Opening of the KION Regional Distribution Center Central Europe
A new building for future-oriented spare parts supply
The importance of reliable service is particularly evident when a forklift or warehouse truck malfunctions. To ensure optimal reliability for its customers, Linde Material Handling (MH) has established one of the most extensive service networks in the industrial truck industry in Europe. The foundation of this network is the rapid supply of spare parts. To further reduce delivery times and ensure close to 100 percent delivery availability in the future, Linde MH built a new, considerably larger distribution center at its existing location in Kahl am Main near Frankfurt. The center is equipped with the latest technology, allowing it to stock up to 70,000 different spare parts for over 200 Linde industrial truck series. Once the transition is complete, it will be capable of processing up to 2.8 million order items per year.
In addition to its role as a high-performance spare parts hub, the new KION Regional Distribution Center Central Europe (KION RDC CE) is also a prime example of integrated intralogistics solutions from Linde MH and KION Group sister company Dematic. The material flow concept features an 85-percent automation rate, integrating permanently installed, fully automated systems and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).These robots ensure that central transport routes remain unobstructed and can also be used by manual industrial trucks and warehouse staff.
The official opening ceremony for the approximately 22,000 m² building complex took place on May 16, and the move from the previous distribution center to the new facility is expected to be fully completed by the summer. Representing an investment of around €90 million, the KION RDC CE is regarded throughout the Group as a showcase project, from planning and realization to go-live. KION’s collective, group-wide technological expertise is highlighted in this initiative, with the objective of attaining productivity enhancements of up to 50 percent.
Showcase project for potential customers
Plans to build a new, future-proof spare parts center began in 2018. The team quickly determined that the proprietary automation solutions available within the KION Group offered the best way to meet their high standards for efficiency and productivity. The site favored by company management, staff and the works council for the new building was in close proximity to the existing facility. From the project’s inception, it has enjoyed the support of the Mayor and the municipality of Kahl. Early engagement with local residents was facilitated through an information event, and continuous communication was maintained throughout the construction phase.
The warehouse concept was initially developed by Linde MH’s automation planners and then optimized in collaboration with Dematic specialists to finalize the warehouse layout. To ensure the future viability of the new KION RDC CE and meet the demanding specifications, as many material flow processes as possible were automated. The comprehensive planning and preparation phase proved to be a valuable investment. Approximately two years after the groundbreaking ceremony in February 2023, the construction phase was finalized, and the first pallets were stored in the new distribution center. Provisions have been set aside for future expansion, as the site can be extended by around 45 percent without any additional upgrades to the existing building structure.
Reference for process-optimized goods handling
For Linde MH and Dematic, the new spare parts hub is not only a successful project, but also a perfect reference example for the design of sophisticated material flow solutions featuring a high degree of automation. It is a typical goods distribution center, similar to many found across a wide variety of industries throughout Europe.
The new KION RDC CE features 16 truck ramps for the delivery of incoming and outgoing goods. The goods are sorted immediately after being received: Small parts are packaged into crates and transported via continuous conveyors to the connected Multishuttle system. Spanning the entire length of the building, the system is equipped with five 100-meter-long aisles, offering a total of 110,000 storage locations. Full pallets and mesh boxes are transported via conveyor technology, AMRs and a circulating electric floor conveyor with 20 transport trolleys to the fully automated high-bay warehouse which contains 19,000 storage locations. The facility stands 30 meters high and features six aisles equipped with automated storage and retrieval machines. Small parts orders are picked and packed directly under the Multishuttle. The goods stored in the high-bay warehouse are picked according to order at packing stations along the electric floor conveyor. All processed orders are then transported to the shipping area via continuous conveyors and lifting systems, where they are picked according to order. The shipping area for goods issue is located in a separate hall. This is also where the special warehouse for particularly large or heavy spare parts components is located. Manual industrial trucks transport these components from goods receipt directly to the transfer points in front of the 21-meter-high narrow-aisle warehouse section, which spans nine aisles. There, the load carriers are transferred to semi-automatic combination forklifts (Linde K) for further transport.
Ensuring fast spare parts delivery
The KION RDC Central Europe will supply the Linde sales partner network in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Ireland. On request, the ordered components can be delivered directly to the service technicians’ customer service vehicles overnight. In addition, the regional distribution centers in the Czech Republic, Spain and Sweden as well as local sites in Italy, France and the UK are also recipients of goods from the distribution center, which boasts excellent transport connections. The primary objective is to ensure the reliable and prompt delivery of spare parts, thereby facilitating expeditious repair and maintenance and ensuring optimal vehicle availability. Close to 100 percent of all orders received by 5 p.m. will be dispatched on the same day. Customers can also count on long-term availability of original spare parts, which are kept in stock for up to 12 years. Combined with the company’s close-knit service network and the extensive expertise of its service technicians, this provides a significant competitive advantage.
Exemplary construction project
While the KION Group has set new planning standards with the new building complex, the project is also exemplary in terms of sustainability. The building was constructed on an existing site, the majority of which was already impervious. Ecologically valuable sand and nutrient-poor grassland areas were laid and supplemented by many other compensatory measures for nature conservation and species protection. Concurrently, the requirements of the Gold Standard of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) have been met: The property is equipped with a rooftop photovoltaic system that generates electricity and provides heating for the halls in combination with a heat pump. Rainwater is used as service water, and roof water is directed into a nearby lake rather than into the sewage system.
