Phoenix Contact

viaLogs projects with Phoenix Contact

Warehouse Logistics

Tuning and expansion concept

Concept and realisation of the logistics centre Harrisburg, USA

Warehouse logistics

Standardisation of European warehouse logistics

Phoenix GmbH & Co KG, international market leader in the field of fastening and automation technology, has commissioned viaLog to investigate the possibilities for standardising European logistics: What size categories of European warehouses should be differentiated? What should the task-orientated and efficient processes look like? How can the supply chain – from supplier to central warehouse to customer warehouse – be standardised, both between and within warehouses?

viaLogs projects with Phoenix Contact

Warehouse Logistics

Tuning and expansion concept

Concept and realisation of the logistics centre Harrisburg, USA

Concept and realisation of the logistics centre Harrisburg, USA

The initial situation: A global logistics standard

viaLog had developed a concept for the optimisation and expansion of the logistics centre at Phoenix Contact’s headquarters in Blomberg. On this basis, the logistics consultants drew up a concept for a standard warehouse. This was to serve the Phoenix subsidiaries as a planning basis for the expansion of the country warehouses worldwide. At the same time, the logistics centre of the American subsidiary in Harrisburg was reaching the limits of its capacity. The new standards were to be implemented there as part of a warehouse expansion.

The task: Expansion of the Phoenix logistics centre in Harrisburg, USA

Phoenix Contact commissioned viaLog to optimise and expand the logistics centre in Harrisburg. This included

• the creation of a master plan for the plant development over the next five to ten years,
• the design of the new, automated central warehouse,
• the management of the tender for all logistics trades (automated small parts warehouse, workstations and conveyor technology) and
• the implementation of the new logistics standards.

The solution

Corresponding to the standard warehouse concept, the warehouse in Harrisburg received a 4-aisle automatied small parts store with approx. 20,000 container locations. An extension enabling up to six aisles with a total of 30,000 was already envisaged in the planning and prepared structurally. Supplementary to this, manual storage areas were established and an automated depalletising station installed for internal restocking. Order picking was converted from the “man-to-goods” principle to the “goods-toman” setup. Besides the structural and technical changes, viaLog also optimised IT support for Phoenix by introducing a warehouse management system. (WMS)

The highlights

• High degree of standardisation Standard logistics throughout the world was one of the most important aspects for Phoenix. Based on the standardised warehouse layout, a larger version of the warehouse was realised
  in Blomberg and a smaller version in Harrisburg. Uniform containers also simplify cooperation across national borders.
• Economic work stations ensure optimal working conditions viaLog designed pick-and-pack workstations specially tailored to Phoenix. These have height-adjustable standing platforms and an optimal arrangement of the work equipment, among other advantages. Furthermore, storage towers allow the source containers to be sequenced.