An innovator in rapid online delivery is getting faster with AutoStore™ MFC solutions

Since launching its instant beverage delivery service in 2016, flaschenpost SE has blossomed into a full-fledged online supermarket in less than 10 years due to its large product assortment and quick delivery capabilities. Today, with 20,000 + employees and a full fleet of delivery vehicles, the company distributes from 30+ warehouses to 200+ cities and towns.

To help meet burgeoning demand and reach its ambition of becoming Germany’s premier online grocer, the company commissioned Hörmann Intralogistics to design and implement a micro-fulfillment center (MFC) in Langenfeld, a town within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

With two temperature zones, the AutoStore system makes it possible to pick dry and chilled goods for each order. Thanks to the creative approach the Hörmann Intralogistics project team has taken in designing the workstation, the operator can pick products from both areas at just one place.

“The extensive addition of groceries to the range and growing demand required further development of our intralogistics processes through the use of automation technology,” said André Damkowski, Senior Logistics Engineer at flaschenpost SE.

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How does the Langenfeld system work?

Chilled system

The chilled system for refrigerated goods operates at 2° Celsius (35.6° Fahrenheit). It includes around 8,500 Bins, stacked on a 16-level Grid that is around 10 m x 40 m (33 feet x 131 feet). Eighteen R5^™ Robots pick up containers, store them, and sort them. Eight ConveyorPorts^™ are used for picking and replenishment.

Ambient system

The adjacent ambient system is also 16 levels. It is used for storing room-temperature items. It contains approximately 10,000 Bins and 25 R5 Robots that carry products in and out of the Grid via 8 CarouselPorts^™.

Approximately 100 m of connecting container conveyor technology is installed for transporting Bins to and from the picking stations.

Peak performance

The Langenfeld MFC can process 1,000 customer orders per hour and up to 12,000 items per day. Because AutoStore technology is designed to be flexible and scalable, it offers further growth opportunities in terms of performance and storage space capacity.

With the success of the Langenfeld pilot site, flaschenpost SE selected HÖRMANN Intralogistics to build another AutoStore in Germany that will have chilled and ambient Grids.

“Realizing the pilot plant in Langenfeld was such a positive experience, as well as the personal customer support during all phases, we were encouraged to construct another (AutoStore) plant with HÖRMANN Intralogistics already this year,” said Marc Suck, Head of Process Engineering at flaschenpost SE.