Electrical goods retailer invests in automated picking

SONEPAR IS under the process of completely reinventing their supply chain processes, and chose Kardex for their intralogistics solutions, from small goods logistics to cable handling and cutting. The site in Valencia went live in February 2024 and is now equipped with 8 AutoStore Carousel ports, 30 AutoStore robots and 30,000 bins, as well as an ASRS system for cable drum handling and cutting. The successful deployment was swiftly followed by a twin project at Sonepar’s site in Arteixo, Galicia, which started operating in October 2024 and features 6 ports, 26 robots and 23,000 bins, as well as the cable handling system.

Better space utilisation

The AutoStore Cube Storage Retrieval System maximises space by stacking totes vertically in a compact, cube-shaped grid, greatly increasing storage density. Totes are accessed by robots on top of the “grid” (the aluminium structure that forms the cube) and each AutoStore system is customised for the client by Kardex’s dedicated team using proprietary software and products.

Faster picking

Kardex has worked closely with Sonepar to ensure an end-to-end solution at both Sonepar’s facilities that includes Kardex’s newest innovation, the Intuitive Picking Assistant (IPA). The IPA enhances the performance of AutoStore systems by improving ergonomics for the picker, picking accuracy and reducing order processing times. The IPA projects relevant information at the workstation to guide operators. The system recognises hand movements to prevent errors and offers several features, such as fill level control and error notification for wrong picks, and can enable big data analysis powered by AI.

Reduced downtime

As well as speeding up picking with the IPA, Kardex has also supplied Sonepar with its Automatic Cleaning System, reducing downtime and enhancing the performance of the AutoStore robots.

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