iFD – WMS with AutoStore integration successfully commissioned

Hager Meisinger is strengthening its position as a ‘global player’ in medical technology with the help of the iFD WMS.

Since 1888, Hager & Meisinger, headquartered in Neuss, has set the highest standards for the quality of its products and services.

The products are manufactured at the company’s headquarters in Neuss – from the delivery of raw materials to the finished product. High-tech machinery manufactures products at the very limits of what is manufacturable.

Since 1888, drills for dental medicine have been manufactured using high-tech machinery, and for the past 25 years, dental implants have also been produced in this way.

The goods are delivered to over 100 countries. One of the largest individual markets is the USA, served by the company’s own sales subsidiary in Denver.

Due to the company’s sustained growth and the resulting increase in logistical demands, the company decided to digitise its entire logistics operation and create the technical and capacity requirements for optimised processing in the form of a new logistics centre. The Neuss site currently employs around 400 staff.

The warehouse was designed with an AutoStore system at its heart.

The system’s approximately 8,000 bins, which are stored in shafts of 18 containers each, are in some cases subdivided up to eight times.

The system’s five ports are used equally for both storage and retrieval.

The iFD project was carried out as a subcontractor to HEBER Fördertechnik.

HEBER Fördertechnik draws on a close-knit network of partners and suppliers for its projects.

Intelligent technology and a strong network make the company a reliable partner for its customers.

This was also the case in the joint project with iFD, in which close cooperation enabled new solutions and approaches to be found for the internal material flow at Hager & Meisinger.

The iFD WMS and the modules

To implement the project, the iFD WMS, including the Autostore module, was deployed. The system controls and manages the Autostore as well as the two-aisle high-bay warehouse, which is operated using narrow-aisle forklifts.

In addition, the supply to the ‘Product Packaging’ production area is controlled via the WMS. There, individual parts are assembled into sets or prepared for dispatch in accordance with relevant packaging regulations. The products are then returned to storage for later dispatch. An agile and innovative dispatch system has been integrated with the WMS via an interface for global shipping via CEP service providers and freight forwarders.

The system handles the automatic generation of dispatch labels and the tracking of shipments using the “Shiptrack” module, and sends information on the progress of the delivery to the customer.

The WMS controls the entire flow of goods within the warehouse. Goods are received from production via delivery notes and against purchase orders for supplied raw materials and finished goods. The goods are stored in the Autostore and high-bay warehouse according to defined storage strategies. The retrieval and subsequent picking of goods is carried out via production orders for the manufacture of defined product packages or via customer orders for the subsequent dispatch process.

Two methods are used for the dispatch process. Pick and pack for orders that are fulfilled exclusively from the Autostore and can also be packed there. Large orders for more complex shipments and exports, some of which are sourced from other warehouse areas, are handled via a separate packing process.

The special features of the system

The challenge of the project was to optimise the existing process and adapt it to the new warehouse technology. The objective was a leaner process and optimised processing under the new conditions. In addition, the traceability of the individual process steps and the flow of goods were to be optimised. A continuous flow of materials across all areas of the warehouse was important to the client.

Communication between the iFD system and AutoStore technology takes place via a task interface, a tried-and-tested, stable, fast and uninterrupted communication method. This method is particularly suitable for picking small parts, as it streamlines the counting process.

Another key task was to meet the requirements for medical devices. There are a number of specific requirements here, such as the obligation to document and track goods, which had to be fulfilled.

Project implementation

The overall project encompassed the creation of specifications, design, customisation and commissioning, including operational support. During the specification phase, all warehouse and logistics processes were first defined and agreed with the customer and client. The focus here was on optimising existing processes and meeting the requirements of medical technology. This formed the basis for the customisation of the WMS base system.

Interface development took place in parallel with system development as an agile project. A process-by-process approach was adopted.

System commissioning, including the go-live and start-up support, took place in several stages, as the migration occurred whilst operations were ongoing.

The project was carried out between April 2020 and July 2021.

If you have any questions regarding the WMS and this project, Ms Förster will be happy to assist you.

Elisa Förster

Tel: 0371/ 53 88 0 226

Email: elisa.foerster@ifd-gmbh.com