Third-party logistics provider, DSV is using automation from KNAPP to ensure fast and accurate order fulfilment for a major customer at its distribution centre in Venlo, the Netherlands.
DSV, the fastest-growing 3PL in northern Europe, transformed an existing 60,000 m² warehouse into a modern omnichannel DC for its client, a leading sportswear manufacturer. Equipped with automation from KNAPP, the facility enables around 10,000 retail, wholesale and e-commerce orders a day to be shipped for same-day and next-day delivery across Europe.
Speed and accuracy are the watchwords for the Venlo DC. “Customers like to have their products quickly when ordered and this solution supports that,” says Remco Innemee, Vice President, Division Lead, Consumer for DSV Solutions Netherlands.
Efficient shuttle storage
Goods entering the warehouse in cartons are either put onto pallets and stored in the high-bay warehouse, or conveyed to the 14 decanting stations for repacking of their contents into containers. The containers are stored in the Evo Shuttle automated store, which forms the heart of KNAPP’s automated solution. With 257,000 locations, the Evo Shuttle system features 361 robot shuttles that store containers triple deep on 19 levels, retrieving them on demand for transfer to the picking stations. The Evo Shuttle store also takes care of order buffering and sequencing of completed order cartons.
10,000 picks per hour
Order fulfilment takes place at the 16 goods-to-person workstations from KNAPP’s Pick-it-Easy series, which are ergonomically designed and feature pick-to-light technology. Orders are picked directly into shipping cartons, which are supplied from an automatic carton erector. The intuitive, ergonomic and semi-automated process enables 10,000 items to be picked per hour at the Venlo DC. Value-added services and manual packing are carried out at a further 28 workstations.
Shipping less air
Cartons from the Pick-it-Easy workstations are conveyed to the automated carton-closing system – which adjusts the carton height to the filling volume – and labelling machine. This zero-touch, volume-optimised shipping preparation process minimises the amount of air shipped, saving transport costs and enhancing sustainability. The sealed cartons are then conveyed, along with the manually packed ones, to an outbound sorter with 14 shipping ramps – two for B2C orders and 12 for B2B orders.
Software solution
KNAPP also supplied its KiSoft warehouse control system, which interfaces with DSV’s inventory control system to ensure that all the processes run smoothly, efficiently and without errors. Together, the systems control the entire flow of goods in real time, managing everything from the stock and product master data to order release, quality checking and document insertion.
Resident service team
DSV chose to implement a resident service team from KNAPP to provide preventative maintenance, spare parts management, reporting and system optimisation measures. In addition, DSV has access to KNAPP’s Service Desk, giving round-the-clock access to experts who ensure maximum availability and monitoring, working with the onsite team to create a stress-free experience for the customer. The resident service team relies on KNAPP’s KiSoft CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management System) to drive data-driven maintenance decisions and plan maintenance activities. Using algorithms to optimise maintenance cycles and minimise system failures, the KiSoft CMMS ensures lower costs and higher system availability – in fact, a minimum of 98 per cent availability is achieved at the Venlo DC.
Flexibility for the future
Planning of the warehouse systems was a highly collaborative process. “DSV and KNAPP understood each other brilliantly from the beginning,” explains Remco Innemee. “The two companies complement each other very well with respect to their values and corporate cultures.” The Venlo DC has been designed with room for growth, covering DSV’s predicted requirements up to 2032. Additional capacity can be achieved either by expanding the shifts or by mobilising a part of the system that has been planned but not yet implemented.
KNAPP UK
Tel: 01865 965 000
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