The Bochum logistics facility has over 19 km of racking.

Jungheinrich's racking system has formed the backbone of a newly opened European distribution centre for automotive manufacturer Opel.

The spare parts logistics facility in the Langendreer district of Bochum spans an area the size of 12 football pitches and includes over 19 km of racking.

Multi-slot racks and multi-level compartmentalised racks for storing palletised goods and a wide range of small parts have been installed.
 
"Our 60 years of experience have taught us that racks are the most basic system component in the warehouse," explains Ralph Matenia, the responsible project manager at Jungheinrich. "Without them, there is no warehouse. As a result, we at Jungheinrich invest a great deal of time and energy in providing our customers with the right shelving systems.

"In Bochum, we were able to draw on our many years of experience in the automotive industry to design a tailored shelving system for Opel. To this end, we worked together in partnership right from the very start to plan the storage facility."
 
The 200,000 sqm warehouse in Bochum is designed for operation with reach trucks, guaranteeing a high degree of flexibility and high availability. Jungheinrich ETM 216 reach trucks have a lifting height of 8,720 mm. By hooking them up to Opel's warehouse management system (WMS), the vehicles are able to position their forks automatically and correctly at the right height to approach all pallet slots.

A special feature is the use of type EZS 350 order picking tractors, enabling Opel to pick the orders of several customers on several levels in a single tour. By the final stage of expansion, Opel will be deploying some 60 industrial trucks in its warehouse.