BIKE24 automates logistics centre with AutoStore implemented by Kardex

IN 2017, the online retailer installed a compact AutoStore storage and retrieval system at its head office in Dresden to store more goods in less space and avoid having to relocate to new premises. The switch to AutoStore allowed BIKE24 to double its storage capacity.

“With 77,000 items, BIKE24 offers the largest assortment of products on the market. Only an AutoStore solution would allow us to gain the storage capacity we needed in the space available,” says BIKE24 head of operations Christoph Knippschild.

In order to keep up with its annual double-digit growth targets and shorten delivery times to its customers all over Europe, BIKE24 now invests in another AutoStore system with adjoining conveyor technology for its new logistics centre in Lliçà d'Amount, Barcelona. The intralogistics solution provider Kardex has been commissioned with the planning and implementation of the overall solution.

“We chose Kardex for this project because we were looking for a competent, customer-focused partner with extensive global experience and a local presence. We were really impressed with the reliability and flexibility of the experienced Kardex team and their ability to quickly manage questions and challenges that arose along the way. The Kardex Life Cycle Service Team also guarantees expert and reliable support over the entire life cycle of our AutoStore system,” says Knippschild.

At the core of the logistics center, the flexible AutoStore solution will hold 90,000 storage bins within a floor area of 2,112 sq m during the first stage of the expansion. 50 Red Line robots continuously pick up, rearrange and transport storage bins as they move along the grid rails. Ten ergonomic AutoStore workstations, known as Carousel Ports, are used for picking and replenishment. Operators can switch between these two applications at the push of a button. Therefore, BIKE24 can match the Port applications with the existing processes at any time. If performance or capacity requirements increase in the future, BIKE24 can easily add more robots and Ports to the system.

At BIKE24 sustainability is highly important. BIKE24 has been climate-neutral since 2020 and provides its customers climate-friendly shipping, regardless of the parcel service. BIKE24 business model also promotes increasing the use of bicycles, and therefore green mobility.

The decision to implement AutoStore at the heart of the logistics centre enabled BIKE24 to take another important step to further strengthen sustainability within the company. AutoStore requires only a fraction of the energy compared to traditional automated storage systems. Ten AutoStore robots consume less energy than a standard vacuum cleaner and power is fed back to the batteries whenever the robots lower a bin or slow down. AutoStore's compact design also eliminates aisles between shelving, which in turn significantly reduces the lighting requirements in these areas. AutoStore technology therefore helps companies minimise their ecological footprints while achieving a significant increase in productivity.

To learn more about the Kardex Autostore solutions join us at a webinar hosted in the UK on the 27^th April at 2:00 pm. Click her to join or contact Kardex direct at info.remstar.uk@kardex.com