Meyer Werft Opens Automated Shipyard Logistics Center
German shipbuilder Meyer Werft said it has commenced operations in its new automated shipyard logistics center, enabling the flow of goods to be managed completely automatically and bundled into one place.
The investment in the new center with its fully automated high-bay warehouse for 25,000 storage units amounted to more than €35 million ($41.7 million) and took around two years to complete.
The 30-meter high high-bay warehouse stores 25,000 load units of all material that has standard dimensions, i.e. fits on a standard euro pallet. Seven stacker cranes (rail-guided vehicles) move goods in the high-bay warehouse fully automatically at speeds of up to 14 km/h to the appropriate shelf compartment or remove them. 250 load units can be retrieved and stored per hour. Approximately 300 employees work in the entire logistics area at the shipyard.
In the 10,000-square-meter logistics hall, incoming goods are received, booked into the system and picked, i.e. arranged according to transport destination and route. In addition, trailers are loaded and parts are stored that do not fit into the high-bay warehouse due to their volume.
The new logistics center is operated by EMS Maritime Services. It was built directly at the shipyard on Rheiderlandstraße in Bokeler Bogen. The previous central warehouse will be moved from the shipyard site to the computer-controlled logistics center.
"This is an investment in the future of the Papenburg site and at the same time a measure to reach our savings target faster," said Jan Meyer, managing director of Meyer Werft.
The optimized warehousing in the new logistics center makes it possible to better coordinate material transports, reduce waste and waiting times, and reduce external storage space.
"With the implementation of the new logistics center, a new era begins for us in logistics. The new logistics center combines centralized, highly efficient storage, the best working conditions for employees and is an important milestone in the digitalization and automation of our logistics and supply chains," said Klaus Lübbers, chief procurement officer.