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Case N.C. Nielsen is behind one of Denmark’s largest flow-through warehouses, which has recently been built at Agilia A/S just outside Videbæk. The vast high rack warehouse was delivered as a complete solution with flow-through and pallet installation and the associated Linde R14HD/1120 reach truck, and the solution reflects a significant jump in the west Jutland company’s growth.

Since 1994, Agilia A/S has developed into a global producer of milk substitutes and protein supplements for e.g. calves and piglets. In 2016, the company became part of the UK group AB Agri Ltd, the number of employees has increased to 50 since the merger, and new global markets have been captured with a focus on developing ingredients and feed supplements with functional properties.

The high rack warehouse covers an area of 2,600 square metres and also houses a changing room, meeting room, workshop and loading area for the Linde reach truck. This means that production, warehouse and dispatch areas are more closely linked, so the finished goods do not have to cross the busy road to the older warehouses or even be transported 25 km away to a remote storage facility.

“We have better control of internal logistics. The rack solution and the reach truck interact closely with each other and create a well functioning flow. We save time and mileage as the pallets roll forwards automatically in the right order from storage entry through to storage removal. We have achieved an optimal turnover rate, better flow of finished goods pallets and easier shipment of goods,” says Production and Warehouse Manager Jens Iversen from Agilia A/S.

Pallets are flowing through

The racks in the high rack warehouse reach up to 9.5 metres in height and have space for 1,700 pallet locations with 12 pallets in each channel. Two channels contain a batch of 24 tonnes of finished products, so it fits perfectly into the overall production process. When entering storage, each pallet slowly rolls forwards at a drop of 4% per metre and the speed is adjusted with roller brakes inside each channel. Overall, Agilia is able to utilise 90% of its warehouse capacity with the new solution.

“We have had preferential collaboration with N.C. Nielsen, who we know from the past. They have provided an optimal logistics solution, where the warehouse equipment and Linde truck are carefully matched. We had a lot of considerations regarding the furnishings and with N.C. Nielsen’s help we found a well thought out solution that can be extended when the need arises. In addition, it was all installed in just two weeks, which is quite impressive,” says Production and Warehouse Manager Jens Iversen from Agilia A/S.

Technology for truck drivers

The truck drivers at Agilia A/S were consulted when the trucks were being chosen. Everyone went on a demo trip to N.C. Nielsen in Balling to trial the different options and the choice finally came down to a Linde R14HD/1120. The Linde electric reach truck can lift 1,400 kg up to height. It is pre-programmed for the lifting heights at the Agilia warehouse and has a fork mounted camera, which enables the truck driver to keep a close eye on the load on a monitor when it needs to be positioned precisely on the roller conveyor.

As optional equipment for the Linde truck, Agilia A/S also chose the Linde Blue Spot safety lights, rotary beacon, collision alarm, individual key fobs to start the truck and, last but not least, the Linde Connect fleet management system, which feeds the truck manager with information on energy consumption, driving hours, service intervals and much more.

“We are seeing a trend towards warehouse logistics in manufacturing companies becoming more self-reliant, automated and digitised. By combining flow-through racks with the high-tech Linde reach truck, we can optimise internal logistics even further. We are pleased that Agilia A/S chose us to undertake this exciting task and that we can contribute to the continued growth of the company,” says Sales Director Allan Christensen from N.C. Nielsen

Would you like to know more?

Contact Sales Director Allan Christensen for further information