A high-performance distribution centre for the Steinbach Group
The Austrian Steinbach Group is a wholesaler in the swimming pool sector, facing huge challenges as a result of expansion: An automatic logistics system had to be designed for efficient warehouse storage and fast availability.
The distribution and warehousing solution should be at the headquarters in Schwertberg, Upper Austria - on a plot of only 800 square metres. The large product range which is the backbone of the operation required a complete overhaul of logistics workflows. In this case, the Steinbach Group could not look back on logistics expertise from their past in textiles, as wool was traded in smaller quantities.
Logistics expertise in planning and implementation
Our solution was complete and from a single source: a fully automatic high bay warehouse for 4,500 Euro pallets. Specifically, it was a 31 metre high drive-in warehouse with two different height classes for a maximum of 12 pallets in depth and 12 levels on top of each other. This has created 4500 storage bays in an area of just 800 m2. We selected a 14 tonne stacker crane as a conveyor, which can carry out up to 50 pallet movements per hour - a real design and structural challenge. Stacking and retrieval is carried out at the end of the aisles by two fully automated cross-connecting carriers.
We handled these complex issues through precise planning and assembly throughout the entire length of the project. Construction of this high-performance distribution centre was completed without interrupting the Steinbach Group’s day-to-day business.
Optimal distribution and warehouse solutions from a single source
“The distribution and warehouse solution from Jungheinrich meant we could build an optimal storage location in a very restricted space that stores the whole range provided by our family-run company. At the same time, it enables us to optimise the picking of pallets and transport logistics such that HGVs can be loaded and unloaded very quickly. Consequently, we are able to guarantee the supply of whole pallets to Austrian retail within 24 hours and to Europe within 48 hours,” says Peter Steinbach, CEO of the Steinbach Group.