Mecalux extends the logistics centre of the PORCELANOSA GROUP, which will become the world’s largest automated warehouse

13 Jun 2011

Barcelona, June 13th 2011.

Mecalux, a world leader in the storage systems market, will extend the logistics centre in Villarreal for the Porcelanosa Group, located in Castellón. Once completed, the ceramic tile manufacturer will own the world's largest automated warehouse, with a total storage capacity of 275,000 pallets.

The new 10,600 m² warehouse will be used by the VENIS company, a manufacturer of ceramic tile surfaces. The warehouse will be 32 m high, 278 m long and have a storage capacity of 65,300 pallets.

The new installation will be equipped with 10 automated twin-mast stacker cranes, which will handle 20 aisles of rack. Each of them will be 160 m long.

"We will build an automated warehouse which transports pallets efficiently, both at the entry and the exit," Mecalux vice-president, Javier Carrillo, said. "It is estimated that this storage system can transport 474 pallets per hour."

Eight picking stations with pneumatic manipulators equipped with grippers will be installed, allowing the operator to easily extract the desired goods.
The racks have been designed in a way that enables the entry and exit operations to proceed efficiently.

The warehouse is connected with the Porcelanosa Group's plant by means of a 300 m long and 3 m high underground tunnel. The pallets, with a load capacity of 1,600 kg, are lowered by means of a goods lift, and then placed on a conveyor, which transports them towards the end of the tunnel. There are automated lines to be found there, which transport pallets to the front zone of the warehouse.

Twin-mast stacker cranes

Mecalux also will install 10 twin-mast stacker cranes of the same height as the racks (31 metres), which move along the 1.75 m wide aisles and lift pallets at a speed of 48 m/min. All the stacker cranes' movements will be controlled by special software.

The stacker cranes will be fitted with a lift, which will allow maintenance work in addition to manual operation of each crane.

VENIS' warehouse will have enough remaining space to install another five stacker cranes if so desired.

PORCELANOSA GROUP

The Porcelanosa Group is present in about 100 countries worldwide due to its powerful enterprise strategy as well as the unique business model it employs.

Having 35 years of experience, the Group is a leader in the domestic and international market. Its activity is based on such values as innovation, quality, and, above of all, the confidence it places in its 5,000 employees.

VENIS is a company implementing technological innovations into its designs, which it applies to the manufacture of ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware. The diverse shapes and finishes of its products make the company a leader on the international ceramics market.