As part of an expansion at the logistics center of STIHL Tirol GmbH, Element Logic has delivered the 1,000th AutoStore robot in the D-A-CH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). At the STIHL production site for garden tools and battery products in Langkampfen, Germany, a modern and state of the art AutoStore solution has been implemented by Element Logic.

400 bin presentations per hour

Since commissioning in May 2019, the AutoStore solution has been continuously expanded during ongoing operation. Coordinated by eManager, Element Logic’s own warehouse management software, 26 robots and 57 000 bins ensure efficient storage and picking processes at seven workstations, for both storage and retrieval, 400 bins are presented at the ports per hour.

Element Logic is the first AutoStore distributor in the world and was therefore able to contribute numerous references and a great system experience to the project. This was the right decision. From planning to delivery and installation, everything went flawlessly and according to the planned schedule and scope.

Christoph Krismer, Logistics Distribution Department Manager at STIHL Tirol.

Offers a wide range of advantages

Since July 2021, the expansion has included an additional port and three robots have supplemented the space efficient AutoStore system, which only took six weeks to complete.  The AutoStore system measures just under 1,500 m², three ports are used for storage and four ports for retrieval. The system can still be expanded by 9,000 bins without any structural changes and the capacity can be increased by investing in additional robots.

“Overall, we now achieve greater process reliability and quality in deliveries – both to the assembly lines and to customers,” says Krismer and continues, “The AutoStore system offers outstanding reliability and availability for instance in the event of a robot failure, other robots take over the orders. The system offers a wide range of advantages, such as sustainability and environmental friendliness due to low power consumption and energy recovery when lowering the bins.”

Improved productivity and work climate

The installation of the system has also had a positive effect on the employees in terms of the working environment and processes. Increased ergonomics and shorter walking distances as a result of the goods-to-person principle in the picking processes, as well as the modern, digital working environment, have significantly improved productivity and the work environment. Even the pandemic-related legal requirements did not lead to any adverse effects. “The Covid hygiene concepts consisting of a requirement for space between the employees was not a problem with AutoStore, and the order volume was handled well by the AutoStore system,” says Krismer, reflecting on project progress and results. “The cooperation with Element Logic before, during and after the implementation was and is always pleasantly constructive, cooperative and harmonic. All in all, the investment in warehouse automation with the AutoStore system will pay for itself after only 1.89 years. We are very satisfied with the process and the result.”