Delivery capability is a central promise to customers for KWM Weisshaar. That's why the sheet metal specialist relies on the reliable storage solutions from KASTO. The right decision was also evident during the recent retrofit of the KASTO UNIGRIP buffer storage. After a short conversion time, it has been running smoothly ever since and ensures the usual high process reliability.
2007 – the German women's national football team won the World Cup and Apple presented its first iPhone. KWM Karl Weisshaar Ing. GmbH expanded that year and built a new multi-story production hall at its headquarters in Mosbach, Baden. 'We reorganized our entire material flow and invested in modern production machines and efficient storage technology,' recalls graduate engineer Jörg Weisshaar. He runs the company in the second generation together with his father Karl.
KWM, as an all-rounder, covers the entire process chain of sheet metal: This allows customers to receive everything from engineering to sheet metal processing, as well as welding and joining processes, to assembly and logistics from a single source. In addition to steel, the company also processes stainless steel and aluminum, totaling around 5,000 tons per year. Karl Weisshaar founded the company in 1979 and initially supplied, for example, computer housings to the PC and printer manufacturer Hewlett Packard.
'An important milestone for us was the development of laser technology, which allows sheets to be cut precisely and ensures that the material remains so popular to this day,' explains Jörg Weisshaar.
The company generates an annual revenue of 50 million euros with around 450 employees, about ten percent of whom are in training. The main sales market is the DACH region, and the most important industry is rail vehicle construction. For this, it manufactures not only mechanical components like roof segments for car bodies but also complete air conditioning units and battery containers.
Uniform Solution
In 2007, KWM was looking for a manufacturer that could supply both the picking warehouse for final assembly and the depot for raw materials. 'It was important for us to work with the same partner for both warehouses,' recalls Jörg Weisshaar. Another important factor for the company was: 'The provider had to be able to realize the project in a short time because we completely reorganized our material flow while operations were ongoing.'
At a trade fair, Karl Weisshaar became aware of KASTO, and the offer was convincing. 'We also obtained other quotes, but with KASTO, everything just fit,' emphasizes Jörg Weisshaar. This also included the geographical proximity – both companies are located in Baden-Württemberg.
The sheet metal all-rounder has now been using a KASTO UNILINE with 13 output stations for raw materials and a KASTO UNIGRIP with three output stations as a buffer storage for semi-finished products for 17 years. The UNIGRIP 3.0 offers 682 spaces that can accommodate grid boxes in various sizes – from 530 to 2,000 millimeters in height. The maximum payload is three tons per cassette. At the output stations, sensors monitor the dimensions of the load on the plates and stop operations if the specifications are exceeded.
'We had very few problems with the storage over all these years,' reflects Holger Guddat, who is responsible for maintenance and servicing at KWM. 'The technology works excellently – this is immensely important for us because a complete production halt occurs during downtime.' Therefore, the company has its storage regularly serviced. 'And in case of emergencies, we can rely on quick assistance from KASTO,' reports the maintenance manager.
'When we report a fault, a technician usually comes by the same day. The failures were almost always resolved within a few hours.'
Remaining reliably deliverable
So why the retrofit now? 'KASTO made us aware that they would not be able to fully and timely ensure the supply of spare parts for the 17-year-old electronic components in the future,' says Holger Guddat. 'This would mean that we would have to wait longer for needed components and could not produce during that time – a no-go for us.' And Jörg Weisshaar adds: 'Our customers work, for example, just-in-time, according to Kanban, or with consignment warehouses. In any case, they rely on us to receive the required components at the right time.' Since many products are only assembled when the buyer calls for the goods, the buffer storage with the semi-finished products must always be ready for use.
Thus, the main requirement for the retrofit was already defined: 'It has to be quick, and production should only be minimally affected. Therefore, the project took place at the turn of the year 2023/2024,' reports Holger Guddat. KWM prepared everything with its own employees. This included, for example, bringing the large control cabinet of the storage retrieval system (RBG) into the warehouse. 'The cabinet was too large for personnel access. We solved the task with a scissor lift table, which we brought into the warehouse, and one of the output stations, through which we removed the old control cabinet and brought in the new one.'
Like clockwork
On January 2, 2024, the real work began. Ten technicians from KASTO renewed the entire electrical system. They replaced the control cabinets, including all control and regulation devices, replaced the station control panels, upgraded the bus technology to PROFINET, modernized the power supply to the RBG and the lifting traverse, and all drive controllers. They adjusted the safety devices such as the limit switch for lifting and longitudinal travel, the emergency stop system, the safety doors, and the light barriers to current specifications.
In addition, the upgrade of the warehouse management system (WMS) KASTOlvr to KASTOlogic was completed. They also revised the documentation. “There was a lot to do, but after seven working days they managed it as planned,” says Holger Guddat with respect. During the subsequent three-day commissioning by KASTO employees, they trained the KWM staff in handling the new technology. Since then, the warehouse has been fully operational for two-shift operation. KASTOlogic works seamlessly with the ERP system proALPHA via an interface.
“Our experiences with the retrofit are very positive,” agree Jörg Weisshaar and Holger Guddat. “The organization went super smoothly, and KASTO implemented everything excellently. Now we are well positioned with UNIGRIP for the next 17 years.”
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