A new life for a high-bay warehouse

One of 3PLogistiikka's warehouses is located in Kaarina, Finland. Originally a brewery, the premises have been used for ware­housing by various companies, with 3PLogistiikka (3PL) running the operations for the past 10 years. The lower part of the building houses conventional pallet racks, while the taller section operates as an automated pallet storage. 3PL leases the premises from Kiinteistö Oy Kaarinan Piispan­tontti.

The automated pallet storage comprises five stacker cranes and a conveyor system on two levels. The racking system is 27 meters high and 69 meters long. “Our operations have increased rapidly, and we are outgrowing the old space,” notes Ville Rauhakylä, 3PL’s ware­house manager.

An old ware­house system in need of an upgrade

Delivered by Valmet, the old automated ware­house system was more than 30 years old. The existing warehouse manage­ment system could only be operated via the property’s old computers. The control systems had reached the end of their technical service lives and spare parts were hard to come by. At some point, one of the five stacker cranes had been dis­mantled for spare parts for the other devices. As a result, the amount of storage space had been reduced by a fifth, leaving almost 1,600 fewer spaces for pallets available for use.

When the ownership of the property was trans­ferred to the current owner, the big question was whether to dismantle or renovate the system. Maintain­ing the old stacker cranes was expensive. When Makron, with its experience of similar projects, could offer a compre­hensive solution at a competitive price, the decision to modernize the system was easy to make.

Makron brings the warehouse system up to date

Makron assumed the overall responsibility for the ware­house system’s moderni­zation. The warehouse manage­ment system was upgraded with soft­ware developed by Makron. The control systems for stacker cranes and conveyors were replaced with tech­nology sup­plied by Siemens (control logic systems, frequency converter servo­motors, geared motors for the stacker cranes). The existing stacker cranes and conveyors were reused after mechanical mainte­nance. Makron designed modern control logic systems, which offer long service lives and for which spare parts are easily available. Makron also manu­factured the control cabinets and boxes, in addition to carrying out electrical installation and system commission­ing.

The work was scheduled to cause as little dis­ruption to the day-to-day ware­house opera­tions as possible. The manual ware­house operated as normal. As the automated ware­house was used for the long-term storage of seasonal goods, the stacker cranes being out of use one at a time did not cause problems.

With Makron having the overall responsi­bility for the moderni­zation, the facility’s owner did not have to be hands-on with the project. “I did not have to be present on the worksite or act as a middle­man in communi­cation with the tenant. I was able to rest easy in the knowledge that everything was being taken care of,” recalls the property company’s repre­sentative. He was happy with Makron’s flexible operations, the coordi­nation of the project, and infor­mation flow. “Everything has gone according to plan, and the work has progressed in keeping with the schedule,” emphasizes the company rep­re­sentative as the project is nearing completion.

Warehouse management software ensures seamless operations

Adapted to 3PL’s needs, Makron’s ware­house manage­ment program opens up new opportunities in the operations of the automated storage facility. “Makron listened to our wishes when we wanted the ware­house manage­ment program to include features that suited our needs,” says ware­house manager Ville Rauha­kylä. “I believe that new users can also be easily trained in the use of this clear software as the main users of 3PL’s old system were involved in the development of the new ware­house manage­ment system,” Rauha­kylä notes.

Thanks to the modernization, 3PL can be certain that safety matters are up to date, and it can make use of new safety features, such as a safety program for controlling stacker crane movements. The stacker cranes now function in compliance with safety regulations if the emergency stop is activated.

In the future, Makron can carry out any changes and updates via a remote connection, which can be used to control the warehouse manage­ment system as a whole or any stacker crane or conveyor individually. Makron offers a mainte­nance agree­ment to its custom­ers. The goal is to maintain the system up to date for 15 years.

Modernization increases the property’s value

The moderni­zation gave a new lease on life to the old ware­house building. In relation to the benefits it brings, the investment is cost-efficient. The service life of the stacker cranes was extended by renovat­ing their forks, which worked out much cheaper than replacing them with new ones.

As a result of the modernization of the automation system, the auto­mated storage facility’s capacity increased by 25%, because all of the original 7,962 pallet spaces are now in use. An up-to-date automa­tion system improves delivery performance. If the system requires repairs and spare parts are needed, new components are readily available, helping minimize downtime in the future. With an effi­cient automa­tion system, the property company can be confi­dent that it will have a satis­fied tenant on the premises also in the future.