Logistics powered by Würth IT
The Distribution Center (DC) West at the headquarters of Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG (AW KG) in Künzelsau-Gaisbach, consisting of DC West I and the new DC West II, represents a significant expansion of logistics capacities. With the expansion, AW KG is pursuing the logistics strategy of avoiding delivery splits and bundling the items per order in such a way that customers in Germany and abroad as well as the Würth branches receive exactly one shipment or pallet.
Technological Highlights for Efficient and Sustainable Logistics
A highly automated shuttle system with over 104,000 bin locations enables the picking of around 48,000 additional order items per day, with automated picking robots supporting the picking of delivery items. The incoming goods, packing and dispatch departments have also been expanded to meet the increased logistical requirements.
The automatic packing station, also known as the flow packing station, was equipped with a height reducer for shipping cartons in order to reduce the use of load securing and packaging material. Cameras detect the cavities in the package and the package is reduced to the highest point during the fully automatic lidding process.
The technological highlights of the logistics center also include the palletizing robots. These ensure that the shipping cartons are transferred to the robot cells at the optimum time. They stack the parcels on pallets and automatically take into account specific criteria such as country, zip code or priorities of the various transport service providers. The pallets formed in this way are then handed over to the respective transport service provider on the vehicles provided.
The new logistics center impressively demonstrates the close integration between technology and IT - a task that was undertaken by Würth IT with the support of the Würzburg-based IT consulting company Accenture and the conveyor technology specialist Knapp from Graz.
Würth IT Makes Logistics Projects Possible
Würth IT provided significant support for the construction project, in particular by implementing a new parcel control system in SAP EWM: the WBCE (Würth Business Case Engine). This can also be used by other companies in the Würth Group to efficiently organize the flow of parcels in the logistics center according to freely definable criteria.
The comprehensive digitalization and automation of the warehouse is based on the modern Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) system from SAP AG Waldorf. This also forms the basis for the Würth Master Warehouse, a project within the Würth Group to harmonize and modernize the warehouse management systems.
On the Würth IT side, the project was managed by an experienced team, led by Tanja Breuninger and Jörg Hollstein, who have the comprehensive process knowledge and technical expertise to make a project of this dimension a success together with the above-mentioned implementation partners.
The expansion of the West II distribution center is an excellent example of how truly great things can be created in a place where "tradition meets innovation".