High-bay warehouse: Kardex Mlog building sustainably for Weleda

 

 

 

Weleda attached great importance to sustainability when constructing the new logistics center and the entire life cycle of the building until its eventual disposal was considered during planning. The wood-built high-bay warehouse stands alongside the operations and administration building. All walls and facades were made using locally sourced rammed earth. Energy for the plant, which will operate with a single shift on five working days, will be supplied in full via geothermal and photovoltaic systems. The construction project has already received pre-certification with the DGNB platinum standard – the highest rating the German Sustainable Building Council can award.

 

For the five-aisle, high-bay warehouse with 17,160 pallet storage spaces, Kardex Mlog supplied five stacker cranes of type Kardex MSingle B – 1200/29 double-deep machines with energy storage devices from SEW. “There were several reasons why we opted for Kardex Mlog. Firstly, the most sustainable solution for us was to collaborate with a supplier with a high level of vertical integration who also manufactures here in the south of Germany. Secondly, like Weleda, Kardex Mlog has more than 100 years of experience – and that creates a level of trust,” explains project leader, Daniela Trah.

 

At the customer's request, Kardex Mlog delivered the four outer stacker cranes in yellow, blue, pink, and green. At Weleda, these colors represent the natural fragrances Energy, Relax, Love, and Harmony. A further stacker crane of type Kardex MTwin A – 1200/18-ZT handles double-deep storage and retrieval in the connected buffer warehouse. 

 

 

The conveying technology supplied by Kardex Mlog connects the goods receipt, picking, shipping buffer, and goods issue areas with 308 drives. The scope of supply also includes continuous conveyors, roller and chain conveyors, vertical conveyors, turntables and lift tables. 13 automatic barcode readers alongside the conveying technology serve to identify the transport units. For this purpose, two barcodes are applied to each pallet. Special pallet inspection points carry out automated contour and overload inspections. The Kardex MVisu plant visualization, also developed by Kardex, covers not only the pallet conveying technology but also the container conveying technology, supplied by AM Logistic Solutions. Kardex MVisu enables personnel to graphically display automated conveying systems and stacker cranes, and their operational status. Visualization permits interactive contact with the material flow system. Security rails, crossing points, fire protection doors, high-speed doors, barriers, and empty pallet magazines complete the delivery scope of Kardex Mlog.

The new logistics campus intends to provide versatility for Weleda. Primarily, it accommodates storage, picking, and the global shipment of finished goods alongside semi-finished products, raw materials, and consumables for the natural cosmetics and medicines product areas. Advertising media and promotions will also be launched from the new logistics center.

 

Weleda is an international group of companies with some 2,500 employees and is the leading global manufacturer of certified natural cosmetics and anthroposophic medicines. The diverse product portfolio comprises more than 120 natural cosmetics products and approximately 500 medicines, contributing to overall personal health and well-being. These products are based on almost 1,000 natural and sustainably produced substances. The key strengths of Weleda are a forward-looking company philosophy, social commitment, and commercial success. For more information, see https://www.weleda.com.

Kardex Mlog (www.kardex.com), with head office in Neuenstadt am Kocher, is one of the leading suppliers of integrated material flow systems and high-bay warehouses. The company has more than 55 years of experience in the planning, implementation and maintenance of fully automated logistics solutions. The three business sectors - Greenfield installations, Refurbishment, and After-sales service – draw upon its in-house manufacturing facility in Neuenstadt. Kardex Mlog is part of the Kardex Group and employs 305 people. In 2021 the company achieved revenues of €89 million.

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