STILL automates intelligent warehouse for Yusen Logistics

In the summer of 2024, Yusen Logistics in Gembloux, Belgium, commissioned a new 40,000 m2 smart warehouse with almost 50,000 pallet storage locations. STILL provided advanced automation of the intralogistics with several innovative iGo automation solutions. "Thanks to this automation, a reliable process is guaranteed, which allows us to deliver the quality and productivity our customer expects from us," says Gitte Daelemans, Project Manager Contract Logistics at Yusen Logistics Benelux.

Yusen Logistics is a leading logistics service provider with approximately 25,000 employees, operating in 47 markets worldwide. The company works with customers of all sizes and across various industries to optimise supply chains and ensure seamless logistics. The smart warehouse in Gembloux is one of the latest examples of this. The processes in the logistics centre are largely automated using innovative automation solutions from STILL. "It all started three years ago with the customer's request to consolidate three different locations into one large, dedicated warehouse," says Gitte Daelemans, Project Manager Contract Logistics at Yusen Logistics Benelux. As the customer operates in the pharmaceutical sector, strict regulations apply, particularly in terms of temperature control and quality standards. The new warehouse therefore has three different temperature zones to ensure that vaccines and raw materials are always stored under the right conditions. Productivity must also be guaranteed. Every hour, 160 pallets have to be moved in and out of the warehouse.

The right time for automation

A new logistics hub was designed in consultation with Yusen’s customer. The warehouse covers an area of 40,000 m2 and has three temperature zones: a 20,000 m2 ambient area for storing 35,000 pallets at temperatures between +15 and +25°C, a cold storage (+2 to +8°C) of 10,000 m2 with a capacity of 11,000 pallet spaces, and a freezer area (-25°C). There is also a special storage area for flammable and toxic hazardous substances. This hall measures 1,500 m2 and has a storage capacity of 1,440 pallets. "One advantage was that we were able to start on a greenfield site," adds Daelemans. "It was the perfect time for us and our customer to opt for more innovation and extensive process automation. With the continuing pressure on the labour market, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find and retain experienced and skilled staff, especially in this region. In addition, operating costs are lower in an automated warehouse, and we are confident that automation will allow us to deliver the additional quality and reliability required."

Good experience with STILL

To implement this automation, Yusen Logistics relied on STILL's expertise. And not only because of the price, says Daelemans: "We had already had good experiences with STILL's automation solutions in our warehouse near Antwerp, and the interface developed there could also be used in our new facility. This interface manages the communication between the transport management system which controls the vehicles, the location management within the warehouse, and our warehouse management system (WMS) at Yusen Logistics. In addition, STILL was the only supplier at the time able to provide automated very narrow aisle trucks that could operate the required warehouse height of more than 14 metres." Among other things, STILL supplied eighteen EXV iGo automated high lift pallet trucks - eight for the cold storage area and ten for the ambient warehouse - as well as ten MX-X iGo automated very narrow aisle trucks (VNA) - four for the cold storage area and six for the ambient warehouse.

The vehicles in the cold storage area are fitted with a special hydraulic oil that can withstand the low temperatures. This has made it possible to automate most of the internal transport. Manual work is only carried out in the freezer area, where an FM-X reach truck is used in a special configuration. It has a full cab, heating, special hydraulic oil and an encapsulated electrical system. Yusen Logistics also still uses a manually operated STILL MX-X VNA truck for handling bulky pallets - pallets that are too large, heavy or unstable.

Maximum efficiency guaranteed

Incoming pallets are inspected by an operator and placed in floor locations. These locations have floor labels with a barcode so that the WMS knows exactly which pallet is in which location. The EXV iGo high lift pallet trucks pick up the pallets and transport them to a contour inspection station, also supplied by STILL. "In an automated operation, each pallet must meet defined quality standards. Thanks to the contour check, errors are avoided. Each pallet is measured and weighed at these stations," explains Stijn Kusseneers, Teamlead Automation Sales CEE & Nordics at STILL. The pallets are then transported to transfer stations at the end of the racking. From there they are picked up by the MX-X iGo VNA trucks, which handle the incoming pallets. All vehicles are assigned tasks based on their current location within the warehouse, ensuring maximum productivity and efficiency. The majority of deliveries are full pallets, but Yusen Logistics also provides box and item picking for smaller orders. AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) are used for goods-to-person picking of smaller volumes. The autonomous robots handle the horizontal transport to and from the picking stations on the mezzanine level.

Bottlenecks addressed early

"You can't expect such an integrated automated process to work perfectly from day one," Daelemans notes. "That is why, long before the automation went live, we ran a 'day-in-the-life' test and simulated daily operations 1:1, with real pallets, real barcodes and so on. During this simulation, bottlenecks were identified such as scanning problems with black pallets which were not detected by the standard sensors on the trucks. Also the consequences of a label not being in the expected place, or film wrapped around the blocks of a pallet." Together with STILL, Yusen Logistics was able to incorporate these findings before the final implementation and make appropriate adjustments. Nevertheless, there were still some problems after commissioning. Daelemans: "We expected that, too. The warehouse has only been really full since the end of 2024, and now large quantities have to be processed. It is therefore logical that there would be problems - not everything can be completely predicted. Solving these teething problems requires on-site expertise. That's really one of the most important lessons for us."

"A project like this stands or falls with good advice and proper consultation with the customer," Kusseneers emphasises. "The consultation is intensive, and good cooperation, both during the preliminary discussions and during the implementation, is crucial. We no longer speak of a pure supplier-customer relationship but of a true partnership." This partnership does not end when everything is delivered and the system is up and running. Operators have to get used to the new processes and learn to work with the new systems. "Proper guidance, training and aftercare are essential for the successful launch of an automation project," adds Kusseneers. STILL's service department offers various options and support for this.

Improved productivity and quality

The smart warehouse has now been in operation for more than six months. Daelemans sees the new facility as an excellent showcase for Yusen Logistics: "Our potential customers can see our drive for innovation and the possibilities that automation offers. This gives us a great advantage in new tenders." Automation ensures high productivity. "Work can even continue during breaks. This is a big advantage, especially in the current labour market. With this solution and the addition of operational maintenance/technicians on the shop floor, we can run the warehouse extremely efficiently and cost-effectively, even when skilled labour is scarce." This makes it much more cost effective than manual operations. "In addition, the quality has improved significantly," Daelemans points out. As Yusen Logistics has only just started to run the logistics processes for its new customer, it is probably too early to quantify the efficiency gains: "But there are no more manual errors and 100% traceability of goods is guaranteed. As a result, our staff can concentrate more on quality control," concludes the project manager.