Dematic Optimizes Order Picking at Siedle in Furtwangen

Dematic has installed an AutoStore® system at the logistics center of S. Siedle & Söhne Telefon- und Telegrafenwerke OHG in Furtwangen in the Black Forest. The compact piece goods order picking system automates the order picking process and simultaneously optimizes the use of storage space for the leading European manufacturer of building communication technology.

(Heusenstamm/Furtwangen) The items are stored in a storage block consisting of 12,500 containers on just 480 square meters. They are served by seven robots that automatically access the goods contained within when requested. The items are then transported to the workstations where they are picked and prepared for shipping or supplied to production. The control and operation of the system is done directly through the warehouse management system SAP WM, which has been enhanced with the Dematic module SubSuite, a specially developed template for controlling material flow and control room activities, to which all subsystems are connected. As a result, Siedle has significantly simplified its IT landscape. “AutoStore® has not only convinced us with its performance but also with its extremely compact design, flexibility, and modularity, which allows for expansions with very manageable effort,” says Richard Rutschmann, Technical Managing Director at Siedle. The company has been producing in Furtwangen in the Black Forest for 270 years and generates more than 80 percent of its value creation in-house. After the existing, aging automatic small parts warehouse (AKL) had reached its capacity limits, Siedle began searching for a solution that ideally required no major structural changes.

Compressed Storage Capability

AutoStore® perfectly matched the requirements profile of the manufacturer of building communication technology. One of the biggest advantages of the system is the compressed storage capability. The compact design and adaptability to existing spatial conditions made an extension of Siedle’s logistics center unnecessary. The system automates both the storage and order picking of products and components at Siedle, which are either delivered directly to the customer or further processed in-house. The system requires only 480 square meters of space. “In this way, we significantly streamline and accelerate processes in both logistics and production,” says Rutschmann. Additionally, the high reliability is convincing: if a robot fails, another takes over its task in no time. The control and operation of the AutoStore® system is done directly through the warehouse management software SAP WM and an underlying AutoStore® controller from the manufacturer. Additionally, Dematic has replaced the existing material flow computer in the pallet warehouse and the connected conveyor technology and implemented the control of all systems directly from the SAP system using the Dematic module SubSuite. This way, all relevant data flows automatically into one system, ensuring smooth operation. “This allows us to unify our IT landscape. For ongoing operations and the associated data evaluation, this is a significant advantage,” says Rutschmann.

Commissioning a Few Months After the Decision

The software also ensures the sequencing of order picking. It groups individual items together, sorts the provision according to different criteria, assigns them a picking location, and initiates the automatic transport of the containers to the workstations in the desired order. This functionality is directly represented in the SAP system, eliminating the need for interfaces to external IT solutions. “The authority always lies with the SAP system. Through direct integration, we achieve complete transparency and second-accurate updates on the same platform,” says the Managing Director. Thanks to precise planning, Siedle was able to put the system into operation just a few months after the decision for the AutoStore® system. The technical consulting and planning company io-consultants GmbH & Co. KG was also involved in the project, having developed a comprehensive modernization concept in advance and subsequently accompanied the implementation. Like most of Dematic’s solutions, the AutoStore® system at Siedle is designed to be easily adapted to order peaks and the company’s future growth. Additional robots can be installed at short notice without interrupting operations. Photo: © Dematic