Wessels + Müller AG Vehicle parts and more, Expansion of central warehouse in Lotte

wessels_und_mueller Wessels + Müller AG is one of the largest free automobile-part dealers in Germany. The product range stays true to original parts of renowned manufacture brands and includes spare parts for cars and trucks, accessories, tyres, vehicle chemicals, paint, tools and workshop equipment. The highest priority is perfect delivery service in order to allow the clients to concentrate on their company's success. The employees of Wessels + Müller AG are the foundation for the strong market position of this company.

In order to expand these, Wessels + Müller AG concentrates on the following competences

Vast product range
Consistently high service level
High-performance logistics

Solution

Large logistics expert in the automotive branch
In order to reach this goal, the logistics centre in Lotte near Osnabrück was equipped with highly modern technology.

Achieving the goal
The basis was created first to optimise the processes. This took place by the implementatino of a warehouse-management system by Ehrhardt + Partner. The exisiting warehouse building was expanded by the new construction of a 9-aisle highbay warehouse. The last step planned at the time was construction of a shelf-storage rack system with two levels by SSI Schäfer.

The tailor-made suit for each product
Small parts are stored in a two-level shelf-storage system in which order picking takes place manually. The workers are guided for storage and picking using mobile terminals and the warehouse-management system LFS 400. The tote-conveyor system by the company Horstmann transport the products for replenishment and picking.

A "station" of the conveyor system is allocated to each work area. The worker picks all positions that are stored there. The conveyor system then transports the order totes to the other stations in order for the order to be completed.

Die Förderanlage verbindet die Arbeitsstationen
The conveyor system connects the workstations

Fachbodenanlage für Kleinteile in 2 Ebenen
Shelf storage for small parts in 2 levels

Areas

In the goods-out area, the filled totes are automatically sorted according to the receivers.

The 9-aisle highbay warehouse is divided into three areas based on the article properties:

Tyres are stored in large totes in four aisles.
Three aisles are used to store Euro pallets and stillage.
The remaining two aisles are used to store pallets and totes of different sizes.

A speciality here is the stacker cranes that used in automatic and manual operations. Incoming goods are normally stored manually, partial removal for oerder picking is done while manually operating the stacker crane.

The operating stati of the conveyor system and stacker cranes are shown on a computer screen. Any malfunctions are thereby quickly recognised, localised and eliminated. The control concept for the conveyor systems and stacker cranes was executed by Hörmann Logistik.

Main logistics centre
Warehouse area			20,000 m²
Pallet capacity			over 20,000
Perm. available products			over 80,000
Suppliers			over 500
Delivered parts p.a.			over 10 million
Processed orders p.a.			over 4.5 million
Employees			ca. 150

As already mentioned, order picking using partial removals works on the principle of "man to goods". Information for the picker is sent to the stacker crane by data transmission. The worker travels to the indicated location and places the required quantity into the totes carried along. The filled totes are combined based on receiver and consolidated.

Versandsortierung
Dispatch sorting

RBG-Kabine
Stacker-crane cabin

Versand
Goods-out

Involved companies

			IWL AG Mühlsteige 4, 89075 Ulm, Tel.: +49 (0) 7 31.1 40 50-0, Fax: +49 (0) 7 31.1 40 50-50 Internet: www.iwl.de, E-Mail: info(at)iwl.de

			HÖRMANN LOGISTIK GmbH Gneisenaustraße 15, 80992 München, Tel.: +49 (0) 89.14 98 98-0, Fax: +49 (0) 89.14 98 98-98 Internet: www.hoermann-logistik.de, E-Mail: info(at)hoermann-logistik.de

			Horstmann GmbH & Co. KG - Geschäftsbereich Lagerlogistik und Fördertechnik Loher Busch 52, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, Tel.: +49 (0) 57 31.7 94-0, Fax: +49 (0) 57 31.7 94-2 10 Internet: www.horstmann-group.com, E-Mail: foerdertechnik(at)horstmann-group.com

			Ehrhardt + Partner GmbH & Co. KG Alte Römerstraße 3, 56154 Boppard-Buchholz, Tel.: +49 (0) 67 42.87 27-0, Fax: +49 (0) 67 42.87 27-50 Internet: www.ehrhardt-partner.com, E-Mail: info(at)ehrhardt-partner.com

			Fritz Schäfer GmbH Fritz-Schäfer-Straße 20, 57290 Neunkirchen / Siegerland, Tel.: +49 (0) 27 35.70-1, Fax: +49 (0) 27 35.70-3 96 Internet: www.ssi-schaefer.de, E-Mail: vd(at)ssi-schaefer.de

Downloads

Brochure Wessels + Müller AG (in German) pdf 1.95 MB