Jungheinrich automates operations at Wacker Neuson

Hamburg. Jungheinrich is building a new logistics centre for Wacker Neuson, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality light equipment and compact equipment, at its location in Reichertshofen. Stefan Pfetsch, Managing Director of Wacker Neuson Produktion GmbH & Co. KG, officially launched the construction work at a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony today. The new 10,000 square metre logistics centre located close to Wacker Neuson’s production operations will significantly shorten its internal transport channels and create capacities for future growth. The facility is expected to be completed and to begin operating in summer 2022.

Dr Tobias Harzer, Head of Jungheinrich’s Sales Centre South, explains: “Jungheinrich is providing Wacker Neuson with a complete automation solution from a single source – from material flow analysis to design to implementation. The logistics centre includes an automatic high-bay warehouse, a manual warehouse area with automated order picking locations and a warehouse lift for miniload warehousing. The entire system is designed to provide higher throughput, increased speed and greater safety in material flow. It is Jungheinrich’s response to Wacker Neuson’s need for cutting-edge and efficient intralogistics.”

More exacting market requirements due to shorter order cycles and delivery times had pushed Wacker Neuson’s existing warehouse to the limit of its capacity. The light equipment manufacturer turned to Jungheinrich as it looked for more efficient logistics processes. As part of a comprehensive material flow consultation, experts at Jungheinrich analysed the existing structures and processes and identified potential for optimisation. The resulting material flow concept formed the basis for Wacker Neuson’s investment decision. Together, they decided to build a new, automatic logistics centre, as it represented the most sustainable and best solution from an economic perspective. The new facility and the associated upgraded processes will increase the efficiency of the logistics processes, thereby leading to long-term savings for Wacker Neuson.

At the heart of Jungheinrich’s new automated solution is a 54 metres long high-bay warehouse. The pallets can be stored up to 24.5 metres high in the silo-type hall. Jungheinrich stacker cranes will enable high-speed stacking and picking around the clock. The management and facility visualisation for conveyor systems and stacker cranes will also be realised by Jungheinrich. Order picking and preparation will be performed at ergonomic work stations equipped with handling tools.

The Jungheinrich WMS will be used to manage the high-bay warehouse and other warehouse areas. The integrated truck guidance system will ensure optimal material flow between the different warehouse areas and work stations – from incoming goods to outgoing goods. In the manual warehouse areas, the material handling equipment will be supported by Jungheinrich’s lift navigation during stacking and picking operations. The WMS system will continue to support the individual printing and comparison of the necessary equipment documentation, the administration of serial numbers and charges and the creation of dispatch documents via the linked dispatch system.

Since all of the component parts come from a single source, this will enable swift integration of the linked equipment management systems and smooth communication between the systems.

The logistics centre will allow for further growth in the future, and the high-bay warehouse will be able to accommodate another two aisles at a later stage. When the facility is complete at the end of July 2022, light equipment will be picked and dispatched using state-of-the-art processes at the new logistics centre. This means the expected growth will be possible under optimal conditions, and the ability to supply Wacker Neuson’s customers, including those in the construction, landscaping and agriculture sectors, will be further enhanced.