Havi Logistics finds the Movirack system to be the perfect solution to increase their capacity

Surface area of 10,000 square metres, capacity for more than 12,500 pallets, 20 trucks and over 7 million boxes dispatched. Interesting figures that form part of Havi Logistics in the region of Milan, which has placed its trust in Mecalux to design and implement its storage project.

An extension project calculated down to the millimetre in which Mecalux’s technology and experience have doubled the useful space.

Massimo d’Alessandro (Operations Director at Havi logistics IT)

“Our group chose Mecalux for several reasons. For several years Mecalux has been a successful working partner. It is a company who follows the customer to the entire project, from the initial idea up to the final realisation. Mecalux always gives quality products and services.”

Mecalux is committed to its customers: efficiency, precision and quality. Global storage solutions for any product, for any need.

Massimo d’Alessandro (Operations Director at Havi logistics IT)

This project starts from a very clear necessity: the reduction of the storage costs, especially for the position of new customers.

This is a mix of technologies; standard pallet racking together with mobile pallet racking. This combination of these two kinds of rack is able to reduce the dimension of the building necessary to manage a certain amount of pallets.

The Havi Logistics warehouse, with a capacity for 12,500 pallets, is divided into 4 areas allowing ambient, refrigerated and frozen product storage.

The area for products at room temperature has 370 linear metres of 9-metre-high Movirack shelving, which has automatic systems to make it safe and easy to use.

These shelves are placed on moving bases which are moved sideways, one by one.

The Havi Logistics distribution centre has integrated a combined system of fixed and moving shelves that improves access for picking. This layout makes better use of the space by eliminating the aisles.

Mecalux’s advanced Movirack safety system minimises risks to staff thanks to transversal photocells stopping the movement if the safety line is passed, and longitudinal sensors detecting any object in the aisle.

Operators can control the shelves manually by means of the control panel, or automatically with radio controls allowing the movement to be started without getting off the forklift trucks.

These shelves also have manual stopping systems in case of any problem.

The versatility of the Moviracks allows these shelves to be adapted to any need, at any time.

In the area set aside for detergents, cleaning products and packaging, conventional pallet racking has been installed.

Each product requires its own structure. In the refrigerated area, Movirack shelving speeds up the picking and restocking process. This area also has push-back racking: the accumulative storage system in which the pallets are set on a series of trolleys pushed on rails.

Push-back racking speeds up the picking process, which means better food quality.

In the frozen area, Mecalux installed a system of combined storage with Movirack shelving to make the best possible use of the cold storage area and to minimise handling time in the chamber. This allows work with the FIFO, First-In, First-Out, system on floor level and with the LIFO, Last In, First Out, system with roller push-back above.

The frozen storage area is completed with push-back pallet racking and drive-in pallet racking.

The different storage areas are connected via a large longitudinal loading and unloading area called the Cool Dock. An area with a temperature of between 1 and 4 degrees which allows goods to be transferred without breaking the cold chain and maintaining the products’ quality and freshness.

Havi Logistics is a facility which has managed to simultaneously reduce storage costs, increase capacity and maintain a high level of productivity.

Massimo d’Alessandro (Operations Director at Havi logistics IT)

Some numbers important to understand how the solution is efficient:

First, storage costs per pallet place reduced by 64%

Pallet place per square meters increased by 55%

Payback of the investment 1.2years

And, last but not least, maintaining high-level of productivity.

The Havi Logistics group is a worldwide logistics benchmark.

The Havi distribution centre in Milan is one of the most advanced. A model of profitability and efficiency.

Maximum capacity with maximum flexibility.