Food retailer invests in automated warehouse

Logistics automation specialist Swisslog has been selected as the main integrator on a new automated high bay warehouse for Bela, one of the largest food retailers in Germany. The project will encompass all civil engineering and intralogistics works at the existing site in Neumünster.

The project aims to increase the availability of goods and improve service, both to its own supermarkets and third party retailers. 

The high bay warehouse will boast more than 11,100 storage locations served by Swisslog technology: three heavy duty Vectura stacker cranes for double-pallet handling with an operational height of 33 metres and 228 metres of ProMove pallet conveyor system.

200 pallets per hour

Swisslog’s Vectura is a multi-talented and energy efficient high bay warehouse pallet stacker crane used in more than 2,000 Swisslog customer projects. A proven and reliable pallet technology with a modular design, Vectura handles one, two, or more loads in single, double, triple, and multi-deep layouts. The solution operates at heights of up to 50 metres, performing equally well in temperatures as low as -30 deg C and as high as +50 deg C. For Bela, Vectura will handle up to 200 pallets per hour. 

The new high-bay warehouse and pallet conveyor system will be controlled by Swisslog SynQ software: a material flow control system, and the corresponding subsystem automation controls. All activities on the system are fully automated, and user intervention is only required if a problem occurs.

Bela managing director Volker Bluhm says: “One of the main reasons why we chose Swisslog was the passion and professionalism of the entire team, as I believe that is exactly what is needed to successfully implement our project. We want partners who are enthusiastic about us! In addition, Swisslog's reputation and experience in dealing as a general contractor for both civil construction and logistics supplies has been known for decades."

Swisslog is set to start work on site in November 2023, and the project is scheduled for completion in June 2025.

For more information, visit www.swisslog.com