Four storage systems, a material flow solution, and a continuous control system from KASTO connect storage, picking, and production into a coordinated overall process. Based on this, Kerschgens has improved material availability, expanded its range, and simultaneously reduced transport routes and response times.
Kerschgens stores more than 24,000 items on 36,000 square meters of hall space, handling around 300 tons of material per day. The service goes far beyond classic trading.
"Quality, availability, and delivery time are crucial for our customers," says Managing Director Heinz Herbort.
Kerschgens Werkstoffe & Mehr GmbH has been trading in steel, stainless steel, and non-ferrous metals since its founding exactly 150 years ago.
The family-run company in its sixth generation employs around 220 people at two locations and supplies customers from the steel and metal construction, mechanical engineering, construction industry, and other areas of the metal processing industry. The product range includes beams, pipes, sheets, and round steel.
In Stolberg near Aachen, around 36,000 square meters of hall space are now available. The operation complements sales with processing and service offerings, from sawing and drilling to burning and milling. Since September 2022, the former Carlier Blechbearbeitungs GmbH has been part of Kerschgens. Under the Carlier brand, the company consolidates its sheet metal expertise and assembly manufacturing.
Kerschgens consolidates its storage processes.
To optimize processes and leverage synergies, Kerschgens wanted to dissolve three nearby external warehouses and centralize them in a new hall. Therefore, the company sought a solution that covers both the storage of sheets and long goods for trade as well as sheet metal production with forming, welding, and surface treatment. The new Hall 2 with 12,000 square meters accommodates the sheet metal storage and creates additional space for pipes and bars.
Our storage and material flow processes were characterized until recently by the fact that we first had to bring everything to our headquarters to pick and deliver from there," says Dominik Garbrecht, who is responsible for the trading operation in the new building at Kerschgens. "With the new central warehouse, we now have everything consolidated in one place. This reduces time losses and costs."
In the older Hall 1, the focus is on classic steel trading with construction steel, profiles, and beams. Since 2009, Kerschgens has operated the UNICOMPACT 3.0 honeycomb storage from KASTO with 2,896 cassette spaces. A 10-fold circulation station and two 4-fold circulation stations and a longitudinal station connect storage, picking, and provision.
Thanks to direct rail access, a special truck can pull the delivered wagons with long goods directly into the hall. In 2023, the system received a retrofit from KASTO for electrical and motor systems. This modernization secures the performance capability, process reliability, and availability of spare parts of the existing storage in the long term. At the same time, the advantages of the UNICOMPACT are retained: high storage density, automated material flow according to the principle of "goods to person," and quick cassette changes for short provision times.
Since 2016, the stacking beam system UNIBLOC A from KASTO with 803 spaces has supplemented the honeycomb storage in Hall 1. ©KASTO
The evolved plant landscape and the almost 20-year collaboration, in which Kerschgens further developed its storage technology together with KASTO, introduced complex automation solutions, and modernized existing systems, provided the metal specialist with a solid foundation for planning the new building. "The company has always convinced us during this time with its competence in finding individual solutions for our requirements," explains Heinz Herbort.
Two systems for the new hall.
For long products made of stainless steel and aluminum, Kerschgens chose the UNITOP overpass storage, which went into operation in September 2025. It stocks pipes, angles, flat, round, and square materials on 677 spaces. A material polder chain (MPK) takes pre-picked material for shipping and further transport.
A longitudinal station connects the KASTOwin A 3.6 metal band saw directly to the UNITOP and provides the required long goods for cutting. This integrates the saw into the automated material flow. The coordinated interplay of control, short auxiliary times, and precise material feed accelerates order processing.
The second core of the new building is the UNILINE longitudinal storage system from KASTO for sheets. Since January 2026, Kerschgens has been storing steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and perforated sheets here in formats from small to large, weights up to 900 kilograms, and thicknesses from 0.5 to 20 millimeters. The facility features 1,734 cassette spaces, five longitudinal cars, including one with an integrated lifting device, as well as an inbound and outbound storage station. The steel structure and aisle can be extended as capacity needs increase.
The new building with the UNITOP and UNILINE storage systems, as well as the integrated material flow solution, shortens search and provision routes and improves material availability. "As a result, our processes in the hall have accelerated," says Dominik Garbrecht. Additionally, employees now rarely have to move sharp-edged sheets manually and can focus on controlling the system and special cases.
Thanks to centralization, Kerschgens has expanded its delivery program and can flexibly expand it in the future if needed. In addition, the company has optimized the processes for storing, picking, packaging, and preparing for loading. The stock packages are readily available nearby, and a crane brings them into storage. The sheet metal storage can be expanded by more than 1,000 spaces in case of higher demand.
With the new hall, Kerschgens continues the gradual development of its storage technology. The company uses proven, modernized systems and creates additional capacities for long goods and sheets. Around the UNILINE, a material flow solution from KASTO connects storage, laser cutting, and order picking into a seamless process. This allows the metal dealer to expand its delivery program and keep materials centrally available for trade and production.
Data connects storage and processing
KASTOlogic, the smart Warehouse Management System (WMS) from KASTO, manages the inventories in all four warehouses and controls the material flows. It communicates with two ERP systems: SHCware from Kerschgens and Octoflex, which came into the company through the acquisition of Carlier. The WMS processes item master data, batches, orders, and packaging specifications. An XML interface connects it to the production planning system Oseon and transfers cutting plan data, leftover sheet information, and NC programs. KASTOlogic controls the appropriate manipulator KASTOpick sheet, generates shipping labels, and provides information for route planning. An important function of the WMS for Kerschgens is packing optimization: A specially developed algorithm calculates the packing units considering physical limits and customer-specific requirements in optimal pyramid form.
Structure for long-term material availability
The storage systems UNICOMPACT, UNIBLOC, UNITOP, and UNILINE connect through material flow solutions and manipulators to form a powerful overall system. Inventory, customer order, processing machine, and shipping are closely interlinked: The material moves from storage to processing and then to shipping.
The investments bring together two time horizons: The retrofit keeps proven storage technology efficient, while new systems create additional capacities for long goods and sheets. This allows Kerschgens to gradually further develop its storage structure and secure material availability for customers in the long term. Heinz Herbort expects that the business will remain fast-paced and that the coming years will not become calmer. "In order to remain a reliable partner for our customers in ten years, we must continue to be innovative. KASTO solutions for storage automation and sawing technology can help us fulfill this promise."
Author: Petra März
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