CLAAS SERVICE AND PARTS GMBHHAMM-UENTROP

Case Study

PROJECT / CUSTOMER‘S REQUIREMENTSCAPACITY INCREASED AND THROUGHPUT DOUBLED

Because the failure of a combine harvester during harvest season can cost up to EUR 500 per hour, the CLAAS Group with headquarters in Harsewinkel decided to give replace-ment parts supply the highest priority. The international leading agricultural equipment manufacturer provided the basis: the distribution warehouse in Hamm-Uentrop put into operation in 2000. CLAAS established the Parts Logistics Centre together with logistics partner STUTE. It has been operated since then by the joint subsidiary CS Parts Logistics GmbH. It forms the backbone for the global parts replacement business for CLAAS.More than 145,000 different items are in stock in the 50,000-square-metre logistics complex.

The trigger for fundamental restructuring and construction of a small parts shipping was the sustained increase in de-mand, the double-digit growth rate of recent years, and the increased selection of parts that brought the existing auto-mated small parts warehouse to the limits of its capacity.

Aberle completed the project as general contractor during ongoing operation so that now up to 13,000 order items can be shipped per day. Productivity was increased by 10% with this restructuring. Adherence with requested ship dates of 99.8% is possible with the new system.

Case Study CLAAS SERVICE AND PARTS GMBH

Autom. small parts warehouse with conveyor system pre-zone System visualisation

New order picker workstations allows picking with up to 12 target containers

Installation of order picker on the new 3.5-metre-high conveyor system

BENEFITS / SPECIAL FEATURESThe highlight for CLAAS: The response time from order entry to preparation for shipping or customer pickup is under 30 minutes after the optimisations by Aberle. Each day up to 13,000 order items are shipped out, and requested shipping dates are met 99.8% of the time. The expansion of the inventory system from 9 to 13 aisles with 200,000 storing positions, together with the two new order pickers as a high-performance order collection buffer, forms the basis for 7 new and mod-ern picking workstations that allow picking on up to 12 target containers. Additionally, each of the four new

stacker cranes provide 66 double cycles in 60 minutes – that is 2,120 storages and retrievals per hour.

The newly installed Aberle PMS-M controls the stacker cranes so that the majority of the transferred retrieval orders can be organised and processed with optimised routing. With intelligent algorithms and with the incorporation of optimal load management, PMS-E provides highest energy efficient during system oper-ation. In addition to this expansion, CLAAS has the option of expanding the system to up to 20 aisles.

Solution

First the shelving system for the automatic small parts warehouse was expanded with 4 aisles. In order to disrupt operations at the logistics centre as little as possible, the commissioning and start-up phases were set for a two-month period between the two seasonal peak times. The control of the inventory stacker crane was adapted to the new interface in part during ongoing operation. In addition, Aberle has installed new components for the container conveyor system and integrated a new material flow computer with the process management system for material flow (PMS-M from Aberle). With the new structures, the automated small parts warehouse was expanded to 200,000 storing positions and the pre-packing stations increased from 6 to 12 shipping containers per picking station. The two additional order pickers multiplied the buffer capacity for the shipping containers. This simplified the ability to meet the request shipping dates.

Integrated components.

The Aberle PMS-M works together with the existing ware-house management system to control the warehousing processes in the entire small parts warehouse based on a continuous and route-optimised material flow concept. The installed process management system for energy (PMS-E from Aberle) with intelligent algorithms and with the incorporation of optimal load management ensures the highest energy efficiency during system operation. The two new order pickers were equipped with a double- depth loading capacity of a total of 320 containers, and can be compensated for with various order picking speeds. The container loop with output of 1,800 containers / h supplies the installed order picking workstations on a new 3.5-meter-high conveyor system. At these 7 stations, the order picking is possible with pick to light with up to 12 target containers and creates the basis for high-level service of up to 1,100 picks per hour.

Expansion of inventory system (blue, 9 aisles), new construction (4 aisles)

Case Study CLAAS SERVICE AND PARTS GMBH

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TECHNICAL DATA

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Aberle GmbHDaimlerstraße 4074211 Leingarten · GermanyPhone +49 7131 9059-0Fax +49 7131 9059-59www.aberle-automation.cominfo@aberle-automation.com

Industry Machine construction (CLAAS) Contract logistics (STUTE)

General contractor Scope of delivery - Adjustment to inventory aisles 1 - 9 - Aisles 10 - 13 newly built - Container conveyor system - 2 order pickers - Controller for SRM / Container conveyor system - 7 new workstations, each with 12 containers with pick-to-light system

Small parts warehouseAisles / SRM 13 aisles / 13 SRMsStoring positions 200,000 positionsStacker crane 152 storages and retrievals (new construction) per SRM / hLoad handling device Combi telescoping forklift, double depth

Load units Container up to 50 kg

Conveyor system Container loop 1800 containers / h Components -Roller conveyor -Belt conveyor -High speed transfer Order picking 2 picking stations, 320 storing positions, 420 storages and retrievals

IT-Base PMS-E / PMS-M