Dematic Automates New Warehouse for Yusen Logistics in Belgium

The German intralogistics specialist Dematic automates the new logistics center of the Belgian logistics service provider Yusen Logistics. The warehouse building offers space for 15,000 pallets over an area of approximately 5,000 m2 with a height of 17 meters.

(Heusenstamm / Melsele) Dematic automates the new warehouse of the Belgian logistics service provider Yusen Logistics Benelux. To this end, the intralogistics specialist supplies a hybrid driverless transport system (Hybrid-FTS) consisting of hybrid narrow-aisle FTS and hybrid reach truck FTS. Combined with a Dematic conveyor system, it enables fully automated loading and unloading as well as storing and retrieving pallets. The new warehouse in Melsele, Belgium, near Antwerp, offers space for up to 15,000 pallets over nearly 5,000 square meters at a height of 17 meters. Yusen Logistics is installing four Dematic Hybrid-FTS, ensuring fast, safe, and precise pallet handling despite high storage density. Furthermore, Yusen Logistics achieves significantly more efficient order processing for its pharmaceutical customers across Europe while meeting all requirements.

Warehouse Capacity Significantly Increased

“Efficient warehouse and distribution management is the key to economic success in today’s competitive environment. With Dematic’s Hybrid-FTS, we are the best possible third-party logistics provider for our healthcare customers, delivering the right product on time, within budget, and with complete transparency to the respective destination,” says Bruno Jacques, Managing Director of Yusen Logistics Benelux & Nordics. The new warehouse is an extension of the existing Yusen Antwerp Logistics Campus and allows the company to significantly increase its storage capacity. This enables the logistics provider to serve its pharmaceutical customers across Europe in a modern, temperature-controlled, and fully automated manner.
With twelve aisles on nine levels, the new narrow-aisle warehouse offers 15,000 pallet spaces. The advantage of the narrow aisles is compact storage. Compliance with quality and temperature regulations is ensured by the controlled environment. The system consists of two hybrid reach truck FTS and two hybrid narrow-aisle FTS from Dematic. It features a modern design and is based on man-on-board narrow-aisle vehicles or reach trucks. Additionally, it is equipped with the Dematic FTS automation package. The narrow-aisle versions use a dual navigation method: on one hand, wire guidance in the aisles of the racking warehouse and on the other hand, laser guidance outside the aisles. They transport and store goods safely and precisely up to a height of 14.5 meters. The higher accuracy also leads to a lower damage rate compared to manual methods. The Hybrid-FTS can operate automatically as well as switch to manual driving and product handling. This way, Yusen Logistics employees can gradually get used to the new automated warehouse. At the same time, the system ensures high work safety and equipment availability.

Maximum Flexibility

Thanks to the flexibility of the FTS, Yusen Logistics can temporarily increase throughput volume during seasonal peaks through higher frequencies, additional shifts, or longer operating hours. Layout adjustments are also easy to implement, ensuring the company is prepared for future growth. An expansion with an additional FTS is already planned. Flexibility was also one of the decision criteria for Yusen Logistics Benelux, as Jacques summarizes: “With Dematic’s FTS, we are equipped for today’s short product life cycles, the intensified time-to-market pressure, seasonal storage fluctuations, and last but not least, our expansion strategy.” The system is complemented by a Dematic conveyor system with buffering function and an integrated pallet profile control station for storage, as well as a barcode scanner for seamless tracking of pharmaceuticals.
The Dematic Hybrid-FTS is controlled by the state-of-the-art real-time FTS management software E’tricc® (Transport Intelligent Control Centre) from Dematic. It manages both order management and traffic control, ensuring smooth inbound and outbound storage. The software is connected to Yusen Logistics’ warehouse management system. Screens visualize the status of all Hybrid-FTS in real-time, guaranteeing a transparent overview of the status of transport orders. Thanks to automation, more pallets can be handled with fewer vehicles. “Ultimately, we chose Dematic because the proposed concept is well thought out. It allows us to achieve the required capacity and flexibility, all against the backdrop of a compelling return on investment. The references that Dematic could present for comparable projects were also a decisive factor,” says Jacques. An additional plus: The Dematic service team is always available on short notice, as the Dematic Center of Excellence for Mobile Automation is located nearby in Zwijndrecht, Belgium.
Photo: © Dematic
www.dematic.com/de