1r Quarter - Year 2016 - No.

Cases Studies
Benco Dental / DAFSA / DHL / Gioseppo / Havi Logistics
Hayat Kimya / Hemosa / Hepco Motion / Iron Mountain / Luis Simões
MGA / Nufri / PAVI-Groupauto / Takeda / Ypê / Zbyszko
 95

111

79
Index
13 HAYAT KIMYA
One of the tallest warehouses in Europe
in an earthquake prone zone in Turkey.
29 GIOSEPPO
Automated clad‐rack warehouse with a
capacity of two million pairs of shoes.
41 YPÊ
High‐rise warehouse with massive
picking area for the Brazilian company
Ypê.
135
71 LUIS SIMÕES 127 HAVI LOGISTICS
The operator equips their installations The logistics services business relies on
with a Pallet Shuttle system combined mobile bases to keep growing.
with conventional racks.
131 HEPCO MOTION
79 DHL A special mobile racks with cantilevers
New logistics centre for DHL on the solution installed in the United
outskirts of Madrid. Kingdom.
87 PAVI-GROUPAUTO 135 IRON MONTAIN
Conveyors on several floors the axis of a Earthquake‐proof racks in the Belt of
picking installation. Fire in the Pacific.

49 TAKEDA 95 HEMOSA 139 bENCO DENTAL

Almacén automático llave en mano
para el gigante farmacéutico japonés
Takeda.
59 NUFRI
Racks on Movirack mobile bases for
their headquarters in Catalonia.
63 MGA
Efficient automated miniload
warehouse with conventional racks.
Mecalux equips the processing plant for
Hemosa located in Madrid.
103 ZbYSZKO
The Polish manufacturer Zbyszko
Company entrusts Mecalux with the
connection of theproduction area with
a new automated warehouse.
111 DAFSA
A singular warehouse in choice
surroundings.
Interlake Mecalux speeds up the picking
at Benco Dental.
146 OUR ExPERTS
- Logistics software, the cloud is the
future.
- Clad‐rack warehouses: when the racks
also support the building.
- How to calculate the structure of
conventional pallet racking.

Best Practices 3
News I Mecalux
Mecalux Shop:
a new look, new
clickable content
Keeping with its commitment to innovation
and new technologies, Mecalux has com-
pletely updated its e-commerce portal for
Spain, offering a new design, new content
and a better user experience.
The new Mecalux Shop specialises in the di-
rect sale of metal shelving and related pro-
ducts to warehouses, workshops, offices,
archives, change rooms, etc., building on
the extensive knowledge and experience of
Mecalux within the sector.
Among the newly inte-
grated enhancements
are the following:
• New categories and
advanced search filters which allow
you to easily find any product.
• More information on each product:
description of main product features,
with more detailed technical information
and more pictures.
• Making a purchase is streamlined and
speedy with a user friendly design.
4 Best Practices
• Optimised design for smartphones and
tablets.
• More advantages for registered users:
custom offers, easy personal data admin,
order tracking, purchase history access,
etc.
Another of the key points of Mecalux Shop
is its Customer Service, with professionals
who know the product and its applica-
Safe and sound: Mecalux introduces
an innovative safety locking mechanism
Safety in the warehouse is the foundation
on which to develop an installation’s day-to-
day work operations in an efficient and risk-
free way. Therefore, Mecalux invests a signi-
ficant part of its R&D resources to improve
the security devices of all its products.
The latest innovation in this respect is the
incorporation of a new junction system
between uprights and beams in Mecalux
pallet racks. This involves a connector with
a locking system, developed to provide
greater safety on the whole.
Its most outstanding contribution is the in-
tegration of a safety locking mechanism in
the actual connector, which results in two
key advantages: on the one hand, it is im-
possible for the safety device not to work
or to lose it accidentally; while on the other
tions and that, if necessary, can help the
user to choose between different storage
solutions.
With this rejuvenation and the inclusion of
better features and navigability, Mecalux
has updated its online sales gateway
witn the steady flow of technological
breakthroughs in the field of e-commerce
and in the shifts in user enthusiasm. The
end user will benefit from the esase of use.
hand, once it is assembled it is not possible
to remove it without the disassembly of the
entire beam. This prevents accidental or
deliberate manipulation of the connector –
with a blow by a forklift, for example – thus
avoiding the beam displacement and its
possible consequences, such as the collapse
of the load.
After successfully introducing this new
locking system into installations set up in
the United States, where Mecalux is a lea-
der in the pallet racking market, it is now
integrating it into all their projects within
Europe.
They are the only manufacturer on the
European continent to develop and incor-
porate this breakthrough device into their
storage solutions.

Maxi-innovation for Mecalux’s
semi-automated compact storage
As one of the leading companies in storage
solutions for more than 50 years, Mecalux
invests significant resources in the develop-
ment of new products and the continuous
improvement of those which are already
part of their catalogue. It always aims to in-
corporate the latest in technological inno-
vations to deliver better profitability.
So, one of the solutions that has experien-
ced the greatest amount of development
is the semi-automated Pallet Shuttle. This
compact system uses an electric shuttle
instead of forklifts to handle pallets inside
the storage channels (that can reach 40 m
in depth), considerably reducing manoeu-
vring times and helping to streamline stora-
ge processes for all kinds of companies.
Among the new add-on innovations what
stands out is the adoption of Wi-Fi techno-
logy, which mul-
tiplies the system
benefits: the forklift
operator communi-
cates the storage and
removal orders to the shuttle
using a control tablet with Wi-Fi
connection, with an intuitive, user
friendly interface.
Different key features:
• Input and removal of pallets: conti-
nuous or partial.
• Inventory functionality.
• High speed: 90 m/min without load and
lifting time of 2 s.
• Lithium batteries that provide up to
10 h of autonomous use, with a quick
connect battery compartment that elimi-
nates the need for cables.
News I Mecalux
• Pallet type selector (the shuttle sup-
ports various sizes).
• LIFO/FIFO setup to select the load ma-
nagement strategy.
• Position camera that facilitates the ope-
rator in centralising the pallet on the rails
(optional).
• Security scanner: controls access to
the rails while the shuttle is operating
(optional).
• Additional lock system that increases
the clamping of the electric shuttle to the
forklift blades.
• Compatibility with Mecalux Easy WMS
software, or other generic WMS used by
the customer.
• The lifting platform can receive pallets
with buckling of up to 25 mm.
• Tiltmeter: detects the incorrect position
of the shuttle within the channel
• Rescue: recovers the damaged shuttle
from within the channel
The result is a new generation of Pallet
Shuttle, which capitalises new technolo-
gies to enhance the warehouse performan-
ce and its profitability. It is an ideal solution
for companies with a large volume of pallets
per SKU and high loading and unloading
activity.
Best Practices 5
News I Mecalux
Success, innovation & automation: the Mecalux UPC classroom
offers new courses in breakthrough logistics systems in 2016
The three university courses delivered in
2015, within the framework of the Mecalux
UPC classroom, were created through
the collaborative agreement between the
UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya),
the ETSEIB (Escola Tècnica Superior
d’Enginyeria Industrial) of Barcelona and
Mecalux, all being extremely reputable
parties.
Due to success, this new training modules
will be taught throughout 2016, which will
give new students the opportunity to dee-
pen their understanding of subjects such
as the development of structures, robotics
and the automation of storage facilities.
The objective of the UPC Mecalux Aula is
to train up tomorrow’s professionals and
provide them with the tools necessary to
make advances in R&D&I within the logis-
tics industry. To this end, Mecalux offers
scholarships covering course fees for UPC
master’s students, which fulfil the entry
Mecalux Easy Warehouse Management Software: a blockbuster in Mexico
Mecalux has had a significant presence in
Mexico for many years, with 8 sales offices.
Being local, together with the experience
of its team of professionals, has led nume-
rous Mexican companies to rely on the Easy
WMS Mecalux software, as a means to ma-
nage and capitalise their storage processes.
Among the rollout Easy WMS projects sig-
ned in Mexico in the past few months, the
following stand out:
• Grupo Acuícola Mexicano (GB-
PO). With Easy WMS they can au-
tomate the management of one of
its freezing chambers, controlling
the entries from the production li-
ne, and correct load management
using FIFO and expeditions.
• Distribución Hugo’ss. Within
its improved processes, they ha-
ve chosen the Easy WMS, which
communicates with their SAP
ERP, to speed up and streamline
their picking processes, elimina-
ting customer service errors.
6 Best Practices
requirements, in addition to putting the
Mecalux technological centres at their dis-
posal and offering them the possibility of
starting their career in the company.
New courses are scheduled to start in
March of 2016, with 30 lecture hours, at the
Mecalux UPC classroom premises.
Mecalux and the UPC
As a company that bases its leadership on
technological innovation, Mecalux has
for years been committed to fostering this
company-University relationship, collabo-
rating with the UPC and in particular
with the ETSEIB, since 1979. All this through
the Department of Material Resistance
(LERMA), with which it has developed an
Experimental Analysis of Characterisa-
tions program and another of Research and
Development.
Along these lines, the two entities have
promoted the creation the Mecalux UPC
• Polioles. ELeader in the petrochemical
industry. Its main objectives are the reduc-
tion of costs and storage errors, to control
warehouse operations, product traceabili-
ty and cross-docking management.
• Diseños Labor. With Easy WMS they
can reconfigure their warehouse layout,
the improved inventory visibility, handles
Aula, as a means of consolidating long-
term collaboration in R&D&I activities and
the transfer of research results and scien-
tific dissemination within integral logistics
related topics.
For more information and to register
contact:
http://aulamecalux.upc.edu/
E-mail: aula.mecalux@upc.edu
information real time via bar codes and
radio frequency controls and, in general,
automate warehouse processes.
• Grupo Comrap. They use Easy WMS in
two warehouses, designed and built by
Mecalux, in Mexico DF to manage large
scale picking and fulfil their commitment to
offer excellent service to their customers.
Furthermore, two prestigious univer-
sities, the Autonomous University of
Queretaro (UTEQ) and the Auto-
nomous University of the State of
Mexico (UAEM) have acquired the
field license for Easy WMS Basic for
academic use in the Logistics degree
professorship.
Visit the Mecalux Mexico
stand in the upcoming industry
fairs at:
Logistic Summit & Expo, México DF,
on April 6th and 7th, 2016.
Expopack, México DF, from May
17th to 20th, 2016.
 News I Our customers

Logistics chain
innovation in Argentina
and Peru: clad-rack
warehouses with Pallet
Shuttle to be built

In recent months, the markets of Argenti-

na and Peru have opted for the compact
storage system Pallet Shuttle by Mecalux.
This solution incorporates numerous inno-
vations to streamline the processes of the
entry and exit of goods in the warehouse. It
also provides great storage capacity, thanks
to an electric shuttle that loads and unloads
pallets in the interior of the racks, moving
autonomously along rails. 
Among the projects recently carried out in
these countries, two constructions, in parti-
cular, stand out that have combined the be-
nefits of clad-rack warehouses with those
containing Pallet Shuttle racks.  Medifarma, one of the top 5 pharmaceuti-
In Argentina, Granja Tres Arroyos, one of
the major producers and exporters of fro-
zen chicken, has chosen this solution when
building their new frozen cold-storage. The
combination of a clad-rack warehouse with
the Pallet Shuttle system is particularly re-
commended in cold-storage, although, the
building is not of great height. In addition
to lowering manoeuvring times, it offers a
high storage capacity that reduces the vo-
lumetric area to be kept cool, resulting in
energy cost savings.  tructed to the depth which was strictly ne-
Close up of the Granja Tres Arroyos warehouse in Argentina
On the other hand, the Mecalux Peru team
has completed the construction of another
clad-rack warehouse with Pallet Shuttle for
cal laboratories in Peru. In this project, gi-
ven the diversity of the products marketed,
the versatility of the system proved essen-
tial, while also increasing the number of cy-
cles per hour compared to a conventional
system. 
In both cases, it is worth noting that
although these clad-rack warehouses are
not very tall, they have also been the most
profitable option for both companies. This
is because the storage channels were cons-
cessary, calculated according to their requi-
red functionality.
The goal is to put new technologies and
approaches within reach all kinds of com-
panies, to multiply the productivity and pro-
fitability of storage installations, achieving
maximum performance within the logistics
chain. 
Mecalux, in their effort to provide up clo-
se and personal service to its customers, are
present in Argentina with two sales offices
in Buenos Aires and a 21,000 m2 production
centre, while there is also a delegation in
Lima, Peru. Overall, the strength of the cus-
tomer support is second to none.

Close up of the Mediafarma warehouse

Best Practices 7
News I Our customers

Mecalux will build

Çaykur a clad-rack
warehouse with
a capacity for more
than 29,000 pallets
Çaykur’s, the biggest producer of
Turkish tea, new clad-rack warehouse
in Iyidere (Turkey) will be more than
40 m high and almost 160 m long.

Mecalux will provide a large, single aisle,

automated warehouse   served by three
single-column stacker cranes and aided
by Pallet Shuttle that are responsible for
transporting 800 x 1200 x 2600 mm sized
pallets with a maximum weight of 600 kg
each. 
 
In order to optimize accessibility to loca- In addition, input of goods will be done Çaykur, which opened its first tea factory
tions, Mecalux has developed a control at the side the warehouse via three raised in 1947, produces 133,000 tons of tea an-
system and safe passageways that allow overpasses that connect the warehouse nually in 46 different factories, making it
the stacker cranes to enter the annex with the docking area. The elevated over- the largest tea producer in Turkey and one
zones. This is all controlled by the ware- passes allow for workspace savings so of the most important worldwide. This
house management system Easy WMS and that the ground floor remains completely massive solution could only be properly set
the Galileo control software. available. up using Mecalux’s extensive know-how.

All in the family: Mecalux expands Familia Group, a company specialising in

the Familia Group warehouse in Colombia personal care and hygiene products, will
expand its current clad-rack warehouse
to reach a capacity of more than 16,000
pallets.

In 2011, Mecalux erected Family Group one

of the first automated warehouses within Co-
lombia. The installation, with a capacity for
7,416 pallets and 31.2 m high, is managed by
three stacker cranes.

A few years later, the company has again cho-

sen Mecalux to execute the Cájica warehouse
expansion. The objective: to reach 34.4 m in
height, increase capacity to include another
9,480 pallets, and install an additional three
stacker cranes. Moreover, recirculation is set
up that allows both the management of inputs
from outside sources and internal production,
and also direct dispatch from the warehouse.
The warehouse management system, Easy
WMS software, implemented by Mecalux will
also be supplied.

With this expansion, the Family Group ware-

house will achieve greater inputs and outputs,
bringing it to the forefront of logistics within
the tissue and the personal hygiene sector.

8 Best Practices

Bem Brasil is keeping cool with clad-rack:
Mecalux sets up automated storage in Brazil
The very popular Brazilian company,
specialised in the production of pre-
cooked, frozen potato products, has
entrusted Mecalux to design, ins-
tall and launch a clad-rack automa-
ted warehouse. This warehouse has
the capacity of storing more than
33,000 pallets, 1,000 x 1,200 mm in
size and each with a maximum weight
of 1,120 kg.
The warehouse, which is more than
25 m high, has three twin-mast stacker
cranes with Pallet Shuttle that allow for an
input or output of 105 pallets/hour. Thus,
the company’s required throughputs are
News I Our customers
United Caps seals
the deal: Mecalux
to automate new
warehouse
This company, specialised in the manu-
facture and marketing of caps and clo-
sures, will incorporate an automated
and asymmetrical, four tiered ware-
house into its Wiltz (Luxembourg)
plant.
The warehouse, with a capacity for more
than 5,000 pallets, will be managed by two
stacker cranes and a Pallet Shuttle that will
work with two types of pallets: 800 x 1,200
x 2,200 mm and 800 x 1,200 x 2,700 mm.
The warehouse management system,
Easy WMS, will also be supplied, tasked
with managing all the centre’s own ope-
rations. For the first time in its history,
Easy WMS will be permanently connected
to Axapta (Microsoft Dynamics AX), the
ERP system that the client uses.
United Caps is a leader in the design and pro-
duction of plastic caps and closures. With
their headquarters in Luxembourg, this
family business offers its innovative so-
lutions throughout the world and has its
own production plants in France, Belgium,
Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg
and Spain. The company, which had an an-
nual turnover of 122.000.000 € in 2015,
employs more than 530 workers.
attained. The stacker cranes, when work-
ing in deep lanes, are supported by a
Pallet Shuttle that is responsible for mo-
ving the pallet up to the location designa-
ted by the Mecalux Easy WMS software.
Additionally, in order to ensure the per-
fect condition of the goods, Bem Brasil’s
clad-rack frozen storage is expected to
work at a temperature of -30 ºC.
Founded in 2006, Bem Brasil produces
more than 100,000 tons of pre-cooked
frozen fries a year. It has become the na-
tional leader within the sector, and one of
the most consumed brands within Brazil.
Best Practices 9
News I Our customers

Agrarian giant Gregoire Besson announces new automated

miniload warehouse in France by Mecalux
The French company, dedicated to the
technological agribusiness sector, will
have an automated mainland ware-
house for boxes – with a capacity of
more than 10,000 boxes – built.
The miniload warehouse is comprised of two
double depth aisles where a stacker crane will
circulate and be tasked with executing the in-
put and output of 400 x 600 mm sized boxes,
each weighing a maximum of 50 kg. In the
header of the automated warehouse, three
P&D stations are set up to prepare orders of
smaller products. In addition, the installation
will be equipped with six conventional pallet
rack aisles with a capacity for 4,440 pallets
and a cantilever rack for over-sized products.
Thanks to the different storage solutions
provided by Mecalux, Gregoire Besson
will optimise space and, at the same time,
streamline order preparation.
Gregoire Besson, with almost 200 years’ ex-
perience, is a leading French company in the
manufacture of agricultural machines and
in the implementation of technological so-
lutions designed to optimise land produced
resources.
With a large representation worldwide, their
ploughing machines are innovative, effi-
cient, robust and adaptable to the characte-
ristics of any type of arable land.

Home decor’s largest

warehouse: Mecalux
will equip Maisons
du Monde with new
installation

The new conventional pallet rack ware-

house, of the French company speciali-
sed in home decor, will be built within
a 96,000 m² logistical centre located in
Saint-Martin-de-Crau, a town in the
south of France.
Distrimag, the company responsible for dis-
tributing products to customers of Maisons
du Monde, has once again commissioned
Mecalux with supplying a warehouse for
pallets. Since 2007, Mecalux has built them
10 warehouses that are divided into 4 lo-
gistics centres (Saint Martin, Fos Distriport,
Feuillanne and Boussard) and that allow
the storage of a total of 304,000 pallets. In
this way, Distrimag commands 477,600 m2
of storage in strategic locations in the south
of France, extending its firm grip on the de-
coration market.
Founded in 1990 by Xavier Marie, Maisons
du Monde has 260 shops spread throughout
France, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzer-
land, Germany and Belgium, and which em-
ploy more than 4,500 workers. The Group
has more than 40,000 high-quality pro-
ducts, making it one of the leading compa-
nies in home decor in France.

10 Best Practices

Throughput conveyed and supersized: Quality Pascual and
Mecalux collaborate on new conveyor system in Barcelona
This renowned Spanish food and be-
verage company has entrusted Meca-
lux in the semi-automation of trans-
port and delivery processes of Leche
Pascual, one of its leading brands, in
its packaging centre located in Gurb
(Barcelona).
After a thorough study, the technical team
at Mecalux opted for the installation of two
automatic conveyor circuits, one on each
floor of the facility, and a lift which connects
the two levels. Therefore, they get the strea-
mlining of product throughput and the best
use of available space on the warehouse’s
first floor.
The ground floor conveyor circuits will move
pallets from the end of the production area
Kronopol goes automated: Mecalux constructs custom
warehouse for timber products
The new automated warehouse, to be
built in the Polish town of Zary can store
more than 20,000 pallets, or 2.9 million
square meters of finished product.
to three possible destinations: the drive-in
racks situated on the same floor, the dis-
patch area, or the storage-ready area on the
first floor.
On the other hand, the conveyor circuit de-
signed for this upper floor will be reversible,
so that it can be used for both inputs and
outputs of pallets. The maximisation of this
space will make it possible for the Catalan
Pascual plant to dispense with external ware-
houses, with subsequent cost and time sa-
vings in the transport of goods between dis-
tant warehouses.
In addition to the lift which connects the two
levels of the warehouse, they complement
the equipment with a pallet stacker and a pa-
llet unstacker.
Kronopol, one of the world’s leading pro-
ducers in wooden material manufacturing,
has commissioned Mecalux to construct
its new automated warehouse for pallets,
where the floor panels fabricated by the
company will be depo-
sited. The warehouse,
composed of four aisles
with double depth racks,
measures 30.3 m high,
32.9 m wide and 89.3 m
long. In each aisle a stac-
ker crane will circulate
that is able to move 840 x
1,410 x 1,200 mm pallets,
with a maximum weight
of 1,075 kg each.
This installation, which
is scheduled for comple-
tion in the third quarter
News I Our customers
All movements of the equipment will be
monitored by the Mecalux Galileo con-
trol software, which is in communication
with the warehouse management soft-
ware currently used by the company in this
installation.
To sum up, the project that Mecalux will
set up in the upcoming months in the Gurb
packaging centre will provide Qualidad
Pascual with greater agility and accuracy in
product throughput and dispatches. This is
all part of the group’s commitment to offer-
ing excellent quality service, and the con-
tinuous improvement of both its products
and processes.
of 2016, was the Kronopol organisation’s
most substantial investment in 2015. Its
construction, apart from increasing storage
capacity by maximising available space, will
give the company a series of advantages.
Among these are complete automation,
an increase in the loading and unloading
speeds of vehicles, and the preclusion of
damaged goods caused by forklift usage. In
addition, the warehouse is also distinguis-
hed by being environmentally friendly be-
cause the solutions used will work via elec-
tricity, which will eliminate the emission of
gases.
The Polish company Kronopol, present in
more than 50 countries, has been part of
the Swiss Krono Group holding company
since 1994. Throughout this process, the
firm has become a worldwide leader in
their sector, thanks to the quality and va-
riety of their timber products earmarked for
the manufacture of interior finishings and
furniture.
Best Practices 11
News I Our customers

Design and efficiency go

hand in hand: a new automated
clad-rack warehouse designed
by Mecalux for STUA
Founded in 1983 by Jesus Gasca, STUA
in one of the most internationally recog-
nized  Spanish contemporary furniture
design  companies. Recently, its opera-
tions moved to a new facility in Astiga-
rraga (Guipúzcoa) in order to boost con-
tinuous growth.

After assessing various options for the imple-

mentation of a storage system that best re-
solved their needs, STUA finally chose the
project submitted by Mecalux, due to the
confidence that being made in Spain and
their extensive experience conveys. 

STUA’s objectives are  to gain perfect con-

trol of both their products and deliveries to
any part of the world, in addition to maximi-
se storage capacity. To fulfil these require-
ments, Mecalux has planned out a solution
consisting of an automated clad-rack ware-
house annex to the production building that
stands out for its slenderness, since it has had
to adapt to some unusual measurements:
80 m long, 25 m high and only 9 m wide. 

The automatic warehouse is made up of

an aisle where a single-mast stacker crane
circulates, which serves  the double depth
racks located on both sides. The racking has 
10 levels of different heights in order to lo-
cate various sized load units – some larger
than usual – given the characteristics of the
product. The inputs and outputs of the auto-
mated warehouse have been dealt with a
circuit of conveyors. 

Last but not least, to manage all warehouse

processes, Mecalux will implement its Easy
WMS warehouse management software,
which will allow the full control STUA stock
and real-time inventory, while also optimi-
sing and coordinating product throughput,
from its entry into the warehouse to its dis-
patch to the end customer. 

The new automated clad-rack warehouse will

provide STUA with better efficiency and pro-
fitability in their logistics operations. This will,
in turn, give them a competitive advantage in
their job of innovating and promoting Spanish
design, which was recognized in 2008 with
the National Prize for Innovation and Design.

12 Best Practices
Case study: Hayat Kimya
Tallest warehouse in Europe constructed:
earthquake prone area in Turkey not an issue
for Mecalux and its partner Hayat Kimya

Location: Turkey

Hayat Kimya is the leading chemical company in the Turkish and Eurasian
market in the manufacture of cleaning and hygiene products. They entrusted
Mecalux in the construction of a spectacular 12,500 m2, 46 m tall automated
logistics centre in the city of Izmit (Turkey).

They were supplied with a plan that includ- The solution implemented for Hayat Kimya
ed the warehouse management system has become a global benchmark for auto-
Mecalux Easy WMS, responsible for ma- mated clad-rack warehouses, showcasing
naging all the centre’s activities. Mecalux’s professional fortitude and skill.

Best Practices 13
Case Study I Hayat Kimya

Who is Hayat Kimya?
Founded in 1937, Hayat Kimya is the lead­
ing chemical company in the Turkish, Asian
and Middle Eastern market for cleaning
and hygiene products.
The company has twelve
brands distributed
in three sectors:
household care, hygiene
products and tissues
At present, Hayat Kimya is the seventh larg-
est manufacturer in Europe in its sector,
having more than 5,200 employees and
reaching all its consumers through an
export network which covers 101 countries.  duction site.
The needs of Hayat Kimya In the two images on this page the ware-
The huge growth experienced by Hayat house’s location in relation to the factories
had obliged them to distribute goods be­ and to the connecting overpasses can be
tween several warehouses located near di- seen:
fferent production centres, which involv­
ed high logistical costs that could increase
over the years. 1. Logistics centre
2. Tissue factory 1
Faced with this situation and seeking to re-
duce production costs, Hayat Kimya de- 3. Tissue factory 2 
cided to build a single warehouse with a
4. Hygiene factory 1
minimum storage capacity of 150,000 pal­
lets and in which to undertake picking 5. Hygiene factory
functions.
6. Detergent factory
In addition, and in order to save on trans- 7. Tissue input overpass 2
port costs, they thought of putting it in
8. Tissue input overpass 1
a space available in their largest facility,
equal distance from three of their most im- 9. Hygiene input overpass
portant plants and near a fourth high pro-

14 Best Practices
 Case Study I Hayat Kimya

The solution
Taking into account the above premises
and the data provided by Hayat Kimya,
Mecalux worked from the outset in the de-
sign and construction of a warehouse with
5
the following features:

- Automated clad-rack warehouse

with a capacity for 161,000 pallets.
1
- Four raised overpasses above the la-
4
3
nes inside the installation that connect
the factories and the main conveyor cir-
cuit.
- A ground floor dedicated almost exclu-
sively to dispatches, with the exception
of two multipurpose docks and a dock 2
fitted with an automated unloading sys-
tem intended for the receipt of merchan-
dise from other factories.
6
- First floor used exclusively for offices
and other services. Map data ©2015 Google

- Second floor reserved entirely for pick-

ing.
- On the third floor is where all inputs For the design of the whole package that makes up
take place in the warehouse from the the logistics centre, operative details were meticulously
factories that are located in the complex,
as well as the outputs intended for pic- taken care of, trying to achieve not only the goals
king areas.
in the initial specifications of required flows,
- Wide manoeuvring area and loading/
unloading of trucks, with 21 docks.
but that were also the best

7 9

Best Practices 15
Case Study I Hayat Kimya

The warehouse
The size of the warehouse is 120 m long x
105 m wide and 46 m tall, with a total ca-
pacity that exceeds 161,000 pallets that
are 800 x 1200 mm in size and weigh a
maximum 700 kg each. 

The construction system is self-support­

ing, that is to say the racks, in addition
to storing goods, have additional struc-­
tures on which sheet clad panels are
attached to that make up the building.
This forms a complete unit that is the
warehouse.

The racks must support their own weight,

the pallets stored, the wind pressure, han-
dling equipment, the seismic activity on
the basis of the coefficient indicated at the
construction site and the weight of snow
that conforms to the regulations. 
The Hayat Kimya warehouse consists of
15 aisles with double-depth racks placed
on both sides and is 24 load levels high. In
­each aisle a 45 m high stacker crane was
set up that is responsible for the move-
ments within the warehouse, from the re-
ception area to product locations.
Each stacker crane is equipped with a
double cradle that allows two pallets
to be moved at a time and with single-
mast construction, something unusual
for a warehouse of this height. The main­
tenance of the stacker cranes is carried out
on the side that coincides with the conve-
yor circuit.
It is interesting to point out that in each
of the 24 load levels that  integrate rack
bays, three pallets in the first position and
three other pallets in the second are stor­
ed. This is very difficult to achieve in a tall
warehouse which is located, as explained
below, in an area with such a high rate of
seismic activity.

In this image the loading

docks and the offices
located on the bottom
floor of the warehouse
can be seen.

16 Best Practices
 Case Study I Hayat Kimya

The warehouse itself is an enclosed box

in which all passages between the inside
and the outside connection floor are done
through airlocks that help maintain the
atmosphere required by the fire protection
system.

This system (inerting) works by reducing

the  oxygen in  the interior’s air, to an
atmospheric level of 14%, at which point
combustion is no longer possible. A piece
of equipment controls the oxygen levels
in the air and adds nitrogen until reaching
the percentage that has been previously
programmed.

The final solution 
was the construction
of a huge 12.500 m2
logistics centre, with
a 46 m tall, clad-rack
warehouse, readied
to house up to
161,000 pallets

Best Practices 17
Case Study I Hayat Kimya

Major construction challenge:

its location 
Eurasian Plate The city of Izmit is located at the beginning
of the Northern Anatolian fault line, which
runs along the upper zone of the peninsu-
Izmit la and which makes up the greater part of
Turkey’s territory. This stretch, parallel to
the Black Sea, also coincides with the fault
line that crosses the Sea of Marmara and
Anatolia the Bosphorus Strait.

To build a warehouse of these dimensions

in a place with such a high rate of earth­
quakes, with a height of more than 45 m
Arabian Plate and with stacker cranes prepared to ­move
two pallets at a time and operate in double-
depth racks, was a challenge never before
surpassed by Mecalux. Furthermore, the
African Plate warehouse was built in an area exposed

18 Best Practices
 Case Study I Hayat Kimya

to the wind and where snowfall, although

not frequent, can be abundant when it
The main difficulty Mecalux faced was
does occur. the existence of a major earthquake zone right
With all these constraints, only one com-
where Hayat Kimya wanted to build its
pany with the experience and quality of upcoming central warehouse
Mecalux was able to build a warehouse on
this scale. 

By its particularities, this logistics centre

could not be built with the traditional
cold-formed profiles. Nor was it possible
to do so with a structure of standard hot
rolled profiles, due to the accuracy of as-
sembly that this installation required was
extremely high.

The solution provided by Mecalux’s tech-

nical team was to combine the two con­

structive options. The first to conform all
racks, and the second to complete the
construction of a vertical reticulate struc-
ture coupled to the racks.
The objective was to absorb all the hori-
zontal dynamic forces, mainly those of a
longitudinal direction, which is the least
­rigid part of the racks.
The weight of this additional structure was
more than 1,900 t (for the whole structure
10,000 t was used).
Both the dimensions and mode of opera-
tion, as the building’s location, represent­
ed a challenge for the Mecalux’s Structural
Engineering department that had to deal
with some extreme determinants. 

Best Practices 19
Case Study I Hayat Kimya

Upper floor: inputs

All warehouse inputs from the factories
that  are located  on-premises take place
on the third floor of Hayat Kimya’s logistics
centre. The accumulative automatic roller
conveyors have been set up in the four
overpasses connecting the warehouse to
the factories. 

All the factories  have a conveyor circuit

that is tasked with the input of the pal­
lets into the system after checking both
its size and its weight. Only then will they
ensure that the pallets that arrive to the
warehouse do so in good condition. 

In each overpass two lifts were placed, one

in each factory’s entry points and an­other
at the end of each overpass, allowing
goods to be lifted to transport height and
subsequently to the third floor. At the same
time, this floor has a triple electrified mo- Every day an average
norail circuit running both the external and
internal movements of the warehouse. of 6,500 pallets come
On the third floor, alongside inputs, out-
into the warehouse,
puts of goods that are lowered to the de- peaking at 400 pallets
signated picking floor are also done via the
elevators.
per hour

This image shows the

upper floor where inputs
into the warehouse are
performed.

20 Best Practices
Case Study I Hayat Kimya

Best Practices 21
Case Study I Hayat Kimya

Plant intended for

the picking operations
The second floor of Hayat Kimya’s ware-
house has been reserved for picking func-
tions, dividing it into two areas: 

Zone A: 118 live channels, each three pal­

lets deep, are grouped into four blocks.
Each block is serviced by a shuttle that
automatically feeds the channels with the
goods from the lifts.

This area is intended for A type products

(high demand).

This image displays the floor

set up for picking.

22 Best Practices
 Case Study I Hayat Kimya

Zone B: 174 pallet racking bays with 2 or

4 levels for pallets, including the ground
floor, grouped into four double and two
single rack alignments.

It has a total capacity of 500 pallets for

picking placed directly on the floor and
1,050 reserve pallets on upper levels. This
second area is allocated for the picking of
B type products (medium demand).

In addition, the same racks were set up for

levels of live box picking to give access to
C type products (low demand).

The feeding of the pallet racks is perform­

ed using front loading reach trucks that
take the pallets from the warehouse in a When the orders are
specific exit, where one of the lifts has pre-
viously deposited the pallets destined for
completed, they are taken
this zone.  to the baling area and,
Picking is done manually by the opera- via two lifts, are sent to
tors, aided by order fulfilment machines the ground floor to be
and a computer terminal that works via 
radio frequency. dispatched

Best Practices 23
Case Study I Hayat Kimya

Lower floor: dispatches

All outputs designated for the dispatch
area are carried out on the ground floor
by electrified monorails. These automated
transport units take the pallets from the
conveyor output inside the warehouse,
and the lifts that descend from the picking
floor, and classify them into preloads.

The preloads are composed of 17 triple-

channel groupings, which have a capacity
to deep-store 11 pallets.

Each triple-channel group has a total capa-

city of 33 pallets each that correspond to
an order, route or an out-sourced means of
transport (truck or sea container). This re-
quest is prepared before loading the truck
to avoid waiting time in goods being dis-
patched from the warehouse.

24 Best Practices
 Case Study I Hayat Kimya

Every day an average

of 7,000 pallets
leave the warehouse,
in other words,
more than
200 truckloads
Depending on the means of transport
used, and the agreements with company’s
individual customers, the merchandise
is shipped on pallets (usually by truck) or
in single, stacked boxes (sea container).
For loading trucks generally light, front
loading forklifts are used, since they are
very agile and thus the most suitable.

The dispatch area has 17 docks only for

loading, allowing the preparation of
17 transport vehicles at a time.

Best Practices 25
Case Study I Hayat Kimya

Automatic unloading
In addition, on the lower floor merchandise
inputs from the detergent factory (located
2 km away) is also done.

The inputs take place on the ground floor

via three reception docks, one of which is
readied to automatically run unloading.

The automatic
unloads accumulation
device can receive
all the pallets of a full
truckload (trucks are
set up with similar
equipment)

From here, the pallets pass, one by one,

through the checkpoint and continue via
the electrified monorails to the input
stations located inside the warehouse that
is found on this floor.

26 Best Practices
 Case Study I Hayat Kimya

Electrified monorails and airlocks with a higher percentage of oxygen. This

All movements from the stations to the
inside of the warehouse, both on the third
floor and on the ground floor, are carried
out by autonomous shuttles hung from
electrified monorail that works at a speed
of 100 meters per minute.
There are more than 900 meters of elec-
trified monorail and 55 autonomous shut-
tles in the entire installation that are able to
move more than 850 pallets per hour
The warehouse should be as airtight as
possible to avoid the entry of air currents
means that all the merchandise that enters
and exits via the electrified monorails
passes through a sealed area with double
doors or airlocks that can never be opened
at the same time.
These spots are often bottlenecks in an
unattended installation – consequently in
this case, which work via electrified mo-
norails and where there are also very high
flow rates – it was necessary to design se-
veral accesses with triple inner shuttle ca-
pacity. In other words, the shuttles of the
electrified monorails pass three at a time.

Easy WMS: the nerve centre
of the logistics centre
All the operations of the logistics centre are
governed by the warehouse management
system Mecalux Easy WMS and its Galileo
ERP control software; tasked with controlling
SAP the computers that run the transport and
the storage of goods tasks.
of Hayat
Easy WMS is also responsible for:
- Management of goods input from its re-
ception at the docks.
- Locate pallets in the warehouse using
rules previously parameterised, under
Mecalux Easy WMS the criteria of streamlining and maximum
productivity.
- Manages the stock and the warehouse
layout (what and where the goods are).
- Manages the warehouse outputs to the
picking and/or dispatch areas.
- Manages and controls the picking opera-
tions through radio frequency terminals,
guiding the operator in the tasks to be
performed and the order to follow to op-
timise routes.
- Allows the checking of the status of diffe-
rent parts of the logistics centre, and the
various equipment that operate in it, via
query and reporting tools.
The Easy WMS (Warehouse Management
Software) is in permanent and bi-direc-
tional connection with Hayat Kimya’s SAP
ERP system.

Best Practices 27
Case Study I Hayat Kimya

Advantages for Hayat Kimya

- High storage capacity: 161,000 pallets, 800 x 1200 mm in size and each weighing a maximum of
700 kg can be warehoused, in a surface area of 12,500 m2.
- Production cost savings: they have built four overpasses connecting the factories and the front
of the warehouse. Each day an average of 6,500 pallets come into the warehouse, peaking at
400 pallets per hour.
- Total control of the automated warehouse: thanks to the Mecalux Easy WMS (Warehouse
Management Software), Hayat Kimya controls all the processes and operations that take place
inside the warehouse, from the moment the product leaves packaging lines until it is delivered.
- Remote support, remote maintenance: Mecalux is available to give technical support to Hayat
Kimya 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Technical data

Length of the warehouse 120 m Total number of shuttles 4

Width of the warehouse 105 m Live channels for picking 118
Height of the warehouse 46 m Live preloads 17
Storage capacity 161,000 pallets Total live preload channels 51
No. of storage aisles 15 Automatic unloading platform 1
No. of docks 24 Pallet input per day 6,500
No. of double cradle stacker cranes 15 Maximum pallet input per hour 400
Extraction system double-depth Pallet output per day 7,000
Total electrified monorails > 900 linear metres Maximum pallet output per hour 450
No. of shuttles in the installation 55 Average truckloads issued per day > 200
Total in overpasses > 420 linear metres Weight of the warehouse structure 10,000 t
Total number of lifts 12

For further information about this and other success stories look at our web www.mecalux.com/success-stories

28 Best Practices
Case study: Gioseppo
Two million pairs of shoes: Mecalux builds
Gioseppo a clad-rack solution for footwear

Location: Spain

The installation that Gioseppo has in Elche (Spain) is composed of an automated

clad-rack warehouse for pallets, with live racks and a specific area for picking.
The warehouse management system Mecalux Easy WMS was supplied, which is
responsible for managing all the centre’s processes.

Best Practices 29
Case Study I Gioseppo

Who is Gioseppo?
Founded in 1991, Gioseppo is a family
business from the Elx region, dedicated to
designing and marketing medium to high-
end shoes for men, women and child.

After almost 25 years, Gioseppo is cur-

rently a well-established brand whose
products are marketed in more than 60
countries worldwide.

Its growth and track record has led

Gioseppo to be included in the prestigious
‘Forum for Renowned Spanish Brand’s’, an
alliance made up of companies and leading
brands from their respective sectors.

Logistical needs
The objectives presented by Gioseppo to
Mecalux were very specific: build a ware-
house to increase its storage capacity to lo-
cate all products coming from production,
and automate the internal transport of
goods with the purpose of managing a
greater number of SKUs in the most effi-
cient way possible.

With this, the company would take a quali-

tative leap forward on a logistical level that
could reduce production costs, while im-
proving warehouse productivity

Based on these requirements, Mecalux de-

signed an integrated solution in which au-
tomated storage processes were more pro-
fitable for Gioseppo.

30 Best Practices
 Case Study I Gioseppo

Construction needs
Another premise that Mecalux had to keep
in mind was to pay careful attention to the
public image of the company. It was of ut-
most importance to limit the impact con-
structing a clad-rack warehouse would
have on the landscape of the Gioseppo
“Love Work Place” logistics centre, an
environmentally friendly space near the
Mediterranean Sea.

Accordingly, the dimensions of the logistics

centre could not exceed a certain height.
So, it was necessary to find a solution that
offered high storage capacity, while at the
same time reducing the installation’s size.

It was paramount
to reduce the impact
constructing a clad-rack
warehouse had on the
landscape of Gioseppo’s
‘Love Work Place’
3
logistics centre

Map data ©2015* Google

Best Practices 31
Case Study I Gioseppo

A clad-rack warehouse as a solution 

This 18.5 m high, 79 m long and 21.5 m
wide clad-rack warehouse is composed
of three aisles with double-deep racks on
both sides, offering a storage capacity of
5,844 pallets, weighing 500 kg each. To be
clad-rack means that the structure of the
building is formed by the racks themselves,
and that the outer cladding is supported
and attached to them. 

For structural calculations of clad-rack

warehouses the following are taken into
account: its own weight; the weight of the
goods stored; the wind pressure both push
and suction depending where it is built; the
weight of the snow as indicated by the re-
gulations; ramming by stacker cranes; and
finally, the seismicity corresponding to the
territory in which it is located.

Its purpose, as explained above, was two-

fold: to optimise height in order to a­chieve
the largest possible storage capacity, and
reduce landscape impact to preserve
Gioseppo’s public image. 

In each aisle a stacker crane circulates,

hand­ling the movements of the pallets
from the conveyors at the end of the aisle
to its designated location. 

The use of stacker cranes helps increase

productivity, at the same time decreasing
the resources required to manipulate the
goods.

Gioseppo’s clad-rack
warehouse is distinctive
because they excavated
a 6 meter deep trench
where a large portion
of the warehouse was
installed

32 Best Practices
Case Study I Gioseppo

Best Practices 33
Case Study I Gioseppo

Inputs and outputs

The inputs and outputs of palletised ­goods
are done via a double shuttle that con-
nects the main circuit of conveyors with
the stor­age aisles. The goods input area
has an ­entry checkpoint, which is respon-
sible for verifying that the size, weight, and
condition of the pallets comply with the
installation’s specifications. 

34 Best Practices
Case Study I Gioseppo

Best Practices 35
Case Study I Gioseppo

Picking functions
Thissametransfercaristaskedwithtransfer-
ring the pallets from the aisles to the P&D
stations. The picking area is organised start-
ing with six independent stations where
operators take the boxes they need from
the pallet and deposit them onto the box
conveyor with the order sorter located on
the back. 

In addition, and in order to facilitate work,

each picking station has a lift table so that
the pallets are kept at the ideal height for
each operator, improving its ergonomic
position.  

36 Best Practices
 Case Study I Gioseppo

The picking area

has six independent
stations that are
set up with a lift table
to improve ergonomic
design

Best Practices 37
Case Study I Gioseppo

Live racks for orders completed and

consumer products
A block of 36 live rack channels has been
installed both for storing orders prepared,
as well as the stacks of idle pallets. 

This 8 m high, 9.5 m long and 11 m deep

warehouse has a storage capacity of
324 pallets 800 x 1,200 x 1,900 mm in
size, each with a maximum weight of
400 kg. Each channel receives nine pallets.

The live racks are a compact storage sys-

tem that allows maximum use of space and
that are composed of roller channels on a
slight incline. The pallets are inserted into
the highest part of the rack and move via
gravity to the lower end, being available to
the operator. The pallet travel speed is con-
trolled by roller brakes. 

Therefore, this storage system is ideal

for lowering handling times and exped­
ites picking, increasing the installation’s
productivity. 

38 Best Practices
 Case Study I Gioseppo

Easy WMS: the nerve centre

of the installation
In Gioseppo’s new warehouse the ware-
house management system Mecalux Easy
WMS was implemented to manage and
coordinate the different automated oper­
ations that take place within the installa-
tion: the input and output of goods, stor­
age, picking and dispatches. 

This powerful management software has

been customised to Gioseppo’s demands,
being able to: locate pallets in the racks
­based on algorithms or parametrisable
­rules, manage outputs on the basis of tra-
ceability and FIFO criteria, check the stock,
run standard and custom labelling of con-
tainers, group output orders in different
modalities, etc. 

Easy WMS (warehouse management soft-

ware) provides a competitive advant­age
to Gioseppo, since it involves cost sav­
ings, an improvement in service quality
and consequently, maximising warehouse
profitability.

In addition, Easy WMS is in perman­

ent communication with the SAP ERP,
Gioseppo’s main management system, ex-
changing orders and the information that
is essential for its overall management.

Best Practices 39
Case Study I Gioseppo

Advantages for Gioseppo

- Increased storage capacity in a small space: Gioseppo’s clad-rack warehouse receives 5,844
pallets in a surface area of 1,700 m2, quadrupling the capacity of the previous warehouse. 
- Limiting environmental impact: a 6 meter deep hole was excavated to obtain height and stor­
age capacity, while the impact on the area’s landscape was minimised.
- Cost savings: the automation of the clad-rack warehouse allows Gioseppo to increase efficiency
and reduce personnel and logistics costs. 
- Complete control: the Mecalux Easy WMS controls all the processes and operations that take
place inside the warehouse. 

Technical data
Automated Warehouse Live racks
Storage capacity 5,844 pallets Storage capacity 324 pallets
Maximum weight per pallet 500 kg Pallet size  800 x 1,200 mm
Warehouse height 18.5 m Maximum weight per pallet  400 kg
No. of stacker cranes  3 Warehouse height  8m
Type of stacker crane twin-mast
Fork type double-deep
Construction system self-supporting

40 Best Practices
Case study: Ypê
Wide prep area for orders: a key Mecalux
design feature for Ypê warehouse in São Paulo

Location: Brazil

Ypê, a company dedicated to the

development of cleaning products for
the household and personal hygiene,
has hired Mecalux to install a 29.5 m
high automated clad-rack warehouse
with a 24,168 pallet storage capacity
in its logistical support centre in
Amparo (São Paulo).

Best Practices 41
Case study I Ypê
Analysing the needs
The main production centre of Ypê is loca-
ted in Amparo, a town close to the city of
São Paulo. The growing needs of the com-
pany required the construction of a large lo-
gistics centre next to the production plants,
from which they could offer comprehensive
service, and at the same time reduce costs.
42 Best Practices
Mecalux installed the racks and structu-
res of the warehouse, the automatic inter-
The collaboration of
nal handling equipment, the construction Mecalux with Ypê has
of a picking area and Mecalux Easy WMS
software deployment, the warehouse
been very close from the
management system which governs and development phase of the
controls the operations of the logistics
centre. project to its execution
Case study I Ypê

Best Practices 43
Case study I Ypê

Warehouse area
reserved to expand the storage
capacity of Ypê

Solution adopted: of eight storage aisles, with racks on both

clad-rack warehouse sides, of which five are double-depth and
The most striking part of the project de- three single-depth.
veloped by Mecalux is the installation
of a self-supporting construction ware- Each aisle is set up with a twin-mast stac-
house with a total capacity of 24,168 pal- ker crane that automatically performs the
lets, 1000 x 1200 mm in size, each with a movements between locations and the
weight of 1,300 kg. main conveyor circuit, placed at the header
of the warehouse.
Being clad-racked, the racks are a funda-
mental part of the structure of the building
and cladding is placed on them. In addition
to its own weight, it must withstand the
pallets stored, the force of the wind on the
basis of the site characteristics, the pres-
sure of the handling equipment and the
seismic risk that corresponds to the zone in
accordance with the country’s regulations.

The traditionally constructed buildings are

adjacent to Ypê’s logistics centre, just be-
sides the automated warehouse, where
available space has been set aside for futu-
re expansion.

At present, this 29.5 m high, 107.5 m long

and 49.5 m wide warehouse has a total

44 Best Practices
 Case study I Ypê

The warehouse is distributed into the following

areas, as can be seen in the layout:
A. Warehouse
B. Input stations
C. Main conveyor circuit
D. Direct outputs station
E. Picking channels

Best Practices 45
Case study I Ypê

The input of the pallets that go into the

warehouse takes place via three stations
readied with a gauge control and input
checkpoint equipment. This space is locat-
ed in the reception dock area for incom-
ing goods, occupying one of the sides of
the warehouse.

A conveyor with accumulation capacity

transports them to the header, where the
main conveyor circuits are placed.

A large percentage of the pallets that leave

the warehouse do so designated for the
picking area.

As of now, there are five groups of live

channels outfitted and one for pallets
placed on the floor of the warehouse.

Group of picking channels

46 Best Practices

The installation Each grouping contains 66 channels with
a three pallet capacity. The feeding is per-
that Ypê has in São Paulo, formed via transfer cars that automatical-
ly move from specific positions of the hea-
with a 24,168 pallet der to the live channels. The slight tilt with
capacity, is expected to which channels are mounted allows the
pallet to move by gravity to the closest free
achieve a total flow of position in work aisles.
200 pallets/hour in inputs
Among the five groups, there is a total of
and outputs 330 channels with a capacity for 990 pal-
lets; each channel is intended for a single
SKU. Apart from that, there are 138 posi-
tions for pallets placed on the floor, which
are directly supplied by forklifts.
Case study I Ypê
The consolidation of orders, once the pal­
lets have already passed by the balers, is
carried out in the area allocated to pre-
loads close to the loading docks.
The logistics centre of Ypê also features live
racks to store consumer products that do
not enter into the automated warehouse.
This area, next to the docks, works as cross-
docking, the live racks acting as a buffer.
Easy WMS: the nerve centre
of the logistics centre
Easy WMS is a powerful warehouse ma-
nagement system developed by Mecalux
with which you can manage all the ware-
house needs, stepping in from when the
goods are received till the order has been
dispatched.
Among all the functions that Easy WMS is
capable of performing, the most impor-
tant are: the receipt and registration of
the pallets that enter into the warehouse,
the management of the locations on the
basis of rules or parametrable algorithms,
control of outputs in accordance with FIFO
criteria and traceability, order preparation,
consolidation, label issuing, documenta-
tion prior to delivery, etc.
All of this with the major advantage of re-
ducing the errors arising from manual ma-
nagement to a minimum.
Furthermore, the Mecalux Easy WMS
warehouse management software is con-
tinuously and directly connected to the
ERP of Ypê, from which it receives the back-
ground information and that reports the
outputs executed.
Best Practices 47
Case study I Ypê

Advantages for Ypê

- High storage capacity: the clad-rack warehouse of Ypê enables them to locate 24,168 pallets, 1,000 x
1,200 mm in size each with a weight of 1,300 kg, in a 5,200 m² area.
- Cost savings: automation of the different storage processes helps Ypê to boost efficiency while redu-
cing operational costs.
- Flexibility for future growth: an area to the side of the automated warehouse has been prepared in
order to expand storage capacity based on the future needs of the company.
- Complete control: thanks to the Mecalux Easy WMS, Ypê controls all the processes and operations that
take place inside the warehouse.

Technical data
Storage capacity 24,168 pallets Fork type single and double-depth
Dimensions of the pallet 1,000 x 1,200 mm Live picking channels 330
Maximum weight per pallet 1,300 kg Pallets in picking positions 1,128 pallets
No. of stacker cranes 8 No. of transfer cars 5
Type of stacker crane twin-mast Preload on the floor

48 Best Practices
Case study: Takeda
Turnkey pharmaceutics: automated warehouse
by Mecalux for Japanese partner Takeda

Location: Poland

Best Practices 49
Case Study I Takeda
Takeda, one of the most important
pharmaceutical companies in the
world, has entrusted Mecalux to
build a turnkey warehouse in its
new Lyszkowice production plant,
near the Polish city of Lowicz.
The solution was to construct a
temperature controlled, 32.5 m
high clad-rack warehouse with
a capacity to store more than
6,500 pallets. It is equipped
with a cold storage system and
an ‘oxygen reduction system’
for fire prevention. They were
also supplied with a warehouse
management system, the Mecalux
Easy WMS, which is responsible
for managing all the centre’s
processes.
3D computer graphic of the Takeda clad-rack warehouse
50 Best Practices
Who is Takeda?
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited,
with its headquarters in Osaka (Japan), is
a global company specialising in the inves­
t­igation of pharmaceutical products. In
the mid-twentieth century, it experienced
massive growth, making it a world leader
in the pharmaceutical industry and the
larg­est of its kind in Japan.
A clad-rack warehouse as a solution
When Takeda moved forward with the ex-
pansion of its production centre, it was very
clear that the warehouse should be auto-
mated. This would allow for perfect con-
trol of stored goods, in addition to being­
able to achieve the maximum permissible
height, given that the space available for
warehouse construction was limited.
The solution proposed by Mecalux was the
construction of a 32.5 m high clad-rack
warehouse located next to the manufac­
t­uring facilities and the bay assigned to
­delivery preloading. In this type of cons-
The company has a commercial pre­sence
in more than 70 countries, most signifi-
cantly those in Asia, North America and
Europe and emerging markets such as
­Latin America, Russia and China.
truction, the racks themselves make up
the structure of the warehouse.
The installation consists of two aisles, in
which two automatic stacker cranes move
independently, handling the pallets stored
in double-deep racks (two pallets in depth
on each level). Thanks to the optimal ­space
utilisation, the Takeda warehouse has a
storage capacity of more than 6,500 pal­
lets in a surface area of only 950 m2.
The warehouse was equipped with a
HVAC system (Heating Ventilation Air
Conditioning) which keeps the tempera­
ture between 16 and 24 °C and prevents
the humidity level from exceeding 70%,
which is something that could affect
­goods stored.
 Case Study I Takeda

Warehouse aisle

Best Practices 51
Case Study I Takeda

32,382 mm

14,505 mm 85,657 mm
65657 mm
Layout: elevation, floor and
profile of the Takeda warehouse

An innovative fire protection system (inert-

ing) has also been used, which reduces the
amount of oxygen in the atmosphere to
15% to avoid fires.

The pipes of the air’s humidity and temper­

ature control system have been installed
above, targeting the aisles and placed in This 32.5 meter high clad-rack warehouse has a storage
the free space between trusses in the fa-
cility.
capacity of 6,584 pallets, 800 x 1200 mm in size,
with a maximum weight of 800 kg
For structural calculations of clad-rack
warehouses the following are taken into
account: its own weight; the weight of the
goods stored; the wind pressure both push
and suction where it is built; the weight of
the snow as indicated by the regulations;
thrusts by stacker cranes; and finally, the
seismicity corresponding to the territory
where it is located.

Due to the slenderness of the building

(14.5 m wide and 32.4 m high), a highly re-
inforced structure was built. Also, many
large sized anchorages have been placed
with the aim of absorbing maximum wind
pressure.

Outside view of the warehouse

52 Best Practices
 Case Study I Takeda

Twin-mast stacker crane

19,800 mm
19800

Cooling tube Reinforced racks

Best Practices 53
Case Study I Takeda

Inputs and outputs are practically unified

and are constructed very simply, they are
suitable for forklifts and stackers use. The
entry conveyor has a checkpoint, which
ensures top condition of all the pallets that
are put into the automated warehouse.

The connection with the inside of the

warehouse is done using a double convey-
or circuit (inputs and outputs) that pas-
ses through doors with double vertical
screens.

The space between the two screens

amounts to what is needed for a single pa-
llet, being that the system sends alterna-
Entry and exit of the warehouse ting open and close signals, limiting tem-
perature changes inside.

In order to avoid capacity loss, a superior

platform was set up for doing secure main-
tenance with one access per aisle.

The stacker cranes

are double-mast
and incorporate a
maintenance cabin,
which is located
on the lifting cradle
itself
Entry and exit of the warehouse

Main conveyor circuit

54 Best Practices
 Case Study I Takeda

Plant’s maintenance access

Easy WMS:
The management, synchronisation and
control of the entire warehouse, includ-
ing parts that interact with the mainte-
nance equipment, work thanks to the
Mecalux Easy WMS (Warehouse Manage-
ment Software).

The main functions of Easy WMS are:

- Receiving and recording the pallets that

come into the warehouse.

- Pallet location in the racks based on algo-

rithms or parametrical rules.

- Management of outputs based on FIFO

criteria and traceability.

- Via the Galileo software, all movements

of the mechanical parts run and optimi-
sed the internal routes.

- Connection to the warehouse door

control program so that it acts
automatically.

In addition, Easy WMS is in constant com-

munication with the SAP ERP, Takeda’s
main management system, exchanging
orders and information that is essential to
Maintenance access
its overall management.

Best Practices 55
Case Study I Takeda

Turnkey warehouse
Takeda wanted all development and cons-
truction phases of the warehouse, inclu-
ding the supply of the software needed to
properly manage all internal operations,
carried out by a single company.

That is why Mecalux was commissioned to

run the turnkey project from beginning to
end.

Stages of warehouse implementation:

- Land preparation via pilings: due to

the low bearing capacity of the soil, and
the large static demands, a deep founda-
tion was made on pilings.
- Installation of a reinforced concrete
foundation slab: first a reinforced top
and bottom was built with steel rods, and
subsequently the ground was filled with
concrete.
- Finish: the foundation was finished and
hardened with the objective of obtaining
dust free paving.
- Rack assembly: regarding clad-rack
warehouse, the racks themselves make
up the actual structure.
- Assembly of warehouse cladding:
in clad-rack warehouses wall panelling
and ‘sandwich type’ roofs are fastened
directly to the rack structure. In Takeda’s
case, and having used an inerting system,
it was necessary for the outside cladding
to be as watertight as possible.
- Introduction of maintenance teams:
conveyors and stacker cranes were
­assembled inside the warehouse.

56 Best Practices
 Case Study I Takeda

- Installation of the inerting system:

implementation of a fire protection sys-
tem that allows you to inject nitrogen in-
to the warehouse so that the oxygen con-
centration is reduced to less than 15%.
- Installing the HVAC air conditioning
system: it controls the temperature that
should be maintained between 16 and
24 ºC.
- Assembly of the electrical and light-
ning protection systems.
- Assembly of the drainage system.
- Airlock construction: the separation of
the portion of the warehouse equipped
with the inerting system to the adjoining
building that work under normal envi-
ronmental conditions.

Best Practices 57
Case Study I Takeda

Advantages for Takeda

- High storage capacity in a small space: the clad-rack warehouse enables you to place 6,584, 800 x
1,200 mm sized pallets each weighing 800 kg in a surface area of 980 m2.
- Product security: pharmaceutical products stored by Takeda are protected and isolated thanks to the
automatic warehouse installation. Only authorised people can access the warehouse.
- Turnkey warehouse: Mecalux was responsible for the development phases, the construction of the
warehouse, the supply of storage, cooling, and fire safety systems, as well as the implementation of the
WMS (Warehouse Management Software).
- Complete control: thanks to Mecalux Easy WMS, Takeda controls all the processes and operations that
take place inside the warehouse, from the time the product leaves the packaging lines to its delivery.

Technical data
Warehouse capacity 6,584 pallets
Maximum weight per pallet 800 kg
No. of stacker cranes 2
Type of stacker crane twin-mast
Fork type double-deep
Height of the warehouse 32 m

58 Best Practices
Case study: Nufri
Nufri has put its confidence in Mecalux yet
again by installing Movirack mobile pallet
racking in its headquarters in Catalonia

Location: Spain

Mecalux supplied and installed a Movirack mobile racking system in Nufri,

business leader in processing fresh fruits and vegetables with more than
40 years’ experience in the sector. This new warehouse in its logistics centre in
Mollerussa (Lleida) allows the storage of more than 6,100 pallets.

Needs and the proposed solution In response, Mecalux opted to install

Nufri handles around 400 million tons of
fresh and processed materials, selling to
more than 40 countries worldwide. To
guarantee quality, personalized service,
Nufri needed a warehouse in which it
could access all its stored products in a
straightforward manner, all the while
maximizing surface area and the volume
of the installations.
Movirack mobile pallet racks of 12 m high,
converting it into one of the tallest solu-
tions of this kind and perfectly adapting it
to the needs presented by Nufri.
The warehouse is divided into two well-
marked areas: the first, which is small-
er in size, is set up to store products and
packaging at ambient temperature, while
the remainder of the area is cold storage
used to store extracts, juices and purees.

Best Practices 59
Case Study I Nufri

Block 3: ambient
temperature area

Ambient temperature area

It is set up to supply production areas, from
cylindrical containers of enormous dimen-
sions, including the products necessary to
complete its range of processing.
This area, with a storage capacity of
1,200 pallets that are 1,200 x 1,200 mm
in size and have a maximum weight of
2,100 kg each, is available with seven mo-
bile bases and two non-moving racks.
Being located beside the cold storage
allows combined supply, removal and sto-
The utilization of
rage of processed goods, significantly opt­ Movirack mobile pallet
imising the internal movements inside the
installation.
racking provides the
maximum installation
Providing for the future needs of the com-
pany, an area has been set up where five streamlining
more mobile pallet racks can be installed.
To that end, the floor has been fitted from
the beginning to facilitate possible pro-
gressive growth.

BLOCK 1
BLOCK 3

2
2

BLOCK 2

60 Best Practices

Blocks 1 and 2: cold storage unit
The racks have mesh shelves in them for low strength
pallets or those that are not standard size
Case Study I Nufri
Cold storage
There are a total of 31 double mobile ba-
ses and four non-moving racks which ­give
a storage capacity of 4,930 pallets 1,200 x
1,200 mm in size, and have a maximum
weight of 2,100 kg each, which conser-
ves processed materials at a controlled
temperature.
The racks are arranged in two large blocks
separated by a main gangway. Each block
has a wide work aisle that opens up be­
tween racks. To automatically open it, the
operator must only push a button via the
remote control.
For the purpose of ensuring the security of
its operators and the installation in gene-
ral, the Movirack system has the following
devices: external optical safety barriers,
longitudinal photocells placed on both
sides of the bases, proximity sensors, pre-
programmed activation protocols and
emergency stop and reset buttons.
The forklifts that are used in the refrigerat­
ed storage area are the retractable type
that makes it possible to work in an ­aisle
less than 3 m high. The last load level is
plac­ed at 10.6 m high, and the maximum
load height would reach 12 m high.
Best Practices 61
Case Study I Nufri

Advantages for the customer

- Storage capacity is increased using a Movirack mobile pallet rack system.
- Direct access to any pallet: the aisle opens up exactly where the goods are located.
- Products are maintained in optimal condition facilitated by the parking function, which keeps
the racks slightly apart maintaining better air circulation.
- Flexibility for future expansion.

Technical data

Storage capacity 6,130 pallets

Pallet size 1,200 x 1,200 mm
Maximum weigth per pallet 2,100 kg
No. of mobile bases 38
Rack height 10.6 m
Total height with load 12 m
Work aisle length 23 m
Warehouse temperature ambient / refrigerated

62 Best Practices
Case study: MGA
MGA has an efficient automated miniload
warehouse coupled with conventional
pallet racking

Location: France

For the new logistics center located in Saint-Quentin Fallavier, a town close
to the city of Lyon, MGA chose Mecalux as provider of all management and
storage systems, including an automated miniload warehouse with a capacity
of 15,872 boxes.

MGA is an important spare parts distribu­
tor with regional warehouses in different
cities within France. The priority of the
company is to offer express delivery to its
customers, generally automobile replace­
ment part wholesalers.
In this logistics center, Mecalux has installed
an automated miniload warehouse with a
specific picking area and a warehouse for
pallets placed on conventional type racks.
It has also included the implementation of
a Mecalux Easy WMS (warehouse mana­
gement software), tasked with handling
all operations, from the entry of goods till
dispatch, previously passing through the
storage and picking phases.

Best Practices 63
Case Study I MGA
Conventional pallet racks
The conventional pallet rack warehouse
is intended for bulkier products and items
with greater turnover (A type) placed
upon pallets. Racks have two inferior le­
vels to conduct direct picking from the pal­
lets, while reserves are placed on superior
levels.
This storage system is characterised by
its simplicity and capacity to adapt itself
to the needs of the company. In addition,
conventional pallet racks make it possible
to directly access each pallet, storing the
maximum number of unit loads in a safe
and organised way.
Connection between the warehouse and the picking area
Warehouse for pallets: ‘A’ and bulky type product picking
64 Best Practices
Warehouse interior
The miniload warehouse
A miniload warehouse with four aisles,
and two double­deep racks (one per side),
was installed, allowing storage of a total
of 15,872 plastic euro­boxes, 600 x 400 x
320 mm in size. The height of the racks is
12.3 m and the total admissible weight per
box is 50 kg.
All medium and small sized products are
located in the miniload warehouse, gene­
rally B and C type items. These products
are handled by four stacker cranes, three
picking stations and a replenishment
station.

The MGA The construction of the miniload
warehouse was done in two phases, in
miniload warehouse accordance with the needs of MGA. The
first included three storage aisles with
can store 15,872 plastic three stacker cranes and three picking
euro-boxes stations, while in the second they installed
four aisles, set up a new stacker crane and
completed the replenishment station.
Four stacker cranes
Case Study I MGA
If we analyse the parts that the instal­
lation is composed of, represented by
the images on this page, you will see the
following:
A. An automated warehouse
B. Automated warehouse conveyors
C. Three picking stations
D. A replenishment station
Best Practices 65
Case Study I MGA

Two box extractions

Double-mast stacker cranes were install­

ed; the extraction system placed in the
cradle is a double box and double-deep,
being capable of handling two boxes at a
time.

The extractor is formed by a fork and two

independently moving belts that allow
them to interchangeably pick boxes from
one or another side, first moving to the
contrary side where you are going to make
the second extraction.

The conveyor system has been sized to

­move great quantities of boxes that may
coincide with times of higher demand,
while the travel speed, and mainly the stac­
ker crane’s lifting speed, were adjusted to
the characteristics of this warehouse. Miniload with conveyors inside the warehouse

66 Best Practices
 Case Study I MGA

Interior of the stacker crane aisle

Access doors to the stacker cranes

Thanks to the four In addition, a cantilevered structure has

been made above the loading and un­
stacker cranes loading stations, managing to increase
capacity by 320 more boxes.
and the high number
of boxes that they In the rear, equipped with a large main­
tenance area, there are reference devices
operate with, MGA for the position of the stacker crane. The
ensures the liquidity whole space is enclosed with mesh pa­
nels and safety doors that will individually
of the flow of disconnect the machines in case they are
movements opened.

Cantilevered storage levels Rear area of the warehouse

Best Practices 67
Case Study I MGA

Main picking area circuit

Picking stations
The enclosure where the main warehouse
is located is independent of other build­
ings and, in particular, from the picking
station, which was installed on the side of
the warehouse.
The picking stations, in the shape of a “U”,
are located terraced perpendicularly to the
main conveyors.
to the operator which order each item
corresponds to.
Three picking stations,
a replenishment station
On the pallets/containers of each order,
the item location in the pallet racks has
and the consolidation
been previously introduced, that is to say, area were set up
this same zone serves as an order conso­
lidation area. In this way, fast and agile throughout the facility
order preparation has been achieved.

These conveyors are comprised of a dou­

ble circuit that allows both the re­circula­
tion of boxes, as well as the connection
to the warehouse and the replenishment
station. Moving boxes to either of the two
main conveyors is direct, thus avoiding un­
necessary movements.

Each station, with capacity for three boxes

on hold plus the one which is being pro­
cessed, is run by an operator, who in turn
is able to prepare waves of six orders at the
same time. To that end, there is a compu­
ter connected to the Mecalux Easy WMS
(warehouse management software) and
different support devices for picking. For
example, put to light devices placed on top
of the containers of each order, indicating Control computers and picking stations

68 Best Practices
 Case Study I MGA

Conveyors in the picking station

Put to light device

Easy WMS
The Mecalux Easy WMS is the nerve center
that manages all the necessary functions
for the general operations of any type of
warehouse, regardless of its complexity.
Easy WMS (Warehouse Management
System) controls: all the inbound proces­
ses, the warehouse locations, stocks, lo­
cation rules, storage and extraction, the
Easy WMS is in
pallets that have to go to picking stations, bidirectional and
the picking itself, returns to the ware­
house, etc. It is also able to analyze the
permanent connection
state of distinct parts or areas via query with the customer’s
and reporting tools, as well as the devices
that operate in it. SAP ERP

Best Practices 69
Case Study I MGA

Advantages for MGA

- Improved storage capacity: the MGA miniload warehouse offers a storage capacity of 15,872 boxes.
- Increased productivity: thanks to the high level of warehouse automatization, the speed of order pre­
paration has increased.
- Perfect stock control: thanks to the Mecalux Easy WMS, the company MGA can manage all move­
ments, processes and operations that take place within their warehouse.

Technical data
Storage capacity 15,872 boxes Miniload warehouse height 12.3 m
Maximum weight per box 50 kg Picking stations 3
No. of stacker cranes 4 Replenishment stations 1
Type of stacker crane double-mast Pallet capacity 1,480 pallets
Extraction system double-deep,two boxes Maximum weight per pallet 1,000 kg

70 Best Practices
 Case study: Luís Simões
Mecalux equips Luís Simões’ new
installations in Portugal with Pallet Shuttle
and conventional pallet racking

Location: Portugal

This warehouse, separated into
two distinct areas and built under
the “multi-client” concept, covers
a surface area of 17,500 square
metres and can supply more than
33,000 pallets.
Luís Simões performs all of its
business-related activities from
this installation, including storage
and picking, mass and capillary
distribution.
What is Luís Simões:
what are its needs?
Luís Simões is a comprehensive transport
and logistics services operator that began
operating in 1948 in the portuguese city
of Loures.
The firm has operated in Spain for over
25 years, and is currently the market leader
in trade flows between the two countries,
with a fleet of 2,000 vehicles (owned and
outsourced) and over 1,500 employees.
According to its storage facilities expan­
sion and modernisation plan, the com­
pany commissioned Mecalux to equip
two large, newly built sites, with almost
10,000 m2 of surface area each.
Luís Simões needed to speed up the flow
of incoming and outgoing pallets in the
warehouse while, at the same time, in­
creasing storage capacity. This was need­
ed to efficiently meet the demands of both
existing and potential customers.

Best Practices 71
Case Study I Luís Simões

Warehouse A
Mecalux’s proposed solution Seven double and one single conventio­
After analysing all the operations, and Luís nal pallet racks were installed, along with
Simões’s needs and flows, Mecalux pro­ two compact racking units with the Pallet
posed a separate solution for each build­ Shuttle system. They feature six load levels
ing, which are interconnected and share and the capacity to deep­store 15 pallets
the same management and control centre. per level.

Moreover, the new logistics centre has The lower level of the conventional pallet
34 loading and unloading docks, as well racking was prepared to perform picking
as three spacious order consolidation pre­ functions, because a high percentage of
loading areas. Luís Simões’s orders require it. Moreover,
a spacious area was provided for subse­
Warehouse A quently consolidating the orders.
In Warehouse A, a semi­automatic com­
pact Pallet Shuttle system combined with The docks, located on either side, have their
conventional racks was installed, giving own preloading channels on the ground;
rise to two distinct storage areas, each these allow access to the pallets from both
served by reach trucks. sides, thus optimising truck loading.

1 2
The conventional pallet racking has the
3 4 5

capacity for 10,386 pallets, and with the

Pallet Shuttle system the capacity is 5,544.
C
G
G

C
C

C
C

C
C
F
F

A
A

A
A

1
E
E
E

P R OT E C Ç ÃO L AT E R AL DE B AS T IDOR
1

P R OT E C Ç ÃO L AT E R AL DE B AS T IDOR
P R OT E C Ç ÃO L AT E R AL DE B AS T IDOR
P R OT E C Ç ÃO L AT E R AL DE B AS T IDOR
G
G

45
C

C
C

C
C

C
C

C
E
E

A
A

A
A
F
F
E

38
MUR
OM
SM
1

1 2 3 4 5

72 Best Practices
 Case Study I Luís Simões

Warehouse B
Warehouse B consists of twenty rows of
single­deep conventional pallet racking
enabling direct access to the merchan­
dise with maximum flexibility. The rows of
racking, which are 130 m long, are served
via 10 storage aisles along which the reach
truck runs.

The height layout can be seven, eight or

nine levels, depending on the product to
be stored and the unit load measurements,
which may be Euro­pallets (800 x 1,200 mm)
or US pallets (1,000 x 1,200 mm).

Three transverse aisles cross the racking to

facilitate the movement of operators; they
can also be used as emergency escape
Warehouse B
routes.

Because of their significant length, and in

order to travel the shortest possible distan­
ce during maintenance tasks, eight loading
docks with their own pre­loading area
were set up at both ends of the warehouse.
Warehouse B’s total storage capacity is
19,503 pallets.
The combination of capacity and flexibility enables
Luís Simões to offer its customers quality service
and short delivery times, strengthening the firm’s
position as a top provider of logistics services
in the Iberian Peninsula
Best Practices 73
Case Study I Luís Simões

Conventional pallet racking

This storage system, which was installed in
both warehouses, has two major advan­
tages: direct access to any pallet, and the
ability to devote the lower level to picking
orders.

The machines used are high-lift reach

trucks that can operate in a 3-metre wide
aisle.

The WMS (warehouse

management system),
an essential element
in these types of
warehouses, enables
“chaotic” storage
to be used, achieving
high occupancy of all
locations

The last level of storage is 12 m high. To

facilitate handling, avoid impacts and
properly centre the pallets and/or forks,
observation cameras were fitted on the
upper part of the forklift.

Moreover, and as a safety precaution, pro­

tectors were fitt­ed on all the rack uprights
facing the aisles.

Conventional pallet racking

74 Best Practices
 Case Study I Luís Simões

Pallet Shuttle System In warehouse A, two blocks with six load

Pallet Shuttle
Mass market consumer products, which levels were installed. The channels are
have a greater number of pallets per item, 13.2 m deep and have a unit capacity of
are stored with this high­density storage 15 pallets. The installation has 378 chan­
system. The movements inside the rack are nels that are served by six Pallet Shuttles.
independent and follow the instructions
that the operator transmits using a Wi­Fi
tablet; this significantly reduces the need
for loading and unloading goods.

Racking with the Pallet Shuttle system

Best Practices 75
Case Study I Luís Simões

The racks using Pallet Shuttle are operated

as follows:

1. Using the forklift, the operator intro­

duces the Pallet Shuttle into the corres­
ponding channel.

2. With the pallet loaded, the Pallet Shuttle

moves horizontally until it reaches the
first free location, where it leaves the
pallet.

3. While the Pallet Shuttle moves and

places the pallet into its location, the
operator places another pallet in the ori­
ginal position in the channel.

Thus, when the shuttle returns to the

beginning of the lane it can successively
repeat the same movement.

When loading in the channel is completed,

the Pallet Shuttle is moved on to the next
one. Extraction is done by reversing these
steps.

Pallet Shuttle Racking

76 Best Practices

The program to control the Pallet Shuttle is
installed on each tablet. Various functions
can be performed, including:
­ Selecting the Pallet Shuttle to be used.
­ Automated movements.
­ Manual movements for maintenance.
­ Compacting or relocating pallets, bring­
ing them closer to the exit point.
Observation camera
­ Inventory: counts the number of pallets
stored in each channel.
­ User management: this funcionality
manages shuttle user permissions for
authorised personnel.
­ Battery charge status.
The observation camera facilitates opera­
tions conducted at heights.
Case Study I Luís Simões
Interface for operating the shuttle
Battery charging station
A battery­charging station was installed
that can charge the batteries of six Pallet
Shuttle simultaneously. Batteries can also
be charged independently of the shuttles,
that is, the battery can be removed from
the shuttle and replaced with a previously
charged one. In this way, all the shuttles
will always be operational to fulfil the or­
ders needed.
Best Practices 77
Case Study I Luís Simões

Advantages for Luís Simões

- Optimal use of space: the flexibility of conventional pallet racking and the high-density storage provided
by the Pallet Shuttle enables a total capacity of 33,150 pallets.
- Increased productivity: the Pallet Shuttle increases the flow of pallets per hour and allows for greater
diversification by enabling items to be grouped by channel.
- Strategic positioning: this new logistics platform has given an important competitive advantage to
Luís Simões, positioning the firm as a leading logistics centre on the Atlantic coast and bolstering its drive
towards internationalisation.

Technical data
Conventional pallet racking Pallet Racking with Pallet Shuttle
Pallet capacity 1,000 x 1,000 mm 26,000 Pallet capacity 800 x 1,000 mm 5,550
Pallet capacity 1,200 x 1,200 mm 1,600 Maximum weight per pallet 1,000 kg
Total storage capacity 27,600 pallets Number of channels 378
Maximum weight per pallet 1,000 kg Channel depth 13.2 m
Maximum height of last level 12.3 m Channel pallet capacity 15
Type of reach truck retractable Maximum height of last level 12.5 m
Number of Pallet Shuttle 6
Type of control wifi
Number of tablets 4
Type of reach truck retractable

For further information about this and other success stories look at our web www.mecalux.com/success-stories

78 Best Practices
Case study: DHL
Mecalux installs a new logistics centre
for DHL on the outskirts of Madrid

Location: Spain

The warehouse, with a capacity

for more than 90,000 pallets, has
two areas allocated for palletised
products. Another, formed by a
two level high mezzanine floor, is
earmarked for hanging garments.

Its strategic location allows DHL

to respond quickly to all its main
customers’ stores within the Iberian
Peninsula (Spain and Portugal).

Best Practices 79
Case Study I DHL

Storage of products on pallets

Due to the fact that the majority of orders
delivered by DHL to these stores are full
boxes and they move very few pallets with
a single item type, it was necessary to allo-
cate the bottom level of the conventional
pallet racks for picking activities. Reserve
palletised goods are stored on ­higher
levels.

Handling equipment used to place the

pallets on the racks are reach trucks.
However, during order preparation, spe-
cific machines are used that have the
­ca­pacity to transport up to two pallets at­
a time.

80 Best Practices
 Case Study I DHL

Operators maximise streamlining routes

­inside the logistics centre thanks to
the WMS (Warehouse Management
Software), which divides the warehouse
so that each operator is responsible for a
­single zone. This means that an order can
be prepared by several people at the same
time. Once their part of the order is finis-
hed, each operator will transfer it to one of
the consolidation areas according to the
assigned dock.

Full use of the racks was made to install fire

protection system pipelines and sprinklers.
These coincide with the rack beams or gir-
ders to waste the minimum space possible.

Conventional pallet
racks are an ideal system
to quickly replenish
locations that have been
left without product

Best Practices 81
Case Study I DHL

Assembly by phases
Mecalux adapted to the company’s needs,
thus they decided to build the warehouse
in phases. So, DHL could make a tailored,
gradual investment as it ran each project
phase.

Aisle length forced them to build inter-

mediate passageways wide enough to
­give two pieces of handling equipment
the ­ability to cross each other at the same
point.

Each sector of the warehouse has its own

loading docks in order to avoid large dis-
placements and significantly reduce ope-
rating costs. The warehouse is also com-
partmentalised for security reasons.

The breadth of consolidation areas, and

the laying of pre-loads on the floor just
in front of their assigned dock, allows for
speedy loading of transport vehicles.

82 Best Practices
 Case Study I DHL

The total storage capacity

of more than 90,000 pallets and more
than 30,000 metres of profiles used
to hang garments on the racks
Best Practices 83
Case Study I DHL

The garment hanging area

Racks specifically for hanging garments
are on the mezzanine floor and are two,
fully interconnected, levels high. On each
floor, a space has been left without racks
to allow for the circulation and classifica-
tion of garments.

Thanks to the mezzanine floor, the produc-

tive surface area was multiplied, adding
two extra floors that are perfectly suited to
the space available.

The connection of the operators with the

different warehouse floors is done via a
pedestrian access staircase. On the other
hand, conveyors have stairs and spaces
specifically for automatic access to over-
head carriage that transports hanging
garments.

The Sigma profiles

used for the mezzanine
floor construction system
join all the uprights in the
installation, as well as
attach the rails
of the overhead conveyor
system to the hanging
garments

84 Best Practices
 Case Study I DHL

The tubes used for hanging garments

on the racks are located at an optimum
height from an ergonomic point of view
and, although they have bearings every
2.2 m, the hangers slide and are grouped
by items without producing any kind of
interference.

Both the fire safety system tubes, sprinklers

and the warehouse lighting are attached to
the structure. The overhead shuttle trans-
portation rails that are situated in the cen-
tral area of the aisles hang there upon.

Spaces between
pedestrian aisles
are protected
to avoid garments
falling from one floor
to another

Best Practices 85
Case Study I DHL

Advantages for DHL

- Streamlining the space: the DHL warehouse is set up to store more than 90,000 pallets and more
than 30,000 m of hanger profiles.
- Increased productivity: the compartmentalisation of items, the breadth of consolidation areas and
the location of pre-loading zones are some of the factors that help increase the volume and efficiency
of the movement of goods.
- Cost savings: each sector has its own loading dock, thus avoiding large displacements and notably
reducing operation costs.
- Efficient service: thanks to this new logistics center, DHL has met the high level of service demanded
by its customers and is capable of offering fast delivery without errors in the goods sent.

Technical data
Conventional pallet racking Hung garment area
Storage capacity 90,000 pallets Surface area occupied 3,000 m2
Pallet size 800 x 1,200 mm Surface area of the 3 floors 9,000 m2
1,000 x 1,200 mm Hanger profiles > 30,000 linear metres
Maximum weight per pallet 1,000 kg
Handling equipment reach truck
Order picker ground floor with
forks for 2 pallets

86 Best Practices
Case study: PAVI‑Groupauto
Conveyor belts as the axis of a picking
installation distributed over several floors

Location: France

PAVI‑Groupauto, a major
supplier of auto spare parts from
France, hired Mecalux
to install the necessary equipment
in its warehouse in Saint‑Priest,
a town near the city of Lyon.

The supply included two levels of mezza­

nines, racking, conveyor belts and auto­
matic sorters, as well as the Mecalux Easy
WMS warehouse management system.

Best Practices 87
Case Study I PAVI‑Groupauto
Analysing the needs
The needs of PAVI-Groupauto required
the construction of a warehouse capa­
ble of storing a large number of SKUs of
varying dimensions and characteristics, as
well as being low consumption.
To do this, a storage system was needed
that offered optimal use of the surface
area, as well as being highly flexible and
allowing direct access to any product.
The main objective of the company was
thus met: rapid service for its customers.
88 Best Practices
Solution adopted: a conveyor circuit
The need to maximise the size of the ware­
house and the fact that most of the ­orders
consist of very few units and different
SKUs led Mecalux to propose and install
the following solution:
- Construction of a structure capable
of integrating two raised floors on a
2,000 m2 area, which would allow the
floor space to be tripled.
- Installation, on each of the floors, of
­racking with different sizes and types of
distribution in order to suit the different
products.
- Implementation of a continuous and
automatic transport system connecting
all the floors. This means operators can
prepare orders by area, and transport
them to the specific sorting and consoli­
dation area after completion. The circuit
is also used to send empty boxes from
the lower level to the order preparation
stations.
- Replenishment of the goods directly
from the receiving container to their lo­
cations. On each floor, pallet unloading
docks have been installed on the other
side of safety swing doors.
 Case Study I PAVI‑Groupauto

- Swivel modules have also been located

at strategic points along the transport
circuit for the passage of operators.
- Installation of access stairs between
floors, enabling access and rapid eva­
cuation during possible emergencies.

All of this is controlled using the Mecalux

Easy WMS warehouse management
system.

Best Practices 89
Case Study I PAVI‑Groupauto

Ground floor
The ground floor is dedicated to bulkier
products with direct picking and does not
require the use of conveyors.

Also, the high consumption products are

stored here, for which picking stations
­have been prepared adjacent to the con­
veyor belts.

On the ground floor

the conveyor belt
borders the installation
on two sides
and is connected
to the first floor
via a ramp located
on the third side

90 Best Practices
 1

1200
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1200

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1

1200

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Second and third floors

are stored on both of them.

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1 3 1 3
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the order picking finishing on the top floor.

In addition, the conveyor circuit on these
two floors runs along the main aisle, with
distribution and products of identical size
Groupauto warehouse have a very similar
The second and third floors of the PAVI-
1200 1200 1200 1200
1200 1200 1200 1200

1 13 1 12
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1 9
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37

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37

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Best Practices
Case Study I PAVI‑Groupauto

91
Case Study I PAVI‑Groupauto
Preparation and consolidation
of orders
Roller tables have been set up and attach­
ed to both sides of the conveyors on differ­
ent parts of each floor in order to collect
the boxes containing unfinished orders
and serving at the same time as picking
stations.
Throughout the three floors, ten picking
stations have been set up, each one corres­
ponding to a different area or sector in the
warehouse.
The boxes, once the part of the order as­
signed to a zone has been put together or
completed, are placed on the main conve­
yor circuit to be transferred to the stations
in other areas or to the sorting area.
92 Best Practices
The circuit descends along conveyor belts
from the third floor to the bottom floor,
where the classification and consolidation
of orders is performed.
In this area, the operators check, pack and
draw up the packing list and the shipping
labels of the orders.To complete the oper­
ation, there are packing boxes of different
sizes, prep tables, computers and printers.
Once the orders are
completed, they are
sent to the staging areas
located opposite the
loading docks to be sorted
into dispatch routes
 Case Study I PAVI‑Groupauto

The conveyor belts

allow height differences
to be overcome and
movements to be
carried out at different
levels, while the swing
conveyors allow
the passage of
the operators

Easy WMS:
Warehouse Management System
The Mecalux Easy WMS (Warehouse
Management System) is responsible,
among other things, for managing all
the incoming processes, choosing the
location where the goods are received,
controlling the stock, designating the
picking functions to be performed by ­each
operator, executing the movement of the
boxes and sending the orders via computer
terminals.

The program for controlling the conveyors

is connected to the WMS itself in order to
ensure the efficient transport and alloca­
tion of boxes, eliminating human error and
reducing PAVI-Groupauto’s personnel
costs.

Best Practices 93
Case Study I PAVI‑Groupauto

Advantages for PAVI‑Groupauto

‑ Excellent use of space: it was possible to increase storage capacity and triple the floor space through
the construction of two raised floors.
‑ Integrated warehouse: each of the parts that make up the warehouse are integrated with each other.
‑ Adjustable storage needs: the distribution of the racking can be changed if the turnover rate of a pro­
duct varies or if the future needs of PAVI­Groupauto so require.
‑ Elimination of internal movement: as a result of the installed conveyor circuit and the optimal place­
ment of the racking, it has been possible to eliminate part of the internal movement made by the opera­
tors. In this way productivity is increased and human errors are minimised.
‑ Fast order picking: the storage system installed is highly flexible and allows the operator to have direct
access to any product.
‑ Efficient picking: operators can prepare orders by area using the continuous and automatic conveyor
belt circuit that connects all the floors.
‑ Perfect control of the stock: using the Mecalux Easy WMS, PAVI­Groupauto can manage all the flows,
processes and operations that take place within its warehouse.

Technical data
No. of floors 3
Surface area per floor 2,000 m2
Total surface area occupied 6,000 m2
Access stairs 6
Conveyor length 800 m
Picking stations 10
Automatic order sorters 4
Total No. of SKUs stored 50,000

94 Best Practices
Case study: Hemosa
Multi-system Mecalux solution:
Hemosa’s preparation centre beefs
up automation

Location: Spain

Hemosa, a company specialised in the supply of fresh meats and pork-based

products, has entrusted Mecalux to fit out its new warehouse with the latest
automation technologies and computerisation of its manufacturing processes.
For this reason, and with the objective of offering maximum quality products,
they have installed various storage systems ranging from an automated
warehouse with Pallet Shuttle and stacker cranes to drive-in
and live pallet rackings.

Best Practices 95
Case Study I Hemosa

Automated warehouse with Pallet

Shuttle: finished products
The Pallet Shuttle system is a version of
compact solutions that offers maximum
storage capacity, with the added advant­
age of having load channels with variable
depths. Pallets are transported internally
through the channels using autonomous
shuttles, hence the system name.

The version installed in the Hemosa ware­

A totally automated version of Pallet Shuttle
has been installed which uses a stacker crane as its
transport equipment that lends to great speed
and efficient stock control
house is totally automatic and uses stacker
cranes as its primary transport equipment
between warehouse entry/exits and chan­
nel locations, lending to great speed and
efficient control of both stock and opera­
tions done. The total capacity of this ware­
house is 1,050 pallets, 1,200 x 1,200 mm
in size with a maximum weight of 700 kg.
The Mecalux Easy WMS is a system which
manages all operational basis in a ware­
house; starting with entry, next placement
based on parametrizable criteria and end­
ing with subsequent dispatch.

Pallet Shuttle

Stacker crane

96 Best Practices
 Case Study I Hemosa

The Pallet Shuttle is housed on the cradle
of the stacker crane in a position, slightly
inferior to the pallet support level; said
­level is made up of two motorized chains
which pick up and drop off the pallet in
the entry/exit positions. When the stacker
crane is positioned in front of the assigned
location, the shuttle raises with the pallet
on it and introduces it into the channel.
It is placed on top of the support rail in
the available location furthest from the
aisle. The profile is also prepared to make
movements guided by the Pallet Shuttle.
Extractions are done in inverted order.
The Pallet Shuttle is autonomous and In the warehouse the following elements
charg­es its battery in the cradle of have been installed:
the stacker crane in an automatic and - Racks
straightforward manner. Each shuttle has
- Stacker cranes
eight wheels which provide the correct
distribution of the weight upon the profile - Pallet Shuttles
and which help it move smoothly from the - Entry conveyors
stacker crane into the channels. On each - Exit conveyors
side of the aisle, rails allow centering ele­
ments to facilitate the movement of the
shuttle.

This image represents

a solution similar to the
one used in the Hemosa
installation.

Best Practices 97
Case Study I Hemosa

Pallet entry and exit
Two entry and one exit doors have been
enabled. In each of these, a conveyor is
entrusted to pick up and drop off pallets in
the position which coincides with the aisle­
where the stacker crane circulates.
to act in unison and move the pallet from
one to another. It also emits a signal to the
same Pallet Shuttle when it is positioned
in front of the channel where it must per­
form, ordering its displacement and the
operation to be done.

Moreover, the doors are protected by
rapid action vertical curtains that only
open via a signal sent by the Easy WMS
when the pallet passes through, avoiding
changes in the internal temperature of the
cold-storage.
When the stacker crane is positioned in
front of the conveyor, it sends a signal both
to the corresponding conveyor, as well as
to the one it carries in the cradle, in order
The two located profiles on both sides of
the channel are shaped to allow for ­double
supporting functions both to the pal­
lets ­and the guide rail, ensuring that the
shut­tle moves along safely.
From the moment the operator drops off
the pallet in one of the entry points and
the system is indicated which reference it
contains, Easy WMS takes over control of
it and its internal management.

The warehouse is a cold storage unit with

temperatures kept slightly above 0 ºC, which conserves
products deposited there in optimal condition

98 Best Practices
Case Study I Hemosa

Best Practices 99
Case Study I Hemosa

Live Pallet Racking: trary side. The velocity of pallet move­

semi-prepared fresh products
This type of racking, as well as the Pallet
Shuttle, is incorporated within the com­
pact storage systems and also maximises
space. The peculiarity of this warehouse
is that it is composed of storage channels
with a slight incline. Each channel has ro­
llers on which the pallet, introduced into
the more inclined side, moves along via
gravity until the first position on the con­
ments of is controlled via roller brakes.
Choosing said storage solution has to do
with the type of products stored. Racks
used for pallets with semi-prepared fresh
products that need a perfect product
turn­over (FIFO). In order to achieve effi­
cient turnover, live pallet racking is ideal
be­cause the first pallet to enter the chan­
nel is the first to leave.

Live pallet racking,

which is 5.5 m in height,
has the capacity to store
188 pallets, 800 x
1,200 mm in size and
weighing a maximum
of 600 kg

100 Best Practices


Drive-in system: semi-prepared
frozen products
Racks are put together having internal
­lanes of variable depth, in which forklifts
enter with pallets raised to the correspond­
ing height. At each level and on both
The system installed in Hemosa is meant
to store pallets of semi-prepared frozen products
and large volume consumables, like packaging
sides, profiles are ready to support the
pallets.
Moreover, conventional pallet racking has
been supplied to store other small volume
products for internal consumption.
Easy WMS
This is a powerful, tried and true ware­
house management system developed
by Mecalux. It controls all internal opera­
tional basis in any warehouse, from recep­
tion to verification and location assigned
­within the warehouse, picking functions
and f­ inal dispatch based on rules and para­
metrizable criteria.
Case Study I Hemosa
In the case of Hemosa and in regards to the
automated warehouse, the execution of
movements is ordered via the Galileo con­
trol module. This software takes charge of
controlling all actions which must be done
by each moving device.
The connection with ERP SAP or the gene­
ral management system of Hemosa is per­
manent and bi-directional, exchanging in­
formation and instructions that permit the
total control of all operations done.
Best Practices 101
Case Study I Hemosa

Advantages for Hemosa

- High-density storage: the storage capacity demanded by Hemosa has been achieved thanks to a
combination of distinct systems installed.
- A place for each product: a storage solution has been enabled which best adapts to the character­
istics and needs of each product that Hemosa works with, attaining perfect turnover and increased
productivity.
- Total control of the automated warehouse: Easy WMS from Mecalux controls all processes and
operations that take place within a warehouse, from the moment the product leaves the packaging
line, up until dispatch.

Technical data
Automated warehouse Live pallet racking
Storage capacity 1,050 pallets Storage capacity 188 pallets
Maximum weight per pallet 700 kg Maximum pallet weight 600 kg
Warehouse height 10 m Channel depth 6.2 m
No. of stacker cranes 1 Maximum height 5.5 m
Type of stacker crane single mast + Pallet Shuttle Drive­in pallet racking
Constructive system Pallet Shuttle – traditional Storage capacity 426 pallets
construction Maximum pallet weight 1,000 kg
Maximum lane depth 5m
Maximum height 6.8 m

102 Best Practices

Case study: Zbyszko Company
A high profit automated warehouse:
200 pallets/hour and 18,000 pallets stored

Location: Poland

Aiming to keep pace with its growing

business, the company Zbyszko
wanted to expand the capacity and
agility of their warehouse in addition
to integrating their production and
storage processes. In order to meet
this demand, Mecalux built them an
automated warehouse connected to
the production plant via a 100 m long
overpass equipped with conveyors.
All this is coordinated and controlled
by the warehouse management
system Mecalux Easy WMS software.

Best Practices 103

Case Study I Zbyszko
Zbyszko Company
and their needs
Zbyszko Company, a company specialised
in the production of carbonated drinks,
soft drinks and flavoured waters, was
creat­ed by Zbigniew Bojanowicz in 1993 in
the Polish city of Białobrzegi.
In just 10 years, the Zbyszko Company has
experienced spectacular growth that has
made it one of the most successful Polish
manufacturers within the natural bever­
ages market.
104 Best Practices
In the face of its incessant headway, Speeding up internal transport was also a
Zbyszko Company has relied on Mecalux crucial prerequisite of the project, creating
to provide it with a new storage centre to a direct connection between the ware­
centralise all the company’s logistical ac­ house and the production area. This was
tivities and which is equipped with the done via maximum automation of the stor-
newest, most innovative technologies in age processes in order to increase Zbyszko
order to deal with high production rates Company’s market competitiveness.
and save on logistics costs. Present and fu­
ture growth demand it.
The Zbyszko Company hired
Mecalux to construct its newest warehouse
located in the Polish city of Radom
 Case Study I Zbyszko

Connecting the production area

and the warehouse
monorails capable of transporting SKUs
at more than 100 m/min – and which links
The Zbyszko Company
Mecalux has set up an automated ware­ the warehouse with the preload area – was warehouse is connected
house that connects the production area installed.
via a 100 m long overpass through which
with the production
already palletised goods circulate on a cir­ This system is ideal for connecting distant area via a 100 m long
cuit of roller conveyors. points of the installation at a steady pace,
eliminating unnecessary movements be- overpass fitted with
The checkpoint, located at the beginning tween rack areas. roller conveyors
of the circuit and within the same produc­
tion area, verifies that the dimensions and
the quality of each pallet are appropriate.

The conveyors have two lines – one in each

direction – working independently despite
being placed in parallel.

Inside the warehouse two levels of conve­

yors are arranged. The upper level is alloca­
ted to the input of goods, while the lower
level has been reserved for outputs.

There is also the possibility that outside

goods, destined for the warehouse or the
production area, can enter at this level. Not
to mix operations, they have set up a con­
veyor just above the docks for inputs into
the warehouse, with a lift placed at the end
that raises the pallets to the upper level.

On the ground floor, so that throughput is

as high as possible, a circuit of electrified

Best Practices 105

Case Study I Zbyszko

Inside the warehouse

The warehouse occupies a 7,000 m2 sur­
face area and is built in a facility only 11 m
high.

The installation of stacker cranes makes it

possible to warehouse up to 18,000 pal­
lets despite this limited height.

Having few SKUs, they chose to place

double­depth racks, a very common me­
thod in automated logistics centres that
require a large storage capacity.

The racks are served by eleven, fully auto­

mated stacker cranes, which move quick­
ly along their respective aisles handling
pallets weighing up to 1,000 kg each.

Level 5 metres high Overpass

106 Best Practices

 Case Study I Zbyszko

The seven stacker

cranes that are located
in the middle zone
are 11 m high,
while the remaining
four left at either
end of the warehouse
have been retrofitted
to the shape of the
building, with a height
of 9 m

Ground floor

Best Practices 107

Case Study I Zbyszko

Dispatches
The stacker cranes are responsible for au­
tomatically extracting stored goods from
the production area and bringing them to 1
the corresponding output conveyor. Once
on the conveyor, the electrified monorails
directed each pallet to their assigned pre­
load area.

There are numerous options for creating

an electrified monorail circuit. In Zbyszko
Company’s case it was decided that a sim­
ple loop circuit, operated by 21 individu­
ally controlled shuttles, was the most cost­
effective, seamless solution.

The software that controls the machines

is connected with the WMS (Warehouse
Management Software) throughout the
warehouse, and to the customer’s ERP.

The image on the right is differentiated in­

to the following areas:
­ Warehouse
­ Inputs into the upper level
­ Electrified monorails
­ Preloads area
­ Input conveyors from the docks 3

The pallets are loaded

onto the shuttles
on one side of the circuit
and are unloaded
in the consolidation
area located
on the opposite side

Input conveyor on upper floor Shuttle depositing goods in preloads

108 Best Practices

 Case Study I Zbyszko

Warehouse Management System:

Mecalux EASY WMS
Zbyszko Company uses the warehouse
management system Mecalux Easy WMS
to check each and every one of the move­
ments that takes place in the logistics cen­
tre, and thus efficiently manage their stor­
age space.

Easy WMS communicates with the

customer’s ERP SAP in order to be able to
carry out the dispatch, reception, distribu­
tion, transfer processes, and other tasks
related to the logistics centre.

This powerful system ensures the proper

operation of the machines that are used in
the automation of the warehouses, which
simplifies transportation, eliminates hu­
man errors and reduces staffing costs. Overpass between production and the warehouse

Best Practices 109

Case Study I Zbyszko

Advantages for Zbyszko Company

- Maximum space utilisation: the warehouse, only 11 m high, has an 18,000 pallet storage capacity in
a 7,000 m2 surface area.
- Cost savings: the overpass that connects the warehouse to the production area allows Zbyszko to
save in logistical costs.
- Increased productivity: order preparation is fast and efficient thanks to the speed of the stacker cra­
nes, the conveyor circuits and the electrified monorails installed, which can issue up to 200 pallets/hour.

Technical data

Storage capacity 18,000 pallets

Maximum weight per pallet 1,000 kg
Height of the warehouse 11 m
Warehouse surface area 7,000 m2
No. of stacker cranes 11
Fork type double-depth
No. of shuttles on the electrified monorails 21
Length of the overpass 100 m

110 Best Practices

 Case study: DAFSA
A single warehouse in choice surroundings

Location: Spain

Mecalux builds DAFSA an automated to be environmentally friendly. The level overpass. Mecalux Easy WMS
clad-rack warehouse, in the scenic new warehouse, with a capacity for (Warehouse Management System)
countryside near Valencia, whose more than 23,000 pallets, is integrated was supplied, which is responsible for
outer finish was carefully made with production outputs via a two managing all the warehouse processes.

Best Practices 111

Case Study I DAFSA

Who is DAFSA?
DAFSA, manufacturer of juices, vegeta­
ble purees and horchata, was establish­
ed in 2006 as an exclusive provider to
Mercadona, Spain’s top supermarket.
Strong growth experienced in recent years
has made DAFSA one of the most active
companies within its sector. They turn on
more than 250 million litres a year.
In 2014, with the start­up of the new pro­
duction plant in Segorbe (Castellón), that
has a 66,000 m2 total surface area, it be­
came their sector’s most advanced and
sustainable production, processing and
packaging factory in Europe. Within the
premises, is the most noteworthy automa­
ted warehouse built by Mecalux.
The collaboration between the two com­
panies dates back to DAFSA’s begin­
nings. Since then, Mecalux has built differ­
ent warehouse solutions adapted to the
company’s ever changing needs.

Current warehouse
of DAFSA and the area
reseved for future
expansion.

112 Best Practices


DAFSA has a reserved A clad-rack warehouse:
today and beyond
space with which they The attached picture shows the design
of the warehouse installed and the space
can double current reserved for future growth, which is in­
storage capacity tended to multiply storage capacity up to
40,000 pallets if needed.
Case Study I DAFSA
In a clad-rack warehouse like this, the racks
are the building’s structure and the wall
and roof cladding is placed on them. In
addition to the building’s own weight, the
racks must bear the pallets stored and the
external forces indicated by regulations, in­
cluding wind.
Best Practices 113
Case Study I DAFSA

The warehouse is 39 m high, 31 m wide

and 102 m long and has four storage aisles.

One of these aisles was isolated from the

rest in order to store refrigerated products.
To achieve this, a specific type of construc­
tion was required aimed at integrating the
aisle into the same facility, but without hav­
ing to install components that act as cold-
bridging.

The equipment supplied by Mecalux and

the warehouse management system Easy
WMS is responsible for palletised product
movement at the end of production lines,
achieving total integration between the
factory and the warehouse. This minimises
the human intervention needed to move
the goods between different areas.

Thanks to
the warehouse design,
the second phase
could be built without
interrupting DAFSA’s
production or installation
operations

114 Best Practices

Case Study I DAFSA

Best Practices 115

Case Study I DAFSA

Entrance into the warehouse:

upper level
The warehouse, located on one side of the
plant, is linked to production output via a
two level overpass, leaving the middle area
for future growth.

So pallets could enter the warehouse, ele­

vators were enabled at the overpass’ end
that raise the load to the top level. Then
a circuit of automatic conveyors is res­
ponsible for transferring pallets up to the
stor­age aisle allocated by the Easy WMS
(Warehouse Management Software).

Various checkpoints and set ups ensure

the size and excellent condition of the pal­
lets coming into the warehouse. Quality
control is essential, since 1,200 x 800 mm
­sized euro-pallets and medium sized 600 x
800 mm pallets are deposited in the same
warehouse.

An entry point was provided, which is served by forklifts

for products from other plants

116 Best Practices

Case Study I DAFSA

Best Practices 117

Case Study I DAFSA

Inside the warehouse

High platforms were installed that coin­
cide with the overpass’ top level, on top of
which the aisle input conveyors are placed.

The warehouse is composed of four aisles

where stacker cranes circulate. These are
responsible for making movements be­
tween locations and the conveyors for the
input and output of pallets. As mentioned
previously, one of the aisles was isolated
from the rest in order to store refrigerated
products.

Racks, double in depth, were readied on

both sides of the aisles, with 16 storage
levels adapted to store the two pallet for­
mats which DAFSA uses.

The refrigeration equipment, fire protec­

tion systems, the stacker cranes’ upper
guides and the rest of internal equip­
ment are supported and attached to the
racks themselves forming an integral part
thereof.

118 Best Practices

 Case Study I DAFSA

The stacker cranes are twin­mast in nature

and incorporate a mounted booth to facil­
itate maintenance work, as shown in the
photo below and to the right.

The installation is distributed in the fol­

lowing areas identified in the layout:

1. Ambient temperature warehouse

2. Cold storage aisle
3. Connection overpass
4. Entries from production
5. Preloads deliveries
6. Future expansion of the warehouse

The warehouse’s capacity

is for more than
23,000 pallets,
1,200 x 800 mm in size,
1,700 mm high and
weighing 1,050 kg each.
If all the pallets were
600 x 800 mm sized, the
storage capacity would
increase to more than
46,000 pallets

Best Practices 119

Case Study I DAFSA

Pallet output: lower level

Even though the overpass’ top level was in­
tended for inputs only, on the lower level
outputs coexist with inputs, allowing for
duplicate flow of inputs.

The main circuit, located on the overpass’

lower floor, has dual conveyor strands to
perform pallet input and output tasks.

In bottom photo, of the overpass, you can

see the access point to an ambient tem­
perature aisle, followed by vertical access
­doors to the cold storage aisle.

The main circuit of conveyors on the lower

floor is connected via three doors with the
conveyor circuit in the dispatch area, locat­
ed in an adjoining building.

Once there, two shuttles are tasked ­with

depositing the pallets in one of the pal­
let flow channels available on the ground
level.

On the overpasses’ lower level is the consolidation area of the warehouse,

where outputs and inputs exist side by side

120 Best Practices

Case Study I DAFSA

Best Practices 121

Case Study I DAFSA
Deliveries
Deliveries are also segmented depending
on the product. Thereby, the part reserved
for refrigerated products is built in a closed
area that has a double preload capacity
and vertical roll-up doors that automatica­
lly open for pallets to be deposited into the
live channels.
In all, seven preload groups and a quick exit
have been provided. Each group consists
122 Best Practices
of three live channels with a pallet capaci­
ty of 11 each. Between them the three full
A shuttle is
loads, 33 pallets in all, fill a lorry. responsible for
The channels are prepared for the pallets,
connecting the output
whose extraction is handled via electric stations with different
­pallet trucks.
order consolidation
Preload outputs coincide with the lorry channels
loading docks, as illustrated by the photo­
graphs on this two-page spread.
Case Study I DAFSA

Best Practices 123

Case Study I DAFSA

Different pallets, different solutions

The installation is outfitted to receive 800 x
1,200 mm sized euro-pallets and medium
800 x 600 mm sized pallets.

The use of medium sized pallets is very fre­

quent in the distribution sector, especially
for high consumption products, because
they go directly from production to linear
supermarket shelves, avoiding interim
handling.

The facility was

set up to handle and
store medium sized
pallets since the
percentage, compared
to euro-pallets, is
800 x 600 mm medium pallet
higher

800 x 1,200 mm Euro-pallet

To store 800 x 1,200 mm sized pallets of

indiscriminate depth with the utmost se­
curity, cross-ties were put in the racks, as
shown in the picture below on the right.

The conveyors were also adapted for me­

dium sized pallets. In the rollers, the se­
paration between them is less than usual,
while in the chain conveyors four strands
are available. Furthermore, and in order
to avoid confusion, checkpoints help to
differ­entiate the two pallet types.

124 Best Practices

 Case Study I DAFSA

Easy WMS
Easy WMS is the nerve centre that governs
all operations from production outputs
to their dispatch. This powerful ware­
house management system developed by
Mecalux performs, among others, these
roles:

- Management of the input of goods

from production lines.

- Pallet location in the warehouse using

previously parameterised rules, accord­
ing to the following criteria: product
­t ype, space optimisation and maximum
productivity.

- Stock management and the ware-

house’s layout (what and where the go­
ods are). Outputs to deliveries by batch
and via FIFO criteria.
- Preload fulfilment according to the or­
der requested and subsequently loading
the trucks.
- Query the status of various parts of the
warehouse and the machines that oper­
ate in them.
Thanks to the Galileo control module, all
movements of the different equipment
that the installation is comprised of, as
well as its safety measures, are managed.
The communication between Easy WMS
(Warehouse Management System) and
the customer’s ERP is permanent and bi­
directional, transferring the data both sys­
tems need to operate and to effectively
manage the warehouse.

Best Practices 125

Case Study I DAFSA

Advantages for DAFSA

- Enhanced storage capacity: the DAFSA warehouse has a capacity of more than 23,000 pallets,
800 x 1200 mm in size. The facility has a space purposed for future expansion, which allows storage
capacity to be multiplied up to 40,000 pallets.
- Overall appearance: construction of a modern, high technology logistics centre, but at the same
time integrated into the countryside in which it is located.
- Increased logistical efficiency: DAFSA has improved its logistical efficiency thanks to the
automation of in­house movements and the connection with production outputs.
- Complete control: the Mecalux Easy MWS software manages all movements, processes and
operations that take place inside the warehouse.

Technical data
Storage capacity 23,232 pallets
Maximum weight per pallet 1,050 kg
Height of the warehouse 39 m
Type of stacker cranes Double-deep, twin-mast
No. of stacker cranes 4
No. of shuttles 2
Preload channels 21
Capacity per channel 11
Construction system Self-supporting

126 Best Practices

 Case study: Havi Logistics
Mobile racks for continued growth
at Havi Logistics

Location: Italy

Since its creation in Germany in
1981 as a small family business, Havi
Logistics has expanded its market to
become one of the leading suppliers
of integrated logistics services, with
48 distribution centres in Europe
and more than 5,000 employees. Its
customers range from restaurant
chains like McDonald’s to BP service
station kiosks. The company is
growing so fast that it has had to
expand its facility in Lodi, Italy, and it
has entrusted this project to Mecalux.
Minding the essentials
Havi’s logistics centre in Lodi, Italy, was
opened in 2009 with a capacity for 4,566
pallets. Given the company’s continuous
growth and expanding customer base –
and therefore the number of products to
be stored and distributed – it quickly out-
grew the facility. There was thus a clear
need: to multiply the useful storage space
by expanding the 4,870 m2 available in the
original warehouse.
Furthermore, the characteristics of Havi
Logistics’s activity had to be considered.
Havi manages the supply chain for perish-
able and non-perishable products for a
wide range of customers: frozen goods,
fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy produce
and cleaning products, amongst others.
This made it necessary to conserve stor-
age and handling areas with four different
temperature ranges, with a particular fo-
cus on preserving the cold chain through-
out the entire process to ensure optimal
safety and conservation of the food that
Havi stores and distributes daily.
This project began with a very clear need:
to reduce storage costs, especially in
order to accommodate new customers.
The result has been the combination of
conventional pallet racks with mobile rack-
ing. By combining these two kinds of
racks the size of the building needed to
work with a given volume of pallets can be
reduced.

Best Practices 127

Case study I Havi Logistics

The answer
Mecalux’s technical team calculated the
facility’s expansion and remodelling down
to the tiniest detail. Since the customer’s
priority was to multiply its storage capa-
city the Movirack mobile racks stole the
show. These racks boast optimal perfor-
mance at all temperatures. The immediate
result was to expand from the original sto-
rage capacity of 4,566 pallets to the cur-
rent capacity of 12,500 pallets, enlarging
4,870 m2 of surface area to 10,000 m2.

As required by the customer, the four dis-

tinct zones with different temperatures at
the Havi Logistics centre in Lodi were con-
served, but the layout of each one was
changed by implementing various storage
solutions tailored to the specifications of
the different products:

- Dry or ambient temperature zone:

370 linear metres of Movirack mobile
racks were installed in this zone to a
height of 9 metres. This system elimi-
nates unnecessary storage aisles, as
the operator selects the aisle that he or
she needs to use, whether manually or
by remote control, and the mobile racks
move laterally on rails embedded in the
floor. This leaves the space required for
loading, unloading or picking access on
the selected racks. Push-back racks for
accumulative storage and conventional
pallet racking were also installed. In this
way, high occupancy was achieved and
goods handling time was reduced.

- Refrigerated zone: Movirack mobile

racks combined with Push-back racks
were installed here as well. This system
allows four pallets per level to be placed
in deep storage and uses the LIFO load
management method (the last pallet
in is the first out). The combination of
both systems saves a significant amount
of space and achieves high storage den-
sity while speeding the picking and re-
plenishment of goods, which is essential
in fresh food supply.
1 and 4 degrees. This mode ensures that
- Freezing zone: in the cold storage area all products reach their destination in Mecalux has
the Movirack mobile racks make it pos- perfect condition. implemented a
sible to reduce the volume that must
be stored at low temperatures, thereby - Picking area without capacity loss: made-to-measure project
saving energy. Roller and trolley push-
back racks and drive-in pallet racks were
in this area there is a mix of convention-
al pallet racks, located on the sides,
that has allowed the
installed to round off this area. with Moviracks placed inside. The mo- Havi Logistics group
bility and accessibility that the Movirack
- Cool dock zone: this is a lengthwise system offers frees up a wide aisle so that
to double the useful
loading and unloading zone linking a forklift working with pallets can enter. storage space and reap
the three storage areas described. Its It also opens all aisles so that operators
function is to allow the goods to be han- carry out picking. Thereby, the area is set the benefits of a Movirack
dled without breaking the cold chain, up to function both with pallets or smal- system on mobile bases
which is kept at a temperature between ler products that require picking.

128 Best Practices

 Case study I Havi Logistics

Push-back system with shuttles

Push-back system with rollers

Conventional pallet racking Movirack Mobile pallet racking Drive-in pallet racks

Best Practices 129

Case study I Havi Logistics

B
The first diagram (A) shows the solution where
only one aisle is freed up to operate with a fork-
lift. In the second (B), this option displays when
two aisles are opened up to do picking.

Advantages for Havi Logistics

- Increased storage capacity: the Havi Logistics warehouse has almost tripled the storage capa-
city, from 4,566 pallets to 12,500 pallets, doubling the surface area from 4,870 m2 to 10,000 m2
- Profitable model: the distribution centre Havi Logistics has in Lodi has become a model of profit-
ability and efficiency that will allow the company to manage future growth in a flexible manner.
- Cost savings: with the remodelling and expansion of this installation, logistics costs have been
reduced without affecting the service quality of the company and maintaining a high level of
productivity.

Technical data
Storage capacity 12,500 pallets No. of Movirack mobile racks 12 double
Length of the warehouse 152 m No. of push-back racks 9
Width of the warehouse 62,5 m No. of drive-in racks 3
Height of the warehouse 12 m No. of fixed conventional racks 20
No. of racks 60 Pallet size 800 x 1,200 x 1,650 / 2,300 mm
No. of aisles 33 Maximum weight per pallet 1,000 kg
No. of load levels 3, 4 and 5

For further information about this and other success stories look at our web www.mecalux.com/success-stories

130 Best Practices

Case study: Hepco Motion
Mecalux installs a special mobile cantilever
rack solution for metallic profiles

Location: United Kingdom

Hepco Motion, a world leader in

the field of linear motion systems,
has expanded its storage facility in
Tiverton (Devon), with the aim of
expanding their production growth
and cutting down order fulfillment
and delivery times. To optimize
their warehouse capacity they put
their trust in Mecalux, who installed
cantilever racks on Movirack mobile
bases for them.

Best Practices 131

Case Study I Hepco Motion

Given product
characteristics and
The needs of the customer
Hepco Motion, a British company that is
the need to maximise
part of the Hepco business group, has bran- storage capacity,
ches and accredited distributors through-
out the world and more than 40 years of the solution proposed
experience. The company offers a wide by the Mecalux
range of products that are constantly be-
ing updated to meet the demands of their delegation in the UK
customers within the automation and (located in Birmingham)
other industrial sectors, offering all kinds
of innovative linear move­ment solutions. was to install cantilever
Due to their continued growth rate, Hepco
racks on Movirack
has recently launched an expansion of mobile bases
its production and storage facility head-
quarters in Tiverton, UK.
The company entrusted Mecalux with the
Given that the old warehouse was used development and implementation of this
to expand production area, storage pro- storage project, so in addition to sorting
cesses were moved to a new premises ad- out space requirements, it also took in-
jacent to the factory. In other words, the to consideration the specific nature of the
main goal put forward by Hepco Motion product: profiles of various lengths.
has been to optimise this new space, which
is 53 m x 13.5 m x 6.5 m in size.

Another project requirement has been the

reuse of stationary cantilever racks from
the old warehouse, so that they could be
integrated into the new facility.

132 Best Practices


The solution proposed by Mecalux
In all, nine Moviracks were installed,
grouped in 3 blocks of 3 racks each. Each
Movirack cantilever is 11 m long, which
allows you to make full use of the 13.5 m
wide warehouse.
The three blocks of mobile rack were inter­
spersed with the stationary cantilever
racks for heavy loads that came from the
old warehouse: two single, one on each
end of the warehouse, and 5 double, with
access on both sides.
The dimensions
of the warehouse
have been adjusted
to the storage system,
lining up the entry
doors with the work aisles
of the Movirack units
A cantilever system is the best option for
the storage of different length profiles,
because the cantilever arms that support
load units allow for easy, safe handling. In
addition, it is possible to adapt them to the
size, stiffness, tolerance, weight, etc. of
the goods.
In respect to the Movirack mobile base sys-
tem, its main feature is the automatic side­
ways movement along rails embedded into
the floor. This takes up less space by elimi-
nating unnecessary aisles, but ­without los­
Case Study I Hepco Motion
ing direct access to the products stored in
the warehouse.
Consequently, each of the 3 blocks of
3 Moviracks installed only needs a single
work aisle, instead of the 4 that would be
needed in a conventional system.
Taking into account that rack length is 11 m
and aisle width is 2.6 m, this amounts to an
overall space saving of more than 250 m2,
which has resulted in significant cost savings
in the construction of the new building.
Best Practices 133
Case Study I Hepco Motion

Advantages for Hepco Motion

- Higher productivity: the installation of mobile bases allows faster processing of inbound and
outbound goods, optimising product placement and workflow.
- Cost savings: the high-density nature of the mobile bases has made it possible to reduce the size
of the new industrial building, requiring less surface area to achieve the desired storage capacity.
The opportunity of combining mobile and stationary cantilever systems, by reusing old racks, has
also resulted in cost savings.
- Optimal warehouse management: the above benefits will improve the management of
warehouse processes.

Technical data

Length of the warehouse 53 m No. of Movirack racks 9

Width of the warehouse 13.5 m No. of rack units 3
Height of the warehouse 6.5 m No. of possible aisles 4 per rack unit
Rack length 11 m Aisle width 2.6 m
Rack width 2.4 m for each mobile base No. of load levels 7
Rack height 5.3 m Height of the load levels variable

134 Best Practices

Case study: Iron Mountain
Earthquake-proof racking: an installation
with conventional racking on the Pacific Rim

Location: Chile

The Mecalux racks installed in Warehouse 11 of Iron Mountain, a leading

records management and archiving company, were the only ones which were
able to withstand the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in 2010 that devastated the
Chilean regions of Maule and Bio Bio. After the earthquake, Iron Mountain
commissioned Mecalux to rebuild its many damaged buildings and to build two
new warehouses with similar characteristics.

Best Practices 135

Case Study I Iron Mountain
The collaboration between the two com-
panies began five months before the earth-
quake, when Iron Mountain hired Mecalux
to build Warehouse 11, which holds more
than 1.4 million boxes.
As soon as Mecalux took over the project for
Warehouse 11, the design went through a
structural review that took a variety of consi-
derations into account, such as local seismic
regulations and fire protection, electrical
protection and safety systems. The conven-
tional pallet racking is designed with a focus
on the seismic resistance of the shelves.
136 Best Practices
Before starting the installation of the ware-
house, the racks also went through a pre-
liminary design phase, so they would be
capable of absorbing the force generated
by any potential earthquakes. The ware-
house, divided into four floors in order
to allow manual handling of the goods,
is made up of tall, high-resistance racks
with shelves at different levels on which the
boxes containing the files are deposited.
Access to the various floors of the ware-
house is performed by means of stairs, lifts
and walkways.
 Case Study I Iron Mountain

The Iron Mountain

warehouse in Chile is
located in the Ring
of Fire on the Pacific Rim,
one of the regions with
the most seismic activity
in the world. Therefore,
Mecalux prioritised the
safety of the installation
and built a reinforced
system that would be
capable of withstanding
potential earthquakes

The conventional pallet racks put in

place were designed from the inside
out – first the shelves and then the building
envelope.

Longitudinal rigid frames to reinforce the

beams and columns on the four floors of
the warehouse were also installed, along
with the creation of a 4 m wide central
aisle that enables comfortable handling
of the load at the different locations. The
central frames were fixed on a base plate
calculated with sufficient thickness to pro-
vide maximum absorption of the shocks,
since according to the calculations made,
the seismic waves would travel longitudi-
nally through the frames.

The land on which Warehouse 11 was built

was classified as Type 3, of the lowest pos-
sible quality, so extraordinary measures
were taken to reinforce the entire building.

The earthquake and the

reconstruction
On 27 February 2010, an earthquake mea-
suring 8.8 on the Richter scale struck the
Chilean regions of Maule and Biobío with
devastating consequences. The company
lost seven of its facilities, but there was one
that was indeed able to pass the test: the
warehouse built by Mecalux, which was
still only half-finished.
Given this natural disaster, many busines-
ses were looking to store their documents
and files in more secure facilities such as
those Iron Mountain had been proven to
have.
Even so, the company needed to relo-
cate the many thousands of boxes that
were scattered on the floor, so the second
phase of construction was begun quick-
ly with the aim of storing part of those
loads. However, Iron Mountain not only
needed to rebuild all its facilities, it also
had to progress and keep growing. For
this reason, the company commissioned
Mecalux to build two warehouses similar
to Warehouse 11, with a total capacity of
more than 3 million boxes.
With so little time to lose, Mecalux made a su-
preme effort to meet the deadlines and erect
the new facilities at a dizzying speed, so that
the company would be able to resume its
activities as quickly as possible and relocate
its personnel to their regular workstations.
An efficient and safe project
With this earthquake-resistant project,
Mecalux demonstrated its high standards
of quality, safety and commitment. The
challenge of building a warehouse of this
kind in such a powerful earthquake zone
was overcome while complying with local
seismic regulations and supplying an instal-
lation which was fully reinforced and pre-
pared to protect the workers and stored
goods against earthquake tremors.
Mecalux also pledged to assist in the diffi-
cult tasks of reconstruction through the
construction of two new warehouses
which were equally resistant.

Best Practices 137

Case Study I Iron Mountain

Advantages for Iron Mountain

- Security against earthquakes: installation is reinforced to withstand any seismic movement.
- Higher capacity: the three warehouses built by Mecalux have a total capacity of more than
3 million boxes, which far exceeds the needs of Iron Mountain.

Technical data

Warehouse No. 11 – Iron Mountain

1st stage 2nd stage
Total capacity 720,000 boxes Total capacity 480,000 boxes
Number of staircases 4 levels Number of staircases 4 levels
Frame height 12,600 mm Frame height 12,600 mm
Central aisles 4 metres Central aisles 4 metres

Warehouse No. 12 – Iron Mountain Warehouse No. 77 – SA Storbox

Total capacity 980,000 boxes Total capacity 823,000 boxes
Number of staircases 4 levels Number of staircases 4 levels
Frame height 13,000 mm Frame height 13,000 mm

138 Best Practices

Case study: Benco Dental
Uprooting Benco Dental: a customized
warehouse to speed up picking

Location: USA

In January 2010, dental equipment supplier Benco Dental teamed up with

Interlake Mecalux (IKMX) to create the nucleus of its rapidly swelling
business: a new home office doubling as a distribution centre and lavish
product showroom. After a decade that saw the Pennsylvania company open
distribution centres throughout the USA, Benco Dental’s next step was to bring
the corporation back home.

The founder Ben Cohen put down roots
in Pennsylvania in the 1930s and formally
started Benco Dental in a modestly sized
Wilkes-Barre Township office. Benco grew
the business there for the next 30 years. In
Wilkes-Barre, the enterprise was hamper-
ed by, among other things, limited and
undersized pick locations, pockets of
scattered secondary stock, and bins with
inefficient replenishment.
“The most bang-for-your-buck happens
when companies receive product, stick it
in its primary location and pick it,” said a
Benco spokesperson. “That’s the philoso-
phy we took when we designed the new
facility.”
In its latest move, Benco swapped a
6,400 m² installation for over 14,900 m²
just 11 km away in Pittston.

Best Practices 139

Case Study I Benco Dental

The fastest growing Mecalux steps in

private dental distributor
in the U.S. implemented
a pick module as part
of its expansion
and legacy
Bob Novak, Interlake Mecalux’s North East
Market Manager, explained, explained
that he first got involved with Benco Dental
after one of its lift truck distributors came
to him for help designing Benco’s pick mo-
dule in Fort Wayne.
He noted that after IKMX’s involvement
with the Indiana installation, Benco Dental
commissioned the well-known Spanish
warehouse solutions provider to install
racks in its future installations.
As it often does, the evolution of this pro-
cess started with Benco Dental’s concep-
tual drawings. After the sides volleyed
their ideas back and forth, the concept was
whittled down to a final design.
“We went in as the experts on pick mo-
dules and have worked with Benco ever
since,” said Novak. “It worked out pretty
well,” top Benco managers replied, re-
flecting on both Benco’s reenlistment
of Interlake Mecalux and the six-week
installation.

Customized V-shaped shelves above conveyors for quick storage of small items

140 Best Practices

 Case Study I Benco Dental

Today, more than 400 employees work

out of the Pittston facility – not just in the
distribution warehouse, but in the offices,
classrooms and showrooms built into the
structure’s design. “We have the biggest
single place in the U.S., where dentists can
come see all kinds of working operato-
ries,” a spokesperson continued. Twenty-
six office sets display the products and
tech­nologies Benco distributes.

Challenge and success

Relocating a company is a tough busi-
ness, even if it only means moving 11 km
away. The Pittston installation rests in a
never-occu­pied building within a stor­
age park that was adapted by Interlake
Mecalux (IKMX) according to Benco’s
specifications.

Benco Dental’s team realized how tric-

ky the several months preceding the
­move were going to be. It meant having
to manually move 34,000 items one-
by-one from old pick slots to new ones.
“Maintaining customer satisfaction dur­
ing the move was the biggest challenge,”
Benco management explained, “We didn’t
shut down for one day.”

Best Practices 141

Case Study I Benco Dental
Benco Dental reinvented
The design and size of Benco Dental’s in­
stallation ensures that it isn’t strained by
constant restocking demands. Warehouse
dimensions aside, the dental product dis-
tributor uses its space wisely by also build­
ing up and canvassing each square meter
with efficient operations.
Benco’s floor plan certainly fulfils all of its
basic requirements, but it is the system’s
bells and whistles that add a unique effi-
ciency exclusive to that Pittston facility.
In addition to the improvements the racks
inherently create on the premises, the ex-
pert innovations and specialized flour-
ishes of the Pittston location optimize
production.
Mobilizing Mecalux’s knowledge into in-
novative solutions is what helped solidify
Pallets arrive on
the outer decks of the
module to be loaded
on to the flow rails
The stocking area rises 10 inches between
the picking side and the charge side.
142 Best Practices
Benco. “I approached Interlake Mecalux
with a basic design in mind, they tweaked
it, and we both added some great fea-
tures,” said a key Benco manager.
Here are Pittston’s biggest customisa-
tions – and why they are necessary:
Adjustable decks: make it easier for any­
one to stock top shelves. The solution was
to incline the deck on the higher end of the
carton flow module by several inches and
install multiple catwalks connecting the
two. The end result is a seamlessly equal
reach for personnel on both sides.
An overpass: in addition to the cat-
walks, Novak and the IKMX design crew
were able to create an overpass connect­
ing the second floor of the pick modu-
le with a structural mezzanine for greater
throughput.
Extra shelf picking area: the design al-
so called for shelf pick areas allowing for
maximised order fulfilment or just-in-ti-
me shipping. Shuffling the product out
the door or back into the system is easier
to do the more shelf picking areas one has.
Once a pallet is unloaded onto the dock,
lift trucks transport the pallets to their lo-
cations throughout the module.
Steel-encased flow rail: the ground level
pallet flow rails were last-minute additions
designed to maintain a productive picking
speed of oversized products. It keeps pro-
duct both stored and out of the way, and
protects against possible damage done by
lift trucks.
V-shaped shelves: Benco Dental want­
ed their smaller, slower-moving products
to be accessible to the pick area without
going to great lengths to retrieve them – a
common wish among facilities with simi-
lar products. For this, the group designed
V-shaped shelves. The 20-inch deep units
hang above the conveyor – accessible, but
out of the way.
Bonus storage: adding more storage spa-
ce to each level meant that Benco would
have extra floor space where pallet stor-
age would have been.
The extra floor space can be used by fork-
lifts to unload additional goods faster.
 Case Study I Benco Dental

Pick module safety

How Interlake Mecalux worked with
Benco Dental to ensure safety. 1
1 Safety straps. The operator is hooked
into a harness, as well as a safety strap.
The strap rides along a trolley line that
runs the length of each module level
(other than the ground floor).

2 Galvanized safety deck. Once a pallet

is fully picked, personnel relocate the
pallet. The galvanizing ensures an easy,
undamaged course of the pallet to a re-
turn lane, and the safety of personnel 2
below from wood shards.

3 Safety netting. The netting extends

past the safety deck in order to deter
personnel from approaching the edge
of the pick module, and to protect them
if they do.

The safety of the

picking installation was
fundamental throughout 3
the design process

The extra shelf picking areas ensure Added height for pallets and steel-encased
constant quick turnaround. flow rail keep product safely housed.

Best Practices 143

Case Study I Benco Dental

CYCLING THROUGH A RESPONSIVE REPLENISHMENT METHOD

Benco Dental has made it a company practice to saturate its distribution centers with efficient production strategies
including its just-in-time replenishment method. JIT is a means to reduce stored inventory by optimizing system
performance. Here is how Interlake Mecalux helped ensure Benco Dental’s efficiency:

2. Expedited
1. Product is product is sent
received within straight to order
24 hours fulfillment
Reduce store inventory by Schedules are synchronized with
optimizing the time it sits in the demand. If there is not product
factory, eliminating “change demand, personnel is placed
overtime” that would normally else­where, making multi-skilled
cause delays at the beginning of employees more useful.
the process.

6. Product is
unloaded to dock
3. Remaining stock
Fewer pieces mean fewer delays.
is stored
With less inventory, there is
decreased risk of product damage
or expiration.

5. Employee effort, 4. Fulfilled orders loaded

emphasis is spent elsewhere and shipped
Supplier relationships are enhanced as a company When production demand and supply is
with limited inventory will do whatever it takes to synchronized and goods move directly from
avoid part shortages. receiving to order fulfillment, less space is necessary
for storage.

144 Best Practices

 Case Study I Benco Dental

Advantages for Benco Dental

- Design and dimensions: special design features and the large-scale installation ensure that they
are able to supply the continuous demands of restocking products.
- Space optimization: Dental Benco uses the available space intelligently, taking advantage of
every square meter for efficient operations that contribute to the strong performance of the
installation.
- Development of made-to-measure products: the customization of the system, in accordance
with the needs and requirements of the client, gives the installation unique efficiency. The appli-
cation of Mecalux’s technical knowledge, in regards to innovative solutions, has helped Benco to
stand out among their competitors.
- Enhanced productivity: as a result of the incorporation of massive picking modules from
Interlake Mecalux and other systems in the Pittston installation, Benco estimates that has increa-
sed its productivity by 12% in comparison to what it earned in its previous facilities.

Best Practices 145

Our experts I Software

Logistics software: the cloud is the future

Due to the continuous evolution of technology, our business Key advantages
landscape is changing at a high speed. One of the most important The main features that have led to this
growth in cloud based solutions are:
paradigm changes that has taken place in recent years has been
caused by the software industry, with the creation of cloud-based • Savings in the initial investment of
applications. The logistics operations of companies have quickly any project of software deployment.
adapted to this change, demanding that software applications be The hardware infrastructure to house the
solution is eliminated, and only the equip-
implemented which are increasingly compatible with the cloud.
ment in use is required. Nor is the initial cost
of licensing necessary, since a payment by
This paradigm shift has been led principa- continuous access to information can also use and monthly service (SaaS) is applied.
lly by the needs of the clients themselves, not be ignored.
who in light of periods of crisis have opted • Automatic and secure application
for the type of solutions that only the cloud What do we mean when we talk updates. There is no need to spend several
can offer: controlled expenditure, versatility about “the cloud”? weeks to update a company’s applications,
and portability. There are many definitions for such a broad with problems that can result in loss of da-
term and that, in the here and now, is part of ta, downtimes, etc. Updates are comple-
However, it is also important to take into almost any solution. Perhaps the one that co- tely transparent and without any form of
account the fundamental influence that the mes closest says that it is a “consumer tech- intervention.
evolution of technology has brought upon nology model” (applications, computing
us, which has made it possible to increase and storage) as a service through a network • Savings in maintenance costs. By
the connection capacity both within loca- (usually the Internet), without the need for adopting a SaaS model, the maintenance of
lly or mobile based communications. The investments, securely and accessible from the application and the housing of the so-
social changes caused by globalisation, the anywhere. This virtual set up makes data lution lies with the provider. Who is the one
sharing of information and the need for control and management more obtainable. responsible for hardware upkeep.

146 Best Practices


CLOUD
LAN WAN
LAN
ON-PREMISE
• Flexibility. This model is ideal for busi-
nesses with fluctuating growth over time,
so that it is always possible to increase or
decrease the service you are receiving.
• Access to information from any loca-
tion. Only an Internet connection is requi-
red to be able to work remotely.
• Reduction of the implementation
times when performing a solution rollout
because it is unnecessary for clients to install
software to access the computer program
from an Internet browser.
• Security. The cloud does not depend on
computer equipment, so that data is not
lost in the event of portable devices being
HOST
misplaced, or because of any type of break-
down in a client’s computer. That is to say,
because the data is stored in the cloud, you
can access the information in the company,
regardless of anything that happens to your
computer.
Some “cons”
All these features are advantages that cu-
rrently lead more than 60% of medium-si-
zed companies to use cloud-based services.
But there are also drawbacks to working in
the cloud:
• Dependence of network connections.
For this reason, before deciding to step into
the cloud, you should verify that your net-
work infrastructure, that will support these
services, is adequate enough and even be
sure to have a contingency plan for network
breakdowns. This way, you will get a solid
system.
• Loss of data control. This is the biggest
drawback that many companies face when
making the leap into the cloud. To upload
information into a server hosted in the clo-
ud that can be replicated in any other secu-
re backup in the recovery of a system, relo-
cation of the information is clear and this
makes many businesses fearful. This distrust
is based, in part, on the perception that data
is more secure in their own facility, when the
truth is that it is easier for data leaks to occur
Our experts I Software
at a domestic level. The possibility of an inci-
dent within their own systems is much more
likely than with any cloud hosted service.
An example of evolution: Easy WMS
Fundamentally, when analysing the pros
and cons of using the cloud, it is obvious
that the future of software and services
lies within this new platform. In the coming
years, companies will increasingly rely on
adopting this technology.
Responding to the changing needs of its
customers and to this new paradigm, Me-
calux Software Solutions – Mecalux’s soft-
ware development division – has created a
new version of its Easy WMS Warehouse
Management Software, so that clients can
operate as per the architecture that they
desire to use:
• Either in the cloud, offering a cloud ser-
vice model, namely SaaS (Software as a
Service).
• Or the traditional client/server “on-pre-
mise” model, hosted in their facilities.
This way it is the client who decides which
option they feel more comfortable working
with. And even if you prefer to start with the
traditional model, you can then jump into
the cloud or vice versa. Flexibility, is first and
foremost. u
Best Practices 147
Our experts I Clack-racks
Clad-rack warehouses
When racks also support the building
This type of constructions are integrated buildings formed by the racks themselves, whose structure is
coupled to both the roof and wall cladding. Clad-rack warehouses have achieved great importance in
the last 30 years, mainly because of the need for space optimisation, and resulting in the construction of
buildings that are taller than 45 m.
In order to better understand the ad-
vantages offered by building a clad-rack
warehouse, we should first consider some
features of the traditionally built ware-
houses:
• The building of a traditional warehouse
is formed by a supporting structure, with
its pillars, trusses, roof girders, side walls
and roofing, on which external forces
such as the wind, snow or earthquakes
act against, depending on its geographic
location.
All the forces are transmitted to the
ground through the pillars, which requi-
re the construction of load-redistribution
footings.
It is also essential to build a slab or floor
with sufficient load capacity to be able to
support the weight of the goods and han-
dling equipment.
148 Best Practices
• The warehouse, or one of its parts, is
composed of racks that occupy the total
height of the building’s interior.
• There are usually heavy pallets stored on
the racks, so calculations must be done to
withstand all the stored goods.
• The racks are metal structures that have
a large number of pillars (frames/uprights)
that distribute the weight evenly on the
floor of the warehouse.
• The forces that the racking units trans-
mit to the ground are much higher than
those that the pillars of the building trans-
mit, although individually. Each upright
transmits a much lighter load and which,
above all, is distributed.
• If the external forces that support the
building were transmitted to the ground
via the racks, it would add a relatively small
percentage to each upright in comparison
with the loads derived from the goods.
Advantages of a clad-rack
warehouse
• Full use of the surface area: the ware-
house is designed at the same time as the
racks and only occupies the space required,
without intermediate pillars that influence
their distribution.
• Optimisation of height: as with the
surface area, the height will be only that
which is required. At the same time, the
upper trusses or girders require less height
and incline being directly supported on
the racking.
• Maximum height of the construc-
tion: you can build to any height, it only
depends on local regulations or the scope
of the handling means which are used, be-
ing able to exceed 45 m high (which would
 Our experts I Clack-racks

be complex and expensive in traditional
construction).
• Simpler construction: the entire struc-
ture is assembled on a concrete slab of suita-
ble thickness to achieve uniform distribution
of the forces on the foundation; there isn’t a
high concentration of loads
• Less time for completion: once the
slab is built, the entire structure and clad-
ding are progressively and concurrently
installed.
me pre-assembled or bolted, they can be
dismounted with ease and a high percen-
tage of components recovered.
When installing a clad-rack
warehouse
The variety of applications of this type of
warehouses are very broad, although it
is particularly suitable solution in the fo-
llowing cases:
• When the warehouse exceeds 12 m high.
• When the construction is of a lower, but
its use is temporary or pro-visional.
• When the maximum optimisation of spa-
ce and volume is required, regardless of
the height of construction that is built.
In the case of clad-rack warehouses which
are less than 12 m high, the storage sys-
tem which is often used is non-automated

• Cost savings: As a general rule, the

cost of a clad-rack warehouse is less than
the more traditional racks. The greater the
construction height, the more profitable
the clad-rack system.

• Minimal civil works: it only requires

the construction of the slab on the ground
and, in some cases, a waterproof wall bet-
ween one and two metres high. In which
case the operations area needs to be ex-
panded for receipt and dispatch, a traditio-
nal building can be built, but of sufficient
height without reaching the total height of
the warehouse.

• Easily removable: being a structure

formed by standard rack elements that co-

Best Practices 149

Our experts I Clack-racks
6 4
9 8
7 3
compact (drive-in palletising, push-back,
Pallet Shuttle and live by gravity).
The use of conventional pallet racking, ei-
ther single or double-depth, is more com-
mon starting at this height. On the other
hand, when above 15 m high handling
machines should be automatic.
As a general rule, in the case of automated
warehouses, the best practice is to take ad-
vantage of the maximum height allowed
by local regulations. This is provided that
the amount of machines designed for the
installation makes it possible to achieve
the desired number of movements. To get
same storage capacity, you can opt for a
reduced height installation, but with more
work aisles –which involves installing mo-
re machines–or opt for a warehouse with
more height and less aisles, and therefore
less machines.
Basic components
of a clad-rack warehouse
The constructive system is very simple: the
structure is composed by the racks them-
selves on which the upper trusses, roof
girders and the side profiles are placed,
which are used for attaching the panels
that make up the walls and roofing.
When the handling equipment are au-
tomatic stacker cranes, the upper guides
are attached to the trusses, so that the
150 Best Practices
2
5 1
racks must also bear the forces that they
transmit.
How a warehouse clad-rack
is calculated
Apart from having to bear loads generated
by the goods stored and the forces from the
handling machines, clad-rack warehouses
must also be designed to withstand the ac-
tions of a building, for example, the action
of the wind, overburdened roofing (main-
tenance, snow, etc.), the weight itself and
of the wall cladding – both covering and the
facades – besides considering the seismic
coefficient that corresponds to the zone
where it is installed.
As with any civil engineering structure,
the clad-rack warehouse forms part of the
building structure. However, this involves
very specific constructions, because in
addition to the peculiarities of a building
used, the specifications of the racks must
be taken into account.
Thus, when calculating and designing the
structure of a clad-rack warehouse, not
only must each country’s rules of cons-
truction and the actions that can affect
At the height of 12 m the inflection point between
the costs of constructing a traditional warehouse and
a clad-rack warehouse is usually found
1. Frame
2. Beam
3. Footplates and
anchor bolts
4. Roof trusses
5. Guide rails
6. Roof joist
7. Wall joist
8. Roof
9. Cladded walls
the structure be respected (wind actions,
roof overloads, seismic action, etc.), but
also the specific regulations for the metal
racking.
On a European level, the following regula-
tions are in force for all metal structures:
• EN 1990 / Basis of structural design.
• EN 1991 / Eurocode 1: Actions on
structures.
• EN 1993 / Eurocode 3: Design of steel
structures
• EN 1998 / Eurocode 8: Design of struc-
tures for earthquake resistance.
Logically, in each territory there are different
climatic actions that involve deviations from
the general rule. Moreover, certain coun-
tries require different calculation conditions
(for example: more stringent security co-
efficients than those specified in European
regulations).
In regard to the European regulations spe-
cific to metal racking, the following are
underscored:
• EN 15512 / Steel static storage systems.
Adjustable pallet racking systems. Principles
for structural design.
 Our experts I Clack-racks

Modelling for the calculation of Modelling for the calculation of a cross section
the structure in 3D of the structure in 2D

• EN 15620 / Steel static storage systems.
Adjustable pallet racking. Tolerances, de-
formations and clearances.
• EN 15635 / Steel static storage systems.
Application and maintenance of storage
equipment.
The structure of a clad-rack warehouse is
composed of thousands of junctions and
rods, so you need powerful calculation
programs to model and calculate this type
of installation in three dimensions. 3D mo-
delling is indispensable if we want to pre-
dict the torsional effects that a simplified
analysis in two dimensions cannot reveal.
by regulation EN 15620 must also be subs-
tantiated in two dimensions.
It is important to point out that the cal-
culation of a clad-rack warehouse is an
iterative process. Which means that the
person calculating uses some profiles and,
subsequently, checks and verifies their
appropriateness. This process is repeated
until getting the most finely-honed solu-
tion possible, that meets all safety requi-
rements and that delivers maximum profi-
tability. The iterative process will be longer
or shorter depending on the experience of
the person calculating.
Civil works and assembly
The basic civil work is minimal: only the
slab on which the structure sits and the pi-
pes for the drains are required. Likewise,
depending on its use, a water-proof pe-
rimeter wall and an additional operations

Calculation programs allow.

• To consider the actions on the structure.

For example, the stored load is modelled
as a load evenly distributed on the beams.
It also takes into account the action of the
wind, roof overloads...

• To obtain the forces that the racks bear:

bending, shearing and axil moments on
each rod and each junction.

• To obtain the deformations and displace-

ments of all the structure’s components.

• Check the suitability of the sections or

profiles hypothesised in the calculation,
applying the verification formulas outlined
in the EN 1993 and 15512 regulations.

EIn very tall facilities (25 m and upwards),

it is not enough to ensure that the profi-
les are sufficiently resistant to the forces
which they must absorb, but warehouse
displacement within the range specified

Best Practices 151

Our experts I Clack-racks

area of appropriate height can be erected, in combination with stacker cranes or trans- slabs are built – one on top of the other –
as has already been mentioned. fer cars. It is also possible to install clad-rack and you install insulation between them.
warehouses for boxes, particularly suited in At the same time, the bottom slab incor-
In the process of the structure’s assembly, combination with the miniload automated porates a ventilation system, or a circuit
the first job that is performed on site is the system (stacker cranes for boxes). of pipes, to prevent the foundation from
verification of the correct levelling of the freezing.
slab, after which part of the anchor plates The assembly usually starts at the head of
are placed in their final position (before the warehouse and, after putting up the Another determining factor is height.
putting up the structure). Once you have first racks and part of the cladding (the When more height is required than is
verified the correct levelling of the racks, coverings and facades), the handling ma- allowed by applicable regulations, there
you can fill the space between the plate and chines are introduced. Then, the structure is the possibility of building part of the
the ground with a non-shrink concrete. is finished being assembled and the rest of warehouse in a trench. In these cases,
the cladding is placed. provisions for a hatch or door must be
The next step is to assemble the structure. made for maintenance workers and the
You can install any type of pallet storage The requirements of clad-rack warehouse installation of access ladders, drains and
system, both single and double-depth, with can vary depending on several factors. For over-flow water pumps.
live racks, with or without Pallet Shuttle and example, when used as cold storage, two
On other occasions, height will be de-
termined by factors such as the wind or
The slab must have suitable strength and thickness the seismicity that affects the zone. The
repercussions of this factor will be grea-
for bearing the weight of the structure plus the goods ter the higher the warehouse, the vertical
stored, as well as to withstand the forces produced by bracing has to transmit forces produced
in the structure along to the concrete slab
external factors that makes up the floor.

152 Best Practices


Integration other buildings, you may resort to any of
of the warehouse
In general, warehouses are built next to
other production processes. When the
constructive system is self-supporting,
even more so if the handling machines
are automatic, the height is usually much
higher than the rest of the buildings
and the site it is located at has been well
analysed.
It is essential to install the warehouse in a
strategic zone, to simplify the flows bet-
ween the different areas that have been
connected as much as is possible. This will
be easier when it is a part of a totally new
plant, and according to the experience
and know-how of the designer.
Although the majority of the warehouses
are joined to the production buildings, the-
re are situations in which the warehouse
will be more distant: for logistical needs,
or future expansion, or to not eliminate in-
ner lanes. To connect the warehouse with
these options:
1. Have shuttle trucks that connect the pro-
duction centres with the warehouse. The
logical thing to do in this case is that the
vehicles and the warehouse are ready to
perform unloading automatically.
2. Build an underground tunnel to connect
the two areas via conveyors.
3. Build an overpass on a raised structure.
Conclusion
The possibility of configuring the ware-
house with different types of storage sys-
tems for pallets and for boxes, both ma-
nual and automatic, allows you to respond
to all types of loading units, operations
and necessities.
In any case, only companies Mecalux’s
experience and service quality can under-
take this type of construction and offer
Our experts I Clack-racks
the best solution based on the demands,
the intended utility, the location and the
height of the construction while acting as
the sole interlocutor throughout the pro-
cess. Furthermore, Mecalux is committed
to the development of the engineering of
projects with its own team of technicians,
whether it be in the mechanical, electri-
cal, electronics or software specialist. This
helps to ensure the fulfilment of all the
technical and legal rules applicable to the
installations.
Clad-rack warehouses implemented by
Mecalux have demonstrated their effec-
tiveness in diverse sectors such as food,
automotive, pharmaceutical, spare parts,
petroleum, ceramics, metallurgy, chemical
and cosmetics products, plastic products,
logistics operators, etc. This solution is also
recommended for cold or frozen storage,
in particular when combined with automa-
ted handling systems. Thus, transforming
know-how and cold-storage into profita-
bility u
Best Practices 153
Our experts I Structural Calculation

How to calculate the structure

of a conventional pallet rack
What forces must be pondered when designing metal pallet racks? How do we verify that the structure
will be suitable to withstand all loads? These and other issues are those which should be taken into
account in the design of this type of rack, with the goal of ensuring its stability and resistance, and
therefore the overall security of the installations.

The European EN 15512 norm, according
to its definition, specifies the requirements
for structural design applicable to con-
ventional pallet racking (selective racks)
manufactured from steel components,
designed to store palletised unit loads and
subject to essentially stationary loads. It
has become the main benchmark on this
matter, and provides additional technical
information required for the implementa-
tion of the Eurocodes.
In addition, designers must also provide
for the EN 15620, EN 15629 and EN 15635
standards as guides for the specifications
of the storage system, the required tole-
rances during assembly and the safe ope-
ration of the installation.
installation is designed to be as lightweight
as possible; consequently the rack’s own
weight rarely exceeds 5% of the load sto-
red in the facility’s interior.
On the other hand, it is imperative that this
type of installations for palletised loads be
versatile, to be able to adapt to different
load types. For this reason, the connec-
tions between the main parts of the struc-
ture must be adjustable, and quick and
easy to assemble.
The uprights of these structures usually
have perforations along the entire profile,
while the beams include connectors pro-
vided with hooks that fit into the perfora-
tions of these uprights.
Close up of the
joining of an upright
and a beam
• Uprights: these tend to be cold-profi-
led components of thin sheet metal, with
open sections and are always perforated,
which makes them prone to distortion and
torsional type sagging.
• Beams: are horizontal pieces that bear
the burden of the pallets. These tend to
be cold-profiled and have connectors on
their ends for attaching them to frame
uprights.

Likewise, conventional racks for palleti-
sed loads are metal structures, generally
formed by components made out of thin,
cold-formed, steel sheet metal. They are
able to withstand heavy loads, while the
Basic structural
components
• Frames: are vertical pieces composed
of two uprights joined together by beams
and cross-ties forming a lattice.
• Connectors: are parts welded onto
the ends of beams to attach them to the
uprights. They are equipped with ho-
oks that fit into the perforations of the
uprights.

154 Best Practices

 Our experts I Structural Calculation

Calculation types: general and

individual
The calculation is carried out in two
stages:

1. General analysis of the structure

Normally filiform, two-dimensional (2D)
models with second order calculations
applying the finite element method are
used. In some types of installations, calcu-
lations are also frequently done via 3D mo-
dels in accordance with the EN 1993-1-1.

This analysis must incorporate the mode-

lling of the actual behaviour of the con-
nection between the upright-beams and Example of down‐aisle analysis
the frame-ground.

2. Individual verification of pieces

Once the overall analysis is performed, it is
vital to check the correctness of the design
by verifying the buckling and the tensions of
the pieces that make up the racking.

Basically, the following items are verified:

- General stability of the installation.
- Stress state of frames: uprights and
diagonals.
- Base plates: pressure on the slab and
anchorage.
- Beams: buckling and stress state.
- Connectors.

General analysis: structural model Example of cross‐aisle analysis

For general analysis, it is usual to consider
two, two-dimensional (2D) structures in
concurrent vertical and perpendicular la-
youts with respect to the storage aisles.
In the model calculation, the following re-
quirements are observed:
General analysis
• Filiform model.
• System lines through the CG (centre of
gravity) of the gross section, or also through
the CG of the actual cross section.
• Terms of section corresponding to the
gross section of the pieces (or also of the
actual cross section).
In this analysis the aim is to obtain:
- The internal forces on the different pie-
ces for their subsequent verification,
combining the down-aisle and cross-
aisle calculations.
- Checking the overall stability of the
installation.
It includes two types of analysis:
- Down-aisle analysis: analysis in 2D on a
vertical layout parallel to the load aisles.
This analysis also includes the semi-rigid
connections of the upright-beam and
upright-floor, obtained by testing.
- Cross-aisle analysis: analysis in 2D on a
vertical layout perpendicular to the load
aisles. Usually involves the articulated
upright-floor joint.
In both cases, the global imperfection can
be modelled as:
- The tilt of the agreed uprights to the
imperfection.
- Horizontal forces at the height of
the load levels corresponding to the
imperfection.

Type of analysis according to the

classification of the structure
This classification is based on the relations-
hip of the expected load design in regards
to the critical load of the structure. Accor-
ding to the coefficient obtained by this re-
Overall analysis of a 2D structure

Best Practices 155

Our experts I Structural Calculation
lationship, the need to perform a second
order calculation will be determined.
Individual analysis: verifying
elements
In the verification of the different elements
that make up the structure the following
concepts, among others, must be taken
into account:
Uprights - Frames - Anchorage plates
- Upright mainly function by compression
and flexion.
- The use of the reduction factor for buc-
kling, obtained by laboratory testing or
by using theoretical formulas.
- The internal forces obtained from the
down-aisle and cross-aisle calculations
will be jointly perpended.
- Axil force on the diagonals of the
frame.
- Axil force and momentum on uprights’
footplates.
- Axil and shear force on fastening ancho-
rage to the slab.
Beams - Connectors
- Working primarily with bending and
shearing forces.
- Buckling (deflection) is limited to a maxi-
mum of L/200. Occasionally, for certain
installations smaller value deflections
are required.
156 Best Practices
So that the conventional
pallet racking function
safely, it is fundamental
to know the structure
you are working with,
the preventive actions
that exist and the safety
measures to keep in mind.
- Consideration of the cross-aisle forces
of location.
- Verifying the shear force and deflection
in the endplate.
Blocks of bracing - Vertical and hori-
zontal bracing - Spacers
- The brace diagonals work exclusively on
axil force.
- Verification of the deflection and shear
forces on the elements that connect the
diagonals of the vertical bracing to the
frames (bracing spacers).
- The actions of the bracing increases the
forces on the uprights and beams that
form part of the block of bracing or that
are adjacent to it.
- The eccentricity of the actions of the
vertical bracing in respect to the racks
requires a study of the torsion beha-
viour of the elements that form part
of the block of bracing, as well as the
racks.
Actions
There are different types of actions that
may affect the strength and stability of
the racks, so that it is also imperative to
contemplate them when setting up an
installation of this kind. The actions on the
racking are classified into several groups:
Permanent actions
- Weight of the racks.
- Permanent loads and various equip-
ment supported by the racking.
Variables actions
- Weight of the pallets.
- Weight and actions due to mobile loads
on platforms and walkways.
- Actions due to the location of the pa-
llets (vertical + horizontal).
- Actions on the positioning profiles.
- Actions due to storage equipment
guides.
- Actions due to the imperfection in the
elements and assembly.
- Other actions arising from national re-
gulations (wind, snow, etc.).
- The weight of the pallets together with
the general imperfection deemed as a

Variable actions like weight and actions due to moving loads on
platforms and walkways.
single action, which in turn is the most
relevant (unfavourable).
Accidental actions
- Forklift blows.
- Actions on security profiles.
- Seismic actions.
Load states and the combination
of actions
It is viewed as appropriate and sufficient
to study the two load states listed below,
considering the following actions or load
cases:
• Permanent actions + the most unfavour-
able variable action.
• Permanent actions + 0.9 x (the totality
of variable actions).
• Permanent actions + variables + inciden-
tals.
State Service Limit (SSL)
In each of the load cases the buckling of the
Vertical and horizontal actions due to the placement of pallets.
Our experts I Structural Calculation
structure’s parts subject to the correspon-
ding unweighted actions (nominal loads) is
studied:
• Verifying the overall stability of the
struc-ture.
• Verifying beam deflection
Ultimate Limit State (ULS)
In each of the load cases the tensional
state of components subjected to the co-
rresponding weighted actions (affected
by factors of security) is studied. In the
verification formulas of the elements the
combination of forces (down-aisle + cross-
aisle) must be considered.
It is also necessary to ponder the uncer-
tainty as to the different actions that can
affect the racking (described previously).
To do this, there are established security
coefficients considered, for both the load
coefficient and the material, and which
can range between 1.0 and 1.5.
Some countries have specific national le-
gislation which obliges you to use greater
weighting coefficients in the facilities that
are built on its territory (A deviations).
Eccentricities
When the design and/or handling of the
storage system allows the pallets to syste-
Best Practices 157
Our experts I Structural Calculation

En 15620. - Steel static storage

systems. Tolerances, deformations
and clearances.

- Flatness of the slab and its buckling un-

der load.
- Clearance between pallets, and between
the pallet and racks.
- Clearance between racks and civil
works.
- Aisle width according to the load unit,
the forklift type and the number of pallet
locations per hour.

En 15629. - Steel static storage

The asymmetrical position of the pallets in respect to the beams.
matically become off-centred, the increa-
sed load that causes this off-centring on
beams and braces must also be taken into
account in the design of the structure.
Likewise, the eccentricities of the lines of
the structural system must be observed, in
the event that they are deemed excessive.
Eccentricities in the positioning of
the pallets
- Asymmetric position of the pallets in re-
gard to the beams.
- Load is not evenly distributed on the
pallet.
- Load overflow in regards to the pallet.
Thus, not only is it imperative for the ma-
nufacturer to carry out a good structural
analysis and design of the installation,
but it is also makes good use of the sa-
me, so that actions against the racking
does not exceed those considered in the
installation’s structural calculation. This is
all the fruit of many years of experience,
and studies and trials by FEM (Federation
of European Maintenance) and other
agencies.
It is essential to keep in mind:
systems. Specification of storage
equipment.
Individual responsibilities of the different
system suppliers that make up the storage
equipment.
En 15635. - Steel static storage
systems. Application and
maintenance of storage equipment.
- Designation of a person responsible for
the security of the storage equipment.
- Safe load sign.
- Education and training of the warehouse
staff.
- Damage to the racks and assessment of
the level of damage.
- Regular inspections. u

Eccentricities of the diagonals of the

vertical bracing
Although the diagonals of the vertical bra-
cing are not physically connected to the
racks on the junctions that form the neu-
tral lines of the uprights and the beams,
in the 2D calculations the diagonals can
be viewed as attached to these junctions,
provided that the eccentricities of the same
are kept below certain values depending on
the width of the brace and the edge of the
beams. The same happens with the diago-
nals of the frames.

Conclusion: the safety of the

installation and responsibilities
Lastly, we want to point out that in a large
part of the incidents that occur in palle-
tised installations, human error interferes
and are primarily caused by scraping or
impacts of forklifts against the racking.
On the other hand, these impacts may
represent higher than normal actions on
the racks, than those established in the EN
15512 norm.
Software for the structural calculation of racks
Currently, all the mentioned analysis throughout this article are done via
computerised calculation programmes. Mecalux has applied their extensive
experience in design, manufacture and installation of warehouse systems to the
development of a powerful design software, capable of finding the best option
for each warehouse layout, the dimensions of the storage structures and the most
ideal profiles. In this way, optimization of capacity and cost of the warehouse is
procured, with the utmost safety.

158 Best Practices

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