The Swiss grocery retailer Coop has invested 600 million CHF in a new central and highly automated distribution center. In Schafisheim near Zurich, three regional distribution centers, three freezer distribution centers and three large bakeries have been combined in a single location. The heart of the facility is a fully automated freezer distribution center, 'the refrigerator' for refrigerated goods and the empty container control center, that is helping Coop set new standards.
OPTIMIZATION OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND THE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT By concentrating multiple distribution centers at a single site combined with a high degree of automation, Coop achieves a CO2 reduction of >10,000 tons per year, which brings it the company closer to the objective of being CO2 neutral by 2023.
OPTIMIZATION OF WORKPLACE ERGONOMICS IN THE REFRIGERATION AREA The high degree of automation ensures a significant improvement in workplace quality and safety in the refrigeration and deep-frozen area.
The complex automated warehouse solution combines various goods receipt zones, pallet warehouses, picking areas and goods issue areas with conveyor systems. The two main building complexes are connected by a 500 feet bridge and incorporate solutions for:
TGW systematically takes the total cost of ownership throughout the life cycle of a system into account starting from the planning stage of every system, every component and every product. The freezer shuttle warehouse occupies a special position in the area of energy costs: Coop minimizes the total volume to be cooled through the use of automation and robots. By consistently optimizing the temperature zones – as cold as necessary, and not any colder – and reducing the oxygen content to 14 %, a freezer warehouse optimized for investment and operational costs is created.
Coop relies on TGW's expertise, even during operation. The comprehensive Lifetime Services package includes five years of full maintenance coverage and spare parts supply for the complex system.
The TGW Warehouse Software completely covers all performance requirements related to fulfillment, from goods receipt to goods issue, and ensures ideal synergy with mechatronics.
In addition to well-known supermarkets, the Switzerland-based Coop Genossenschaft also includes other commercial enterprises and various production plants. In Schafisheim, a high-capacity fulfillment center was built for the grocer, consisting of four large subareas: general goods, empty container control center, the automatic refrigeration system and the freezer area.
Thomas Kretz
Managing Director
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