From cork producer to global player in the plastics sectorIt all started with a small cork manufacturing company at the end of the 19th century. Today, the Greiner Group, which is based in Kremsmuenster (Upper Austria), is a global player in the plastics sector. The independent corporation Greiner Bio-One International AG emerged from the laboratory technology division of Greiner Holding AG in 2001. It is also owned by the Greiner family and specialises in the promising sectors of Preanalytics and BioScience.With a production and distribution network in more than 100 countries worldwide and approximately 1500 employees, the company has been extremely successful in both product divisions. Greiner Bio-One is a global leader in the HTS product sector for the pharmaceutical screening of active agents. Also in the area of specimen sampling devices, the Greiner Group has been achieving high market share profits for years and has consequently become market leader in a number of regions already. Due to the continuous growth, Greiner Bio-One was forced to expand its logistics centre in Kremsmuenster. The considerations regarding a fully automated logistics centre were strengthened by the fact that the replanning of the automated warehouse would generate a higher stock turnover and a faster outbound delivery. Inspired by this vision, Greiner Bio-One decided to put its trust in SSI Schaefer in order to path the way for a logistics future. Completion in record timeThe new logistics centre was completed within only one year of construction period. On an area of over 4.000 m², a fully automated logistics system including a high bay warehouse, a goods-in as well as goods-out area, was realised in collaboration with SSI Schaefer. The picking area is located on the first floor. The already existing warehouse is now being used for the material supply of both productions. The logistics centreThe automated high bay warehouse consists of 4 aisles, which are equipped with a double-deep pallet warehouse. With more than 5.000 storage locations and a weight of 500 kg per pallet, Greiner Bio-One has sufficient space to meet future requirements. The 4 aisles in the high bay warehouse are equipped with 4 stacker cranes with telescopic forks. Each stacker crane is installed in such a way that they operate in double cycle mode, meaning that one loading unit is stored while another one is already retrieved during the return. The pallets of finished goods arriving from the sterilisation are automatically wrapped and checked for excess weight. The distribution of pallets among the individual warehouse aisles is carried out by means of a shuttle. Picking – Goods to Man – Pick by LightThe picking is performed on the first floor of the logistics centre. The "Goods to Man" picking procedure includes three work stations. It involves the preparation of source pallets on three lift tables, which facilitate an ideal working height. The "Pick by Light" system represents another major highlight. During this procedure, a light signal above the designated shelf supports and reliably guides the warehouse staff through the picking process by indicating the articles and quantities to be picked. Consequently, "Pick by Light" systems offer diverse advantages such as the increase of the order picking performance, a significant reduction of errors and a higher flexibility. Dispatch preparationThe dispatch pallets are forwarded to the retrieval area by means of a transfer carriage, where the pallets are buffered on gravity tracks. In order to be able to interfere manually in case a pallet gets stuck, a space was kept clear after each pair of conveyors for a possible access. Team workThe collaboration within the SSI Schafer group was an integral part during the realisation of the major project. The high bay warehouse with double-deep pallet storage was installed by SSI Schaefer Wels while the pallet conveying system was realised by its affiliate SSI Schaefer Noell Giebelstadt. This project represents yet another positive example for the great team spirit among the business group. For further information please contact:Head press office SSI SCHAEFER Germany:Katharina Kunz, Fritz Schäfer GmbHT +49 2735 70 395, Email: katharina.kunz@ssi-schaefer.deCompany profileSSI Schaefer is recognized as the world’s leading supplier of warehousing and logistics systems. Services offered range from sophisticated design to equipping facilities with products from the company’s comprehensive product range, and implementing these projects as the general contractor. The range of competencies under the SSI Schaefer umbrella name forms the basis for developing market specific, multi-purpose storage systems targeting market requirements and for determining heterogeneous solutions in the field of intra-logistics. The product range of SSI Schaefer/Fritz Schaefer GmbH, Neunkirchen, headquarters of the international SSI Schaefer Group, encompasses the core area of warehouse equipment, including workshop, plant and office equipment, plus a variety of waste collection and recycling containers. Typical products are storage and transport containers, shelving, pallet rack, cantilever and mobile racking systems, which form the basis for manually operated or fully automated storage systems. Fritz Schäfer founded the company in 1937, and today the company has offices around the world. In Germany alone, SSI Schaefer is represented by 12 offices. SSI Schaefer Noell GmbH, D-Giebelstadt, complements the product and services portfolio as a specialist for sophisticated logistics systems. Acting as general contractor, the company has completed over 300 logistics systems worldwide. Capabilities range from system planning and consulting to the implementation of turnkey systems and customized after-sales services. Salomon Automation GmbH, A-Friesach, Graz, provides specifically tailored solutions from a single source for all types of logistics systems – manual and fully automated. The company supports its customers throughout the lifecycle of logistics systems, including planning, implementation and maintenance.SSI Schaefer Peem, GmbH, A-Graz, specializes in modular order picking technology. The company designs, develops and manufactures highly dynamic, small parts conveyor systems as well as automatic order picking systems, including the customized software.
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