Case study: New logistics formula at HELA

As with a spice blend, logistics also depends on the right interaction of all components. At the family-owned company HELA Gewürzwerk Hermann Laue GmbH in Ahrensburg, tens of thousands of different items have to be moved every day. In order to meet its logistical requirements in the future, HELA found an experienced system integrator in Unitechnik, which implemented a customized logistics center. Not only were new storage and picking areas built, but the high-bay warehouse, which had been in use for decades, was also renovated – a combination of new construction and retrofitting that heralds a new era for HELA in terms of logistics.

Since 1905, HELA Gewürzwerk Hermann Laue GmbH has stood for taste, variety, and quality. HELA Gewürz Ketchup Curry in particular is a staple in households, on barbecue tables, and in refrigerators around the world. At the Ahrensburg site, around 500 employees work daily to produce a wide range of spices, vinegars, and culinary specialty products that are exported to more than 65 countries. The family-owned company must respond flexibly to the changing challenges of a global market and combines traditional craftsmanship with modern manufacturing.

In order to meet the dynamic demands of production and shipping, HELA decided to invest in a comprehensive modernization of its Ahrensburg site. This involved a complete overhaul of the logistics system. HELA first commissioned Unitechnik Systems GmbH with the overall planning of the logistics. Together, the two companies developed a well-thought-out layout and the best strategy for HELA. In close cooperation with various specialist departments, the basis for the implementation of the new logistics center was created. Finally, Unitechnik was also commissioned to implement the entire project, which cleverly combines new construction and retrofitting. The result is a state-of-the-art logistics center with multiple storage capacities that is optimally networked with the comprehensively renovated high-bay warehouse. This combination ensures that HELA will be able to respond even more flexibly to market requirements in the future and also efficiently serve the growing B2C business.

Automated processes supply supermarkets and end consumers

Hela’s new logistics center comprises a three-aisle high-bay warehouse in a modern silo design with around 8,400 storage spaces. In addition, there is a two-aisle container shuttle system with space for almost 39,000 containers and a lifting beam storage system with around 1,000 spaces. The logistics heart of the facility is the picking hall. Six goods-to-person picking stations are available on a 900 m² platform. The facility is designed for maximum efficiency and flexibility and supports a wide variety of items – from goods receipt to shipping. This ensures that both the retail and end customer businesses can be reliably supplied.

At the center is an automated picking and shipping infrastructure where goods are provided, packaged, labeled, and consolidated for shipping according to demand. Modern conveyor technology, automated packaging stations, and robot-assisted processes reduce physically demanding activities and ensure consistently high processing quality.

The UniWare warehouse management system not only controls warehouse processes in real time, but also integrates the connection to Hela’s SAP system. This means that all material movements from goods receipt to shipping can be tracked seamlessly and in real time. Thanks to the new facility, HELA can supply its customers worldwide faster, more reliably, and with greater variety – while remaining scalable for future market requirements.

New construction and retrofitting go hand in hand

“The conversion of our warehouse logistics was a combination of building a new logistics center and integrating a modernized existing high-bay warehouse,” says Markus Laue, Head of Logistics and Project Management at HELA. “Unitechnik planned and implemented the project steps in such a way that we were able to keep production and delivery operations running continuously even during the construction work.” First, a completely new area was built next to the old warehouse, with a new high-bay warehouse, small parts warehouse, and modern picking technology. One challenge during the construction phase was that the new buildings were erected right next to the railway line.

The new building was put into operation independently of the existing logistics processes and gradually took over the tasks of the old logistics facility. This enabled HELA to continue to reliably supply its customers even during the various construction phases. In the next step, Unitechnik renovated the high-bay warehouse, which had been in use for many years. This involved replacing the storage and retrieval machines and modernizing the conveyor technology as well as the entire control and guidance technology. The new layout offers the flexibility needed to meet the demands of the global food market while at the same time cushioning the shortage of skilled workers through modern automation. In this way, HELA has not only expanded its storage capacity, but also made its logistics processes fit for the future. “Thanks to automation and the integration of UniWare, we can also process the ever-increasing order volume from our new online shop very efficiently,” explains Markus Laue. “We are well equipped for future challenges.”

For more information visit: unitechnik.com

• wp_statistics_words_count: 820