Moving forward Stöcklin Logistik

MOVING

FORWARD

For more than 75 years, Stöcklin Logistik AG has offered innovative logistics solutions to satisfy the highest requirements across the world. Abigail Saltmarsh reports.

AT Stöcklin Logistik AG everything moves quickly – after all, it is essential that customers’ products are conveyed, stored and retrieved with the utmost efficiency. The Switzerland-based operation has been in the business for more than 75 years now and prides itself not only on its high quality equipment and effective systems but also on its ability to offer total solutions, says marketing manager Damaris Gruetter.

“We can provide our customers with the whole implementation of their intralogistics solutions,” she explains. “Right from the moment a building is being constructed, we can work with the builder and the company to ensure the best solutions are developed.”

State of the art

From dedicated production facilities with their own modern infrastructure, Stöcklin develops equipment ranging from simple hand trucks to conveying systems, storage and retrieval machinery for all types of load carriers, right up to the complete systems for intralogistics. The company combines state-of-the-art technology with high-quality materials for flexible and reliable, highperformance solutions, and has more than 1000 installed comprehensive systems around the globe.

“The two main areas we focus on are forklift trucks and total systems,” explains Miss Gruetter.

She goes on: “We have one production facility in Dornach, Switzerland, and another in the Czech Republic, where we concentrate on welding and mechanical production.

“Because we can see a situation where we will have to do more in the Czech Republic, due to the lower costs, we have recently invested a lot in that production facility. Production at this site still uses the Swiss technology and technical ability even though we do not focus on research and development from the facility.”

New products

Stöcklin Logistik has continued to move forward through its determined focus on product development. This sees regular launches for innovations designed to improve processes for its customers.

One such product, for example, is the new MASTer series for fixed-aisle warehouse control. During development, the company used the latest findings of mast construction and control technology, combined with its many years of experience. The light, torsion-proof mast design allows for high acceleration and travel speeds as well as short warehouse cycle times.

The curve-capable devices are adequate for warehouses with various aisles, says Miss Gru-

etter, but they have a relatively small handling capacity. For this quite cost-effective solution, however, customers can choose between a number of devices that travel between the aisles with switch (RGB-K) or transverse offset technology (MASTer-Q). They can control all of the warehouse aisles as an individual device.

Range of temperatures

The change in habits in food consumption has led to massively increased demand for automated deep-freeze storages within the past few years, she continues. “Stöcklin recognised this trend at an early stage and developed solutions for storing goods in areas with controlled temperature to meet the high requirements of the foodstuffs and pharmaceutical industries,” she says.

“All standard elements from Stöcklin can be adapted for use in storage where there are temperatures from -30 deg C up to 40 deg C, which is really quite special.”

In deep freezing, it is not sufficient to only adapt the electrical components, cables, various oils and greases for usage in low ambient temperatures but it is also necessary to use materials suitable for deep-freeze zones in the company’s steel construction.

“Stöcklin can guarantee a continuous deep-freeze chain from initial storage to picking and shipment. With our experience in intra-logistics and wide range of knowhow in product development, we guarantee smooth customer service from planning to after-sales maintenance,” she adds.

The PowerShuttle

Another new product is the PowerShuttle (PS). This is moved by the AS/RS (automated storage and retrieval system) in front of a shelf channel and then moved horizontally into the channel on the rail. Here, a pallet is either set down on the rails or picked up and retrieved from storage.

This is all accomplished without any cables to the parent vehicle, the AS/RS. The PS communicates by radio and is positioned by a laser distance measurement device in combination with absolute encoders and sensors.

It is available in versions for one or two pallets (single or double PS) and is laid out for three-shift operation, seven days a week. It is also suitable for use down to -30 °C.

The PS is driven by a power source with SuperCaps and emergency battery (on-board voltage 24V DC). The double layer capacitors (SuperCaps) are recharged within maximum of 10 seconds over pressure contacts on the AS/RS every time they dock.

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The long service life of one million charging cycles is a major advantage of this low maintenance power source. To ensure that the PS operates reliably even at highly differing temperatures, the energy management system monitors the heat development and operating voltage.

“Another of our recent innovations is the BOXer,” Miss Gruetter points out. “This is the lightest, and therefore most energy-efficient, automated storage and retrieval unit for small parts on the market.

“Stöcklin also offers the BOXer series as a complete, ready-to-use system consisting of small parts unit, container-conveying equipment, shelf storage and retrieval unit, loading aids (containers, boxes), control and warehouse management. It is suitable for standard containers and for boxes of different sizes and types.”

Continuing to improve

Stöcklin’s products and systems are suitable – and indeed employed – in a wide range of industries. Food, particularly frozen, and pharmaceutical are areas where the company currently sees strong demand.

“Our main market is in Europe, we are market leader in Mexico and have a lot of customers in South America. Our aim now is to target the USA,” she says.

“Despite the currency situation of Switzerland, which is unfavourable for manufactures based in Switzerland, we are still able to show our customers the added value of our innovative products and reliable services.”

One other strengths of Stöcklin is to build up together with the customer a partnership, this means to develop together a solution, provide him with the perfect equipments he needs and take care of him in a long-term with a reliable after sales service.

She adds: “Our products will, of course, continue to be more and more innovative. We want to provide our customers with the best solutions and to be able to offer them whatever they need, from the modernisation of their existing systems through to the implementation of completely new intralogistics solutions right from the start of a new build.” n