High picking rate for Ludwig Meister

Ludwig Meister consists of a group of eight companies involved in the wholesale trade and servicing of equipment and machinery for the construction, mining, farming, gardening, general industry, and transportation industries. It’s particularly well-known for its range of power tools and hydraulic and pneumatic equipment.

Time to adapt to growing demand

As the company grew over the decades, so did customer demands. As a result, it became imperative for the business to overhaul its order and distribution processes. They were set on remaining leaders in the industry.

With this in mind, Ludwig Meister chose to install an AutoStore system, empowered by Swisslog, in 2013. This system was upgraded in 2016.

The company prides itself on its efficient and swift delivery times. Thanks to the new system, orders received before 5 p.m. are shipped on the same day. Ludwig Meister also offers 24/7 parcel collection via locker systems.

“Not only is the technology itself fascinating, the new warehouse automation system which lies at the heart of our logistics center also fulfills both present and future requirements,” said Max Meister, Managing Director of Ludwig Meister.

The AutoStore system at Ludwig Meister

The facility occupies a floor space of 620 sqm (6,673 sf).

A total of 60,000 Bins form part of the warehouse system, but because each Bin can be subdivided and filled with more than one type of item, over 100,000 storage spaces are available. Ludwig Meister’s inventory includes more than 80,000 items, 97% of which are stored in the AutoStore system.

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Here are a few more facts about the system:

• Thirty-seven Robots make for easy work — they effortlessly glide across the AutoStore Grid, picking the goods that have been ordered
• Four CarouselPorts™ and 12 ConveyorPorts™ move goods into and out of the storage Grid.
• The goods in the system collectively weigh more than 150 tons.
• The system can do 6,500 picks per day.
• If necessary, the AutoStore can be enlarged to accommodate 66,000 Bins.
• A transfer cell is used for Bin insertion.
• The cleaning station in-house developed by Ludwig Meister cleans the Robot sensors with compressed air.
• Order picking is supported by a pick-to-light system.

The employees at Ludwig Meister in Dachau no longer have to do time-consuming and costly manual order picking in the logistics center. This change has led to faster delivery times, which gives the company an edge over its competitors.

“We’re very satisfied with the high picking rate of AutoStore,” says Meister. He adds that if they want to, the company can more than double the system’s picking rate in the future.

Other advantages are the low error rate, correct packaging and labeling, and the energy, space, and cost savings that ultimately filter through to the customers. In addition, warehouse efficiency has led to shorter storage times, which positively affects the depreciation of goods. Customers can now receive the latest, high-quality goods.

The AutoStore can also easily be expanded when the need arises. “With AutoStore, we feel well-equipped for the future,” Meister concludes.

Additional benefits:

• System uptime of 99.96% with backup emergency power for business continuity
• Handles more than 100 individual processes at Ports
• In combination with automated packaging, reduced transport volume by 75%, packaging material by 80%, and picking times by 30%