One-stop shop in metalworking increases efficiency thanks to automated warehouse

Similarly at Metal Construction Vanderscheuren in Diksmuide and therefore the metalworking specialist invested in an automated warehouse type Hänel Lean-Lift®, delivered and assembled by DDD Technics. According to CEO Wim Leus, this platform lift system reduces the cost of purchasing tools by 20%.

Metal Construction Vanderscheuren has been active for more than sixty years in lasering, bending and burning, CNC turning and milling, sawing, grinding, tapping and drilling and semi-automatic robotic welding, and also performs assembly work. "As a one-stop-shop in metalworking, we are a supplier to machine builders in industry and agriculture, as well as customers in the interior design and food sectors. We are experiencing steady growth in turnover and personnel. Last year, for example, the number of employees increased by more than a third to 135 after the lockdown," Leus says. "Also in 2021, we will continue to invest in facilities, machinery and people. We started the construction of a new 8,200 m² production hall in June, which will allow us to further optimize and expand our processes at this site. Of course, we will continue to look for technically skilled workers to join our team."

Automated warehouse

As with most metalworking companies, the purchase of cutting and other large and small tools is one of the biggest cost factors alongside personnel and raw materials. So it comes down to managing those tools efficiently. "All tools, as well as PPE, used to be stored in shelves, where everyone had free access. We found, however, that many tools remained lying around and were often lost, which meant that new tools had to be purchased again and again. We also never had a clear overview of our stock," says the CEO. "Therefore, we were looking for an appropriate solution that would allow us to store and manage everything more easily and, above all, more efficiently. This is how we arrived at automated warehouse solutions and, after thorough comparison of the possibilities, at DDD Technics and the Hänel Lean-Lift®."

Work efficiently and reduce costs

This platform lift system from Hänel Büro- & Lagersysteme makes maximum use of the available height of the room, and parts are stored in an optimized way without loss of space in height. "The Lean-Lift® exists in models from 840 to 4,460 mm wide, with a choice of four different depths: 635, 825, 1,047 and 1,270 mm for the storage of goods with weights ranging from 300 to 1,000 kg per platform and a maximum payload per system of 60,000 kg," explains Chris Cherretté, technical commercial representative at DDD Technics. "A platform elevator 2,460 mm wide, 825 mm deep and 5,800 mm high was built at Vanderscheurren. It has 8,000 locations for the various, often small tools and also PPE. Together with the customer, a clear layout was created, allowing all tools to be stored efficiently. Each internal tool order is processed by the warehouse manager. 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."

Looking to the future

This Lean-Lift® was aesthetically integrated into the production hall, but behind a lockable fence with its own counter for collection of tools. "With this platform elevator, everything is now nicely sorted and far fewer tools are lost. In this way, we reduce the cost of purchasing tools by as much as 20%," Leus concludes. "Chris and his team provided an appropriate solution based on our needs. We were able to turn to DDD Technics for expert advice, installation and commissioning as well as after-sales service. In the future, we also want to link this system to our ERP, which will make everything even more automated and automatically check for the required tools with each order."