Egger - Fit for the Future

Automatic high-bay storage for heavy weights (the superlatives)

In many areas of industry, there is an increasing trend towards passing on responsibility for the storage of finished goods to the manufacturers. Retailers are reducing their responsibility for these activities and instead are increasingly relying on efficient supply chains in order to offer their customers high levels of service. For manufacturers this not only means investment, but also presents significant challenges.

The EGGER Group, with its chipboard plant in Unterradlberg near to the Lower Austrian state capital St. Pölten, is facing just such a challenge. The plant stores whole chipboard packages with dimensions of up to 5.6 x 2.0m and weights to match. The amount of space required for optimal block storage (on a cost-benefit basis) results in significant process times due to long driving routes and considerable handling requirements. Consistent or even decreasing storage capacities constitute an additional strain.

The solution lies in the height
„We were no longer able to expand by adding further block storage, as this would have increased the length and duration of routes, thus having huge effects on our processes. So it quickly became clear to us that the solution lay not in the breadth but in the height“, explains Peter Eggenberger, Head of Logistics in Unterradlberg. This is why we decided to commission the planning of an automated high-bay storage system for these types of wooden packages. However, due to the large dimensions and heavy weight of the packages, as well as the need to integrate warehouse technology in the middle of the existing production processes, we decided to ask the specialists. They were able to come up with a very special and innovative solution for this specialised task.

Efficiency creates success
“Xvise developed a comprehensive concept for an automated high-bay storage system which covers all our problems and process requirements. The system is not only used for the storage of the finished goods, but also takes care of the provision of the saws and coating equipment. In addition to this, the increasing demand for packages assembled to each customer’s specific requirements could also be met by means of a commissioning station“, Eggenberger emphasises his satisfaction with the methods and competence of our consultants. The design not only means increased storage capacities, simplified automated processes and reduced process times, but personnel resources were also used more efficiently thus providing a solid foundation for future market requirements.

The success and benefit of this project proves that EGGER and Xvise are right – the design of a high-bay storage system for the next site is already underway.