Automated EcoDrive® Lean-Lifts®

Fast click speeds need fast logistics.

The sophisticated central warehouse operated by Brugg Cables in the Swiss town of Brugg was planned and optimized in close cooperation with the management consultancy Resoplan and Hänel Office and Industrial Storage Systems, a manufacturer of automated intralogistics systems, using six modern Hänel Lean-Lifts®.

Founded in 1896, Brugg Cables AG has grown to become one of Switzerland’s leading cable manufacturers, with a workforce of around 650 employees. The company offers a diverse product range – from fiber optic cables for signal transmission and low-voltage cables for construction site power supply to high-voltage cables for major electricity suppliers. Brugg Cables works closely with its customers to develop tailored system solutions through to large-scale projects for entire power supply systems.

Compact Lean-Lift® storage system creates space and transparency

The Internet made the global exchange of data, something that had been discussed for years, a reality overnight, leading to the movement of goods on an unprecedented scale. The rapid availability of products has thus become a decisive competitive advantage.

In order to continue to manage the increasing movement of goods, Brugg Cables modernized the entire logistics in its central warehouse. As part of this, the company installed six Lean-Lift® storage systems, which combine storage rationalization and goods protection in one. At the heart of each Lean-Lift®, an automatic, computer-controlled positioning lift accesses the containers in front of and behind it – quickly, effectively, and efficiently. Height-optimized storage of items of different sizes enables optimal and extremely flexible utilization of the available storage space.

The state-of-the-art central warehouse in Brugg consists of storage for cable drums, a pallet store for cable harnesses and clamps for high-voltage cables, as well as an automatic storage facility with six Lean-Lifts® arranged side-by-side for smaller components.

The first step was to assess the current state of the old manual warehouse. All components and items were cataloged on this basis and distributed to the different 10,000 containers in the Lean-Lifts® and some 2,000 pallet spaces. The compact height-optimized vertical storage in the Lean-Lift® makes optimal use of the available space and thus significantly cuts storage costs across the board.

Several access points on different floors

Three Lean-Lifts® are cleverly connected directly with incoming goods and dispatch by means of a second access point on the first floor. This significantly reduces time spent walking back and forth to retrieve items. Construction site orders are specially assembled on the first floor and made available for delivery in larger boxes in the Lean-Lift®. All access points are positioned at ergonomic height levels. This allows orders to be conveniently filled.

Three further Lean-Lifts® use the entire  floor-to-ceiling height on the ground floor. No more searching for the right drawer during set-up, rather the employee simply requests the container in the Lean-Lift® and then retrieves the item. Because the storage systems are located where they are needed, order pickers no longer need to walk back and forth many hundreds of meters.

The items are protected from dust and damage in the Lean-Lift®. This was also an important criterion when designing the storage strategy. All of the access points of the storage systems are therefore closed again automatically following retrieval of an item.

All transactions are recorded via barcodes and modern touchscreen displays directly on the Lean-Lift®, allowing all stock movements to be posted in the well-organized and convenient Brisoft warehouse management system (WMS). The stock items in the WMS are simultaneously entered in the ERP system via an interface following retrieval, with the WMS managing all Lean-Lifts®. The integration of the Hänel Lean-Lifts® into the IT system was completed very smoothly. Overall, storage costs have been significantly reduced and valuable storage space has been saved.

Because they are less prone to repairs, the robust Hänel Lean-Lifts® only rarely require maintenance and achieve a very high degree of efficiency.

With the automatic Hänel Lean-Lifts®, the storage technology has a bright future, even in times of rapid picking of the smallest quantities. The modular Hänel Lean-Lift® systems offer more storage capacity than conventional storage systems having the same footprint, thanks to compact and height-optimized vertical storage. The advantage: optimal use of the storage capacity. The system saves up to 60 percent of expensive storage space.

Fast access to all required parts and components translates into economical and effective storage that drastically reduces costs and improves parts management at the same time.