Production and logistics / skladovani-II
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What is Škoda Auto currently addressing across all its warehouses?
The growing need for storage capacity and increasing pressure on efficiency at Škoda Auto are driven by the expansion of the range of models offered. “We’re currently reaching the limits of the space we have available. That is why we’re focusing on total volume, and warehouses are growing upward,” explains Petr Jíra, head of the VAS – After Sales Systems and Resources department.
Automation takes centre stage
This expansion is made possible primarily by automation, which facilitates storage in high-bay warehouses. “Using automation is more efficient than building sprawling warehouses on greenfield sites. For example, in a fully automated warehouse where items arrive at the picking station on their own, the best employees can handle up to 80 items per hour,” says Jíra, highlighting the significant difference in warehouse productivity. Pallet storage in automated warehouses works in a similar way, with unmanned storage to the target location.
Smart warehouses save energy
In addition to the future high-bay body warehouse, Škoda Auto also uses energy recovery in its state-of-the-art warehouse. When a stacker returns from higher and more distant locations, it uses energy recovery while braking, and the recovered energy is then consumed by stackers in other aisles. The stacker weighs 20 tonnes and moves at a speed of 2.5 metres per second within a stacking height range of 1 to 30 metres, so the amount of energy recovered is significant. Another trend is the use of warehouse buildings for installing photovoltaic panels. For example, at the Škoda Parts Centre, solar panels cover a quarter of the roof area.
Don’t store, print
Škoda Auto must store spare parts for manufactured cars for at least 15 years after production of a given model has ended. It is therefore considering whether some smaller and more unusual parts could simply be produced using 3D printing without the need for storage. This way, it would not have to stockpile parts and could respond to the need for parts in real time.
Next-generation logistics
“We apply the principles of modern warehousing and focus on the automation and digitisation of processes. We’re gradually introducing technologies in our warehouses that enable the precise and immediate tracking of materials in real time,” says David Vostrý, who is responsible for Logistics Start-up Projects in the PLL – Logistics Planning department. According to him, one example of modern warehousing is the fully automated battery cell warehouse for the new assembly line in Hall M8.
Production and logistics