REWE Group, one of Europe's largest food retailers, is currently building a new 683,508 square feet national logistics centre, set to open in October 2014. The warehouse in Neu Isenburg (as pictured), Germany, will be the centrepiece of the Germany-based group's logistics overhaul programme, launched in 2009. 5,500 REWE supermarkets throughout Germany will be serviced by the warehouse, with dry goods the primary focus. This will expand to supply up to 24,000 SKUs to 1,400 stores on a daily basis.
The retailer has chosen to work with WITRON Logistik + Informatik GmbH on the project, for the design and realisation of all storage and picking, material flow, IT, and control systems. "An important decision criterion when selecting the system was not only high cost-efficiency, but also ergonomic workstations and integrated ergonomic processes within the entire material flow. In this regard, we were convinced that WITRON's solutions were the best amongst all competitors," said REWE project manager, Matthias Baehr.
The logistics centre is designed to handle 551,000 cases, 1,150 quarter / half pallets, and 900 full pallets on a peak day. Storage and picking will be carried out with WITRON's DPS (Dynamik Picking System), ETP (Ergonomic Tray Picking), DPP (Display Pallet Picking System), and CPS (Car Picking System) solutions. The integrated system is composed of an automated pallet high bay warehouse with 67,300 storage locations, a tote AS/RS with 201,900 tote storage locations and 60 picking workstations, a tray warehouse with 95,200 storage locations and 28 Ergonomic Picking Mobiles, as well as a storage area for the automated picking of quarter and half pallets with 820 storage locations. All conveyor system elements including the stacker cranes and the ETP shuttles will be developed and produced by WITRON's subsidiary FAS.
"The rising average age of the warehouse associates, as well as the increasing performance requirements, is a growing challenge for logistics companies, not only in the food retail sector. With WITRON's order picking systems, we can offer our colleagues modern, highly ergonomic workstations that guarantee high picking quantity and quality, independent of age and gender", according Matthias Baehr.
With the help of person-aboard pick shuttles, the ETP system picks cases from a tray AS/RS pick front onto pallets or roll containers. The optimal ergonomic characteristics of the shuttles are certified by TUEV. For every pick, the picking cabin is positioned such that the picker needs only to push the case onto the order pallet or roll container so lifting, bending, and carrying is eliminated.
Similarly, WITRON's other picking sub-systems in the REWE distribution centre are focused on eliminating heavy and non-ergonomic movements and activities. DPS is used for picking small-cube articles from totes stored in a pick front that is replenished automatically with stacker cranes. Pick-by-light is used to guide the pickers, while dynamic slotting within the pick front is employed to reduce picker walking distances by up to 75 per cent compared to conventional systems. With DPS, it is no longer necessary to replenish cases in the pick front or manually transport heavy order totes in the pick aisle as in many conventional systems. Maintenance and service will be done by an on-site WITRON team.
Cologne-headquartered REWE reported revenues of €53 billion in 2011, with €39 billion stemming from its domestic business. (10 Dec)
© 2012 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine
