Aimtec is providing the complete warehouse logic and automation technology control system at DŘEVO TRUST

“At our central warehouse in Sedliště, we needed to increase capacity, increase the turnover rate and reduce dependence on human operators. The goal was to offer our customers greater convenience and broaden our range. We thus chose a modern warehouse automation technology and sought not just a suitable supplier of a WMS warehouse solution, but also an integrator that could set the hardware we had purchased into motion. It was necessary to keep the warehouse in full operation while we worked and to introduce new processes gradually. With Aimtec and its digitalisation platform, we found the right path, which led to an effective storage solution that enables swift error-free handling of goods and is ready for potential further development,” says DŘEVO TRUST board member Libor Toman of the main reasons for the project.

Aimtec DCIx determines what each technology should do 

Each of the three integrated technologies – the Kardex vertical storage system, the semi-automatic STILL VNA truck and the Körber ASRS – has its own logic flow and serves for the storage of a different type of goods. The Kardex stores items – primarily slats of various lengths – one behind the next, while the Körber ASRS technology is designed for high-turnover goods. For the conveyance of goods, conveyors from TGW Group have been installed.

“For us the project at DŘEVO TRUST represented a comprehensive solution in the realm of distribution. The Aimtec DCIx digitalisation platform controls the logistics processes and all the technologies installed. It communicates with them on a detailed level and forms the entire warehouse logic,” states Aimtec Project Delivery Manager Jiří Žižka, who adds: “We control the put-away of goods according to ABC categorisation and removal from storage with consideration of customers’ priorities. The system tells the Kardex which position it should bring in and which one it should bring out. It tells the VNA truck from where and to where that truck should drive, and from what position it should pick up goods. In the case of the Körber ASRS, the system has to determine, at every communication node, whether a box should ride straight or make a turn.”

The receiving and checking of goods is performed within Aimtec DCIx on the basis of the Kardex receipt slip, or a new handling unit (box) is created that is subsequently delivered to the Körber automated system. The preferred route is transport using a forklift truck into the storage/reserve area. After this, a task is created for the VNA truck, which is navigated into a specific narrow aisle in the pallet warehouse. The truck takes the goods and stores them again, and at the same time it removes goods from upper positions and places them in lower ones. Three aisles with stackers can be selected in the Körber automated system, and up to four types of plastic boxes can be located in these aisles. The boxes can be divided up into several compartments. 

Aimtec DCIx is supported by technologies from Zebra Technologies, which Aimtec has provided to DŘEVO TRUST as a single functional unit. Their operators make use of highly rugged Zebra TC73 mobile terminals, particularly resilient against wear and tear. The modern Android platform lets their operators enjoy a user-friendly interface via the Aimtec Touch Client. Their VNA truck is equipped with a Zebra ET60 tablet, thanks to which the driver receives instructions for warehouse operations, and they can enter data using a Zebra DS3678 scanner. Zebra ZD and ZT industrial label printers round out the company’s suite of tools for unambiguous marking of their handling units.

Visualisation of order status and complete order contents information for the customer

The picking process is set into motion by a shipping command from the ERP system. The Aimtec DCIx solution divides up requests based on defined rules between Kardex, manual picking and the automated system. The individual areas are processed one by one and the goods in question are picked. It all comes together at the packing station. To give a better overview of the job queues, the system provides a visualisation of the state of orders after completion for all of the technologies. An operator at the packing station checks that all the goods needed for finalising the order are available to them. For certain customers, goods are divided up into several boxes. After the goods have been received, the customer has a clear idea of what can be found in each box delivered. This is followed with the printing of stickers and integration into the system for the Balíkobot shipping company. This is a service that handles communication between the manufacturer and the shipper. Confirmation of loading is performed at the end of the process.

Implementation during uninterrupted operation and plans for the coming years

This project was implemented during the uninterrupted operation of a fully stocked warehouse, in two phases with the project’s live operation starting in September 2023. In the first phase, one pair of picking stations was prepared, and put-away and removal from storage from/into the automated system gradually began. After a further section of the warehouse was freed up, the project’s second part started, and new conveyors and two more pairs of picking stations were added. DŘEVO TRUST now has six picking stations, which it can quickly and easily supplement with further stations if needed. Further packing stations can be added as well.

DŘEVO TRUST, a.s.

is a Czech wholesaler of materials for joiners with over twenty years of experience. It is the supplier with the largest network of stores in this field in the Czech Republic and has a portfolio of 20,000 products. These are primarily flat materials, furniture hardware and construction hardware, furniture doors and a range for the kitchen. Its main customers are other businesses, but it sells to craftsmen and DIY hobbyists as well.

Aimtec

For over a quarter-century, we’ve been guiding automotive companies on their way to digital transformation. We help them to digitalise and automate production, logistics and the supply chain into one functioning whole so that their transformation truly benefits them. We empower our customers to learn, standardise and be efficient while also flexibly responding to the changes they face every day.

Media contact:

Petra Troblová
Key Account Marketing Manager
petra.troblova@aimtecglobal.com
+420 724 284 141