Automated Warehouse System Installed to Make the Wine Flow Freely

SPAIN – Automation is high on the agenda at the moment and the latest contract win by fork truck and warehouse optimiser Jungheinrich illustrates the point yet again. The company has been commissioned by Codorníu, a Spanish quality cava and wine producer, to automate pallet transport at its San Sadurni De Noya site in the north-east of the country.

As the world's largest producer of bottle-fermented sparkling wine, Codorníu operates a total of 14 wine cellars. To cope with this high production volume, the partially automated and digitalised material flow is supported by an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) intended to guarantee particularly reliable and process-safe transport sequences.

The Jungheinrich solution for Codorníu combines manual with automatic warehouse processes. Nine Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVS) will be supplied for this purpose. The new model ERC 213a ensures smooth transportation of goods between the individual racking and block warehouses, which together have over 6,000 storage locations. The AGVs also ensure that the pallets are neatly stacked and unstacked.

Thanks to its compact design, the ERC 213a is ideally suited for working in narrow aisles and can lift loads of up to 1,300 kilogrammes to a maximum lifting height of 3800 mm. The electrically controlled, powerful lift motor ensures smooth, quiet lifting and lowering, even at such elevated lifting heights whilst the vehicles are steered by a control software.

Navigation is carried out by means of laser technology. For this purpose, reflectors are installed along the 700 metre long track, which the ERC 213a can use to orientate itself in space. To ensure safety in such mixed operations with manual vehicles and pedestrians, the AGVs are equipped with personal security scanners. These continuously scan the vehicle environment for obstacles and, if necessary, stop when they encounter a person.

The new AGV is integrated into Codorníu's existing Warehouse Management System (WMS) via a logistics interface. This enables smooth communication between employees and the material handling equipment and ensures transparent warehouse processes. At the same time, the advanced lithium-ion technology guarantees high handling rates and maximum availability, as the AGVs are equipped with automatic charging functions.

The AGV automates standardised routine tasks, enabling Codorníu to deploy its staff much more effectively resulting in time and cost savings and the sensible use of resources. Steve Richmond, Director of Logistics Systems at Jungheinrich observed:

“We are delighted to be working with Codorníu to support its warehouse operations. With such high production volumes across its numerous cellars, the introduction of the Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) system will help to significantly boost productivity and safety in Codorníu’s warehouses. Automation is becoming increasingly important to drive warehouse optimisation and using lithium-ion technology will not only ensure highly effective and efficient operations moving forward, but also support Codorníu’s sustainability efforts.”