Rail is a cheaper and more ecological alternative to road transport. However, for it to compete effectively, appropriate infrastructure is essential. Improving the loading and unloading process of railcars is currently a priority in the warehouse market.
Automation, ecology, and cost reduction are the main challenges facing modern logistics. Intermodal transport has become an exceptionally high-profile topic recently, especially due to the “Trucks on Trains” campaign. Using various means of goods transport is particularly profitable over long distances, mainly due to the distribution of transshipment costs. Choosing rail as an element of the logistics network allows for a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and costs, without extending delivery times. Advanced technologies that allow for the coordination of railcar unloading are successfully improving warehouse operations in Western Europe. Solutions implemented by the Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH logistics center in Germany enable the handling of three full-sized freight trains per week and allow for a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 930 tons per year.
The BSH industrial property in Nauen, with an area of 45,000 square meters, is adapted to store up to 150,000 large household appliances at one time. In 2010, the center received approximately three million washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, and freezers, to then ship them to their final recipients. Less than 70 employees are enough to efficiently manage such a huge undertaking. How is this possible?
– Intelligent management in intralogistics is primarily about automation and optimization of warehouse operations – says Borys Wochna, CEO of STILL, whose headquarters implemented a forklift fleet management service at the enterprise. – At this scale, every saving in working time, storage space, or machine maintenance generates huge profits, and innovation is practically an obligation. – he adds.
A significant portion of containers from German ports is transported further by rail. This forces investments in adapting warehouses for unloading railcars. The latest solutions in Nauen were implemented in March of this year. An 80-meter loading ramp, an additional 590 meters of tracks, and a fleet of electric forklifts allow for the handling of a train consisting of 25 railcars. A specially adapted unit allows for maneuvering up to 12 railcars to prepare them for loading. At this point, forklifts with a maximum lifting capacity of up to 5 tons come into play.
Logistics properties are becoming increasingly specialized and are focusing on the specific requirements of users. Clients are aware that investments in innovative solutions will bring measurable savings in the long term. New technologies are successfully beginning to function in the most modern warehouses in Europe. They are also slowly being implemented in the Polish market.