Dematic will supply and integrate an AutoStore robotic system for the Maria Middelares hospital network. The system will form part of a new central logistics center that will supply the hospitals in Ghent and Deinze, as well as the medical centers in Aalter and Gentbrugge.
Maria Middelares, which employs more than 400 physicians and 2,500 staff members, aims to centralize its logistics operations and improve operational efficiency through this project. According to project manager Isabel Verniers, the implementation of AutoStore is expected to deliver an efficiency gain of around 30 percent. The centralization will also reduce the number of deliveries to the hospitals and decrease traffic congestion around their locations.
The logistics center is located on a brownfield site in the De Prijkels industrial zone in Nazareth (East Flanders) and combines the storage and pharmacy facilities of the participating institutions.
The AutoStore system consists of a 4.5-meter-high storage grid with space for more than 12,000 bins and six workstations. In the first phase, 6,000 bins, three workstations, and eleven robots will be installed. The system can be expanded by adding more robots and bins. Dematic designed the solution after analyzing the product characteristics and order patterns of the hospitals. According to sales manager Stijn Wouters, AutoStore was chosen for its compact layout, compatibility with the existing building structure, and expected cost efficiency.
The decision to select Dematic followed a European tender process involving several AutoStore partners. According to Maria Middelares, Dematic achieved a high score for technical execution, project approach, maintenance, and total cost of ownership. The company’s local service team in Belgium will provide ongoing support. Verniers emphasized that rapid troubleshooting is crucial, as the stored medical products are essential for patient care.
