Save Time and Money With Automotive Intralogistics Solutions

Companies in the automotive industry place the highest demands on intralogistics concerning transparency, performance, and process reliability. Shorter product life cycles, market pressure and regulatory requirements also demand a high degree of future viability in terms of scalability and flexibility from the intralogistics system. In addition to increased demands for digitalised traceability of the processes, the most important requirement is to optimally fulfil various production concepts, such as just-in-time or sequence, to guarantee maximum availability of servicing the production and customers.

Efficient Spare Parts Storage and Highly Dynamic Spare Parts Shipping

Spare parts distribution is characterised by seasonal fluctuation and extensive customer order structures. To service customer needs, the highest demands are placed on order processing speed and quality. To facilitate the safe storage of a considerable variety of components with a reduced warehouse footprint and higher performance, you can rely on our proven expertise in the automotive sector. We support you from the automation of manual shelving systems to automated fulfilment centres with our highly dynamic Storebiter OLS shuttle warehouses and high-performance Goods-to-Person workstations. This allows you to achieve increased output with reduced floor space while also lowering your total cost of ownership.

Cost Reduction Due to Optimisation of Operation Sequences

At Mercedes-Benz USA LLC, the task was to optimise parts distribution processes and reduce transport costs. A quantity-efficient order picking system was designed to connect the upstream and downstream functional areas via 2,350 m of high-performance conveyor technology. Through the successful project, the goals of process optimisation and transport cost reduction were optimally achieved. Additionally, we significantly improved the workplace conditions for the team members.

Spare Parts Storage as a Challenge in the Automotive Industry

Spare parts storage is a challenge for vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers: large quantities of components need to be kept in the product range, sometimes for extended periods. At the same time, demand for parts and order processing remains high. In addition, seasonal or unpredictable peaks in demand may occur. Furthermore, there is a difference in what branches, subsidiaries and specialised companies need compared to direct end consumers who order the spare parts via the internet. Therefore, it may make sense to reconsider the current distribution solutions because the mentioned trades regularly place larger orders with mixed quantities. In contrast, end consumer only place small orders for induvial components.

Automated Production Logistics from Incoming Goods to Outgoing Goods

As a company in the automotive sector, you demand high reliability and performance from your production logistics. It must be highly efficient to process a high number of orders in a short time and, if necessary, to supply your production in just-in-time or just-in-sequence concepts. On the other hand, you need a flexible system that can respond to changing market conditions at any time. To meet these requirements, GEBHARDT offers automatic miniload and pallet warehouses to collect goods quickly and keep them available for production in a highly dynamic manner. Your production processes can be supplied with the required components effectively and efficiently using the standardised GEBHARDT System 300 or System 500 conveyor technology. Should you require a more flexible solution, our mobile robots offer you additional design options, particularly with classic conveyor technology. Incoming goods and ergonomic order picking workstations ensure that your employees have a safe working environment and help reduce downtime.

GEBHARDT Creates an Innovative Logistics Centre at KW Automotive

At the chassis manufacturer KW automotive in Fichtenberg, Swabia, the task was to implement the entire intralogistics solution including automated warehouses and modern conveyor technology as well as a Pick-to-Light system (PTL) in the Built-to-Order production and to integrate it into a flexible production structure with network capabilities.

Flexibility is Essential

In particular, suppliers in the automotive industry know the high demands placed on their production by just-in-time (JIT) requirements. At peak times, unfinished products are delivered daily in high volumes. After receiving goods, it is, therefore, necessary that intralogistics processes are designed to be effective and efficient to achieve more than simply providing you with a clear and tidy incombing goods area. Furthermore, your customers demand the highest transparency and reliability from your processes. The impact of a constantly changing product range presents new challenges to the flexibility of your production system.

Ergonomics Improve Efficiency and Deliver Higher Quality

Shortage of skilled workers and demographic changes are daily challenges for you in the automotive environment. As a result, the company’s goal is to offer incentives for loyalty and long-term employment by creating optimised workstations. Furthermore, you have to fulfil regulatory requirements in your industry, so topics such as occupational safety and ergonomics are on your daily agenda. GEBHARDT supports you in designing your intralogistics system to provide maximum support to your employees. Switching to a GEBHARDT warehouse Goods-to-Person system with a can reduce the lifting requirements without wasting precious space. For transport orders, your employees can be supported by mobile robots such as the GEBHARDT Karis. Furthermore, the integrated workstations of the SimplePick range have been designed with ergonomics in mind to reduce the strain on your staff during their daily work.

GEBHARDT Can also Provide You with a Perfectly Dimensioned Distribution Centre

Using GEBHARDT automation and digitalisation in intelligent intralogistics solutions reduces the daily workload of your employees and increases process efficiency and transparency, all the while reducing your operating costs. An intelligently designed intralogistics system from GEBHARDT offers you the opportunity to incorporate individual requirements into the workstation systems and, if required, to test them at the GEBHARDT test centre in Sinsheim. We evaluate your order picking tasks from an ergonomic point of view to be customer-specific, flexible, and scalable. This was also Leuze’s experience building its new international distribution centre.

The Challenge of Demographic Changes

Demographic changes, labour shortages, an ageing workforce, and changing customer requirements are placing ever greater demands on the staff in your intralogistics system. Concepts based on ergonomic design principles are needed to support employees in the best possible way and maintain their health in everyday working life. This will allow you to reduce absenteeism and offer your skilled workers improved workplaces, a further incentive to stay longer in your company.

Digitalisation Ensures Transparency in Intralogistics

Tracking the production progress and delivery status of your products is of great importance for you, especially in the automotive environment, to meet your customers’ high demands and to respond quickly to changing conditions. Furthermore, you would like to optimise your performance by enhancing your continuous improvement process, defining clear requirements for monitoring the intralogistics system and the corresponding KPIs.

Digitisation and software are the keys to transparency and efficiency for your automation systems. We support you with our own StoreWare software or optionally with software solutions from other providers such as SAP. Our cloud solutions Galileo IoT and Galileo Insight provide you with maximum transparency and further improved availability through analytics.

Prime Example of Perfectly Networked Intralogistics

At the GEBHARDT Innovation Centre in Sinsheim, GEBHARDT Intralogistics Group shows interested parties and customers intralogistics solutions, software, and IoT applications interact under realistic storage and order-picking conditions. “The GEBHARDT Innovation Center was designed to show automation in our own warehouse while at the same time processing real customer picking orders,” explains Marco Gebhardt, CEO of the GEBHARDT Intralogistics Group. The development and production of intralogistics solutions and IoT applications are subject to continuous growth, which is why the Innovation Centre is constantly expanding with new and further developments, such as the AGV KARIS® or the SimplePick series.