US auto parts manufacturer Mahle Aftermarket has automated its Mississippi warehouse to accommodate what it sees as “a shift in orders away from large pallets to mixed-SKU”.

Mahle engaged global intralogistics specialists Kardex for the automation process, adopting its intelligent goods-to-person automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) and robotic cube storage system.

The complete AutoStore solution at the Mississippi facility comprises 42,000 bins, seven ports and 18 robots, in addition to a connected conveyor solution with 18 gravity lanes used for consolidation.

Mahle Aftermarket head of business innovation and excellence Lorraine Hinderer says of the process:  “One of the reasons we chose Kardex is because … they were able to provide an end-to-end solution tailored to our material flow, whereas the others were focused on selling their solution and not a holistic approach.”

Mahle Aftermarket has also automated its operation in Décines-Charpieu (Lyon), France with Kardex. That automation solution includes 22,440 storage bins, seven robots and two workstations.