Genta Lodovico Srl: six optimised cold stores

Transport, storage and logistics

Genta Lodovico Srl is an Italian company that specialises in the storage and transport of empty bottles and bottled beverages. The company offers its customers the option to control their entire supply chain: product identification, storage for as long as necessary, dispatch and shipment of orders to end customers.

• Founded in: 1945
• Total storage space: 42,000 m²

Being equipped with high-density storage systems is the perfect solution for optimising space and cutting down on energy consumption in rooms operating at controlled temperatures, whether frozen or refrigerated. Well aware of this, Genta Lodovico Srl chose this type of logistics solution to outfit its 40,000 m² distribution centre (DC) in the town of Santa Vittoria d’Alba in northern Italy.

The centre comprises two warehouses. In the first, Genta Lodovico Srl set up racking with the Pallet Shuttle system and pallet racking from Mecalux to store over 7,000 pallets containing alcoholic beverages. The logistics provider recently equipped its second warehouse with mobile pallet racking Movirack, the only compact system offering direct access to all the products stored. This facility manages palletised goods such as wine and canned foods.

Domenico Genta, owner of Genta Lodovico Srl, says: “The mobile racking system from Mecalux allows us to leverage our available warehouse space even better than the Pallet Shuttle system we use in the other plant.”

The reason why this system is so efficient is that the racks are compacted, leaving open the working aisle selected by the operator. Genta says: “Thanks to the mobile bases of the racks, access to the pallets is direct. We can open an aisle whenever we want and identify the type of product we need at a glance.”

High-density systems also maximise the height of a building. In fact, this was one of Genta Lodovico Srl’s main needs before commissioning the warehouse: “We were looking for racking that would make the most of our new facility and its 10-metre height. The racks on mobile bases provide 80% to 120% more capacity compared to pallet racking.

Six cold stores

The refrigerated rooms in Genta Lodovico Srl’s DC provide total capacity for 4,290 pallets stored at 5 °C. With five storage levels, the racks stand 9 m tall and can store pallets of two different heights: 1.3 m and 1.8 m.

Once the required aisle is opened, the direct access to the products speeds up operations in addition to facilitating the location of the goods. Likewise, with the mobile racking system, several aisles can be open at the same time to perform order picking on the lower levels. With this solution, the Genta Lodovico Srl facility stores and dispatches an average of 700 pallets a day. This mobile racking solution is also highly efficient in cold storage warehouses because it notably reduces energy consumption used to generate cold air by optimally distributing it among the pallets.

Maximum safety and durability

The mobile pallet racking Movirack incorporate safety devices that protect both warehouse workers and the goods. These systems comply with all safety regulations in force, ensuring incident-free operation:

• Exterior barriers. Stop the racks from moving when equipment enters the aisle.
• Interior barriers. Detect the presence of objects in the aisle that would prevent the system from operating properly.
• Emergency buttons. Block the movement of the racking in the event of an incident.
• Proximity photocells. Ensure a smooth, safe stop.

Solution for today and tomorrow

“Our company is constantly growing. We’re really interested in investing in storage systems like obile pallet racking Movirack because, where we’re located, there’s a lack of these kinds of solutions,” says Genta.

The main characteristic of a cold storage facility is the use of a controlled temperature to prolong the life cycle of the goods. Thanks to the system implemented by Mecalux, Genta Lodovico Srl has a highly competitive, efficient warehouse to provide its customers with quality service.

The Mecalux technical team supported us the entire time, closely monitoring our project. As for the storage system installed, we’re thrilled with the use of the obile pallet racking Movirack.