Yale Materials Handling was approached to develop the ideal solution for the new warehouse.

Durner GmbH & Co KG, a cleaning and hygiene products distributor in southern Germany, has turned to Yale Europe Materials Handling for its warehouse needs after expanding into new facilities on the outskirts of Nurnberg.

Durner, founded in 1932, has clients that include schools, hospitals, industrial plants, facility management enterprises and civic buildings. Its new headquarters has a combined area of about 26,000 sqm (279,862 sqft.), including 8,000 sqm (86,111 sqft.) of warehouse space, 2,000 sqm (21,528 sqft.) of offices and training rooms, and a 300 sqm (3,229 sqft.) showroom.

Between 400 and 600 pallets per day are loaded and unloaded at its 12 gates, while a 24-hour pick-up station operates outside normal shift hours.

The operation at Durner is fast-paced and complex, with over 10,000 product lines located in 8,500 pallet locations. The company wanted a flexible materials handling solution to ensure its 34-strong warehouse team could abide by Durner's 'on time every time' philosophy.

As a result of Durner's longstanding relationship with Yale dealer M + S Bauer GmbH, Yale Materials Handling was approached to develop the ideal solution for the new warehouse.

Sunhild Bauer-Signorotto, manager of M + S Bauer, explains: "Durner now operates a fleet of 17 trucks, all supplied as part of a wider service and maintenance contract with our company.

"At the heart of the fleet are 10 new MO10E mid-level order pickers, backed up by five MR14 reach trucks and a number of pedestrian pallet trucks and other ancillary equipment."

Bauer-Signorotto adds that pallets of incoming goods are unloaded using pedestrian pallet trucks before reach trucks are used to move them into their allocated space in the racking system. The highest level of the racking, at a height of 6.8 m (22.3 ft.), is used for unopened pallets and these are moved to a lower position when they are needed.

"The MO10 is ideally suited to this type of work," Bauer says. "The open platform offers easy access and picking while also providing good all round visibility."

Durner warehouse manager Klaus Ettel says the new equipment has been well received by the facility's operators and management. "The operators have all commented on how intuitive the controls are and how much more comfortable they are to operate. This has resulted in increased productivity throughout the warehouse."

Ettel explains that the decision to award the contract to M + S Bauer was based on three key factors: "The first was the experience we have had over the last six years in the reliability of the Yale product and the service support M + S Bauer has provided. The second was the specification of the Yale products and the flexibility it could bring to our business. Thirdly, and most importantly, was the willingness of M + S Bauer to provide the technical and application support we needed to develop a materials handling solution that would meet our existing and future needs."

The value of the contract is confidential.