Jungheinrich and Häfele have worked together on a series of projects involving the design, installation and integration of a wide range of materials handling solutions.

Jungheinrich's Systems and Projects division this year celebrates 10 years of partnership with its client Häfele, an international supplier of furniture fittings, architectural hardware and electronic locking systems.

Häfele UK's operation based in Rugby has evolved and developed on its existing site, with the help of manual, semi-automated and fully-automated materials handling technologies, to produce a flexible system to meet its growing needs.

Over a decade, Jungheinrich and Häfele have worked together on a series of projects involving the design, installation and integration of the "widest range of materials handling solutions available".

Steve Richmond, Jungheinrich UK's Systems and Projects division general manager, tells Forkliftaction.com News that the company is in a "unique and enviable" position in the market.

"We are the only materials handling company that can provide everything from a hand pallet truck, through racking systems, to fully automated turnkey projects including stacker cranes," Richmond says.

At the Häfele facility, there are four order-picking cranes serving 7,200 shelving locations for carton/tote storage; four manual pallet handling cranes in four aisles of racking; a complex integration of tote handling conveyor systems; and four pallet handling cranes in four aisles of racking capable of manual and fully-automatic operation modes depending on the time of day and type of operation.

Jungheinrich has also implemented an automated small parts handling store incorporating mini-load crane technology; an automated store for handling 800mm by 600mm (2.62 feet by 1.97 feet) totes featuring three mini-load cranes and a robotic de-stacking operation; and an order assembly system to consolidate picking activities in the warehouse.

All of these were implemented while Häfele's full operations were maintained.

"We realised 10 years ago that as our systems became more complex and their integration into our operation became more business critical, we had to find a materials handling partner that could supply the total range of solutions we needed," says Mark Batchelor, Häfele UK's operations director.

Batchelor says that Häfele's long-term relationship with Jungheinirch is built on trust and the latter's understanding of the company's business.

"In fact, Eddie Rowlinson, project manager for Jungheinrich's Systems division, has become an integral member of our team at Rugby," he adds.

Richmond agrees that the partnership works because of the understanding and trust in the companies' successful relationship. "Häfele UK's operation in Rugby is no ordinary facility. This is an ongoing project that has evolved and developed over the years in a stepped process, using appropriate technologies."