Quick reach into the high rack

Linden. Nowadays, it is a matter of course to order shoes, photo books or consumer electronics on the Internet with just a few clicks – in the best case, the letter carrier rings the doorbell the very next morning with the longed-for package. The mail-order company Alternate from Linden was an early adopter of this online trade. As early as the mid-1990s, the growing demand for hardware and software as well as home and consumer electronics was met via the Internet – today, the product range includes around 50,000 items. Sophisticated logistics are needed to ensure smooth operations, which is why Alternate GmbH built an automated small parts warehouse with connected order picking and container conveyor technology at the turn of the millennium. The two-aisle high-bay warehouse provides space for 5,720 bins in which different packaging units with electrical components are stored – by means of two stacker cranes, employees have quick access to the desired parts. In the meantime, however, the plant had become outdated, and the drive and control technology no longer met the increased requirements, resulting in an increasing number of malfunctions. In order to bring them up to date again, the company commissioned the intralogistics specialist TELOGS from Wettenberg with a so-called retrofit – in which existing systems and equipment are brought back up to speed by replacing defective parts and installing the latest control technology. A particular challenge for the TELOGS team was the fact that the former plant manufacturer no longer existed – making it difficult to obtain complete technical documentation or even descriptions of the interfaces in the installed control technology. On top of that, only a time window from Friday evening to Monday morning was available for the extensive work, as ongoing operations were not to be disrupted. The jointly developed modernization concept was implemented thanks to a close-knit deployment plan and optimum project preparation. After completion of the work, the plant now has the desired availability again – the throughput of goods was increased by 15 percent and, in addition, the user-friendliness was improved.