State-of-the-art logistics warehouse for optimised processes - Hawle repositions itself

The ceremonial opening of the new logistics warehouse at Hawle Armaturen GmbH's headquarters in the North Industrial Estate in Freilassing marked the end of the two-year construction phase. The investment in state-of-the-art logistics technology optimises operational processes. This also represents a clear commitment to the Freilassing site and thus to securing local jobs in the long term.

The logistics warehouse was successfully put into operation on Thursday, 12 September 2024. Interested customers and invited guests were able to see the huge storage capacity and the new fully automated processes for themselves. On Friday, 13 September 2024, employees and their families had the opportunity to visit the new hall with the high-bay warehouse and the new bright office space.

The high-bay warehouse with a length of around 75 metres, a width of 40 metres and a height of 26 metres offers space for around 15,000 storage locations in five aisles. As the general contractor, Jungheinrich AG supplied everything from a single source, from the rack steel construction to the conveyor technology, the storage and retrieval machines and the warehouse management system, which was connected to the existing SAP system. The concrete hall was built by Max Aicher Bau GmbH & Co KG from Freilassing.

The new high-bay warehouse is designed as a silo-shelf steel construction. Finished products are transported directly from production via a bridge construction into the new warehouse, from where they are fully automatically transported to the picking area. Commercial goods from incoming goods as well as raw and semi-finished products are also stored. Mesh boxes, Euro pallets and special pallets weighing up to 1,200 kg can be transported. Chain conveyor technology is used to ensure the smooth running and safety of the various containers.

The new hall is equipped with a total of five lorry loading ramps and six picking stations with lifting tables for ergonomic working. These new picking stations make work easier, especially for the employees in the outgoing goods department. A small parts warehouse in the form of a lift rack box offers space for around 750 boxes. In the basement there are rack storage spaces for long goods, and a fire water tank has also been installed. A photovoltaic system was installed to optimise the use of the large roof areas.

Head of Logistics Werner Rose is optimistic that the automated warehouse will enable orders to be processed more quickly and goods to reach customers even faster: "The old outgoing goods warehouse had reached its limits. Thanks to the new storage capacities and optimised processes, we can react faster and more flexibly to customer requests. With the most modern logistics technology on the market, we want to remain the market leader and prove that we are well positioned for the future."

During the opening ceremony, Hawle Managing Directors Thomas Bohl and Gerald Carbon thanked the dedicated project team, who ensured that the schedule was adhered to and that the transition to the new logistics warehouse was optimised.

Hawle Armaturen GmbH is a manufacturer of heavy-duty valves for municipal drinking water supply, wastewater disposal and gas supply. A large number of the more than 5000 items in the product range are manufactured in Freilassing and distributed throughout Germany, Europe and the USA. The company was founded in 1967 as a two-man operation in Freilassing, has grown continuously and today has 360 employees at the site.