. Weisser decided to build a 20-metre-high hall with 3 levels to make best possible use of the small space available. Bearing this in mind, a YLOG-Shuttle system was constructed with 37,000 storage locations for 13 different types of cartons stored either one or two deep. Three Cross Lifts are installed on the long side of the rack, connecting the ground floor with the racks on the upper floors. Retrieval and storage conveyors supply the cartons to the ergonomic work stations before they are stored once again. A number of easyUse user interfaces guide employees through the work process, ensuring efficient and accurate order processing.

Weisser Spulenkörper GmbH & Co KG was founded in 1922 and is a leading producer of technical plastic parts, manufacturing high-quality bobbins and housings for sensors, magnets, transformers, relays and motors.