Kardex Mlog Expands Storage Capacities at Dairy Ehrmann

As part of a comprehensive modernization and expansion project, Kardex Mlog has expanded the storage capacities of the family-owned dairy Ehrmann at its headquarters in Oberschönegg, increased equipment availability, and optimized material flow. The modernization began in December 2018, and the ongoing production had to be taken into account during the work.

(Neuenstadt/Oberschönegg) The family-owned dairy Ehrmann is a loyal buyer for the Allgäu dairy farmers. The delivery relationships with the numerous dairy farms have existed for an average of 27 years. Ehrmann is similarly loyal to its technology partners. Nevertheless, new investments are put out to tender to various manufacturers, giving new suppliers a chance. This was also the case in 2018 when the modernization and expansion of the logistics facilities at the headquarters in Oberschönegg was on the agenda. Although the existing facility came from other providers, the overall contract was awarded to Kardex Mlog. “The intelligent conversion concept and the technology from Kardex Mlog convinced us,” recalls Dr. Manfred Grüneberg, coordinator of technical projects and process optimization at Ehrmann SE. Additionally, the new supplier was known for successful projects with other customers.

Spare Parts No Longer Available

The order included not only a four-aisle high-bay warehouse (HRL) with around 6,000 pallet spaces but also an extensive retrofit of the existing facilities during ongoing operations. Nine stacker cranes were to be completely modernized. The same applied to the automation systems of the existing conveyor technology.

The modernization of the existing facilities became necessary because their control technology was outdated and various spare parts were no longer available. The new high-bay warehouse was to accommodate auxiliary and operating materials that had previously been stored at other locations. The comprehensive project was rounded off by the installation of new safety technology.

Work Only on Weekends

After a two-month planning and preparation phase, Kardex Mlog began in December 2018 with the modernization, which could only be carried out on weekends due to operational processes and fully loaded production. It was further complicated by the fact that even on Saturdays and Sundays, work was only possible in precisely defined areas of the existing facility. “Production has absolute priority at Ehrmann,” reports Uwe Gilke, who was responsible for the project together with Matthias Rogowski. “Initially, we had to gain the trust of the employees that everything would run smoothly again after our weekend shifts.”

The retrofit measures primarily affected the control technology of the various conveyor systems and the existing high-bay warehouse. After the conversion, all automated areas are now uniformly controlled by programmable logic controllers (PLC) of the type Simatic S7-1500. “Now all storage areas operate with a consistent, unified concept, which also significantly simplifies operation,” notes Rogowski.

Optimized Power Consumption

In addition to ergonomics, equipment availability and efficiency could also be increased: already discontinued assemblies were replaced with modern components to ensure long-term high availability of spare parts with short delivery times. Furthermore, nine stacker cranes from the old stock were equipped with energy recovery.

A new automatic conveyor system was completely constructed to connect the also new HRL (Warehouse 4) with the directly adjacent HRL (Warehouse 3) and the manually operated Warehouse 2. Around 70 conveyor units are used here on three storage levels, including distribution vehicles, vertical conveyors, scissor lift tables, three-strand chain conveyors, roller conveyors, and corner turners. The fire protection closures and high-speed doors were also supplied by Kardex Mlog.

Reduced Forklift Traffic

The seamless integration of the new conveyor routes into the complex structures with emergency strategies and bypass functions was one of the challenges of the demanding project. Ultimately, the entire material flow had to be adjusted, and interfaces to Ehrmann’s warehouse management system had to be created. But the effort was worth it. “The new automatic conveyor system also significantly reduced forklift traffic between Warehouse 2 and 3,” explains Kardex Mlog project manager Matthias Rogowski.

After successfully completing the modernization, Kardex Mlog began construction of the four-aisle high-bay warehouse in March 2019. The 70m long, 32m wide, and 20m high building offers space for 6,000 Euro pallets or 3,980 industrial pallets, which can be stored double-deep. They are moved by four stacker cranes of the type M Single A-1200, which each allow 24 double cycles per hour. The 17m high devices were brought into the building through a roof opening. The commands for storing and retrieving are received by the machines from a customer-side warehouse management computer.

Expanded Use

Even during the construction phase, Ehrmann decided that the new storage capacities should not only store auxiliary and operating materials but also finished products. “This expanded use as a cold storage posed no problem for the technology,” emphasizes Rogowski, who coordinated closely with clients and project partners throughout the entire construction period. “We changed the project requirements several times, which were always implemented promptly and without issues by Kardex Mlog,” confirms Dr. Grüneberg.

Photo: © Kardex Mlog