From a wooden closet and disorganized shelving to an orderly automated warehouse

Anyone who needs to store many different small and larger tools and other materials had best look for an organized solution. That way, everything has a clear place and no time is lost in searching. People walk around less and so efficiency increases significantly. That is why Merlier Grijperij & Machines in Zwevegem invested in an automated warehouse of the Hänel Lean-Lift® type, supplied and assembled by DDD Technics.

In a small workshop, precision grinder John Merlier started his own business in 1991. With a few new and used machines, he started grinding tools for carpenters. Father Merlier had gained a great deal of knowledge and experience in his fifteen-year career in the grinding business. Word-of-mouth advertising ensured that a large customer base was built up in a short time. The company grew into a real specialist in the field of grinding tools for the wood industry, but also for machining aluminum, metal, PVC, textiles ... "Our grinding shop has always remained a strong asset, but we also started to focus on the sale of cutting tools, adhesives, edgebands and even woodworking machines. We are distributors of major brands such as Festool, Bi-Matic, Casolin, Riedex, JET, Robland, Maggi, Putsch, Contamic, ACM and, since the beginning of this year, in cooperation with DV Special Machines, we have been selling Masterwood's CNC-controlled systems," says son and current manager Steven Merlier. "Due to the growth of the product range and the team, we had to look for a larger location. In 2008, we moved into a new building in the Esserstraat in Zwevegem. In late 2019, we also bought the adjacent building to create a new grinding shop there. The existing facility was transformed into a one-stop shop with spacious showroom for tools and machines."

Store and manage more efficiently

In the past, small tools were kept in a wooden cabinet at Merlier Grinding & Machinery. The larger parts were stored in shelves on the upper floor. Often employees had to search for a long time for the right materials because they were in the wrong place or simply no longer available. Therefore, the manager started looking for an appropriate solution that would make it easier and, above all, more efficient to store and manage everything. This is how they arrived at automated warehouse solutions and, after thorough comparison of the possibilities, at DDD Technics and the Hänel Lean-Lift®. "At Merlier, we installed a platform elevator 2,860 mm wide, 825 mm deep and 5,800 mm high. It has 40 platforms for the various, often small tools and larger parts. Thanks to this system, the retrieved items are automatically brought to the work opening within seconds, where they can be taken out at an ergonomic height," explains Chris Cherretté, technical sales representative at DDD Technics. "This platform lift system was aesthetically integrated centrally at the back of shop/showroom. A clear layout was created, allowing all tools to be nicely sorted and efficiently stored. There are even three plateaus that are specifically used to prepare orders that are picked up by customers." 

Winning a lot of time

Merlier concludes, "With us, no more searching for tools or parts, just requesting them through the system and taking them out. Incidentally, only authorized persons have access to the warehouse. They know the system inside out and know exactly where everything is. The warehouse is also locked at night. We are extremely satisfied with our investment, because we save a lot of time and the work is done more efficiently than ever before. We can always contact DDD Technics with any questions. If our product range continues to grow, we will not hesitate to purchase an additional Hänel Lean-Lift® in the future."