Around 90 percent of ground transport in the external warehouse of Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG in Dettenhausen is carried out in an automated manner using a semi-automated logistics solution from Jungheinrich. The setup combines mobile robots, manually operated very narrow aisle trucks and central control software, supporting a stable material flow of around 37,000 pallets per year for the German chocolate manufacturer.
Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG has been producing chocolate for four generations under the Ritter Sport brand. From the warehouse in Dettenhausen, raw materials and packaging materials, including nuts, marzipan and biscuits, are supplied to the nearby production site in Waldenbuch. To meet increasing requirements in terms of availability, speed and safety, the warehouse was expanded and equipped with a scalable, semi-automated logistics solution.
According to Daniel Vrban, site manager of the Dettenhausen warehouse, Jungheinrich trucks handle around 90 percent of internal transport. He states that the combination of manual and automated processes functions well and that prior simulations and experience gained during commissioning contributed to further optimisation of logistics processes.
At the core of the solution are four EKS 215a automated guided vehicles with lithium-ion power. The mobile robots navigate the warehouse using warehouseNAVIGATION and carry out up to 60 transport orders per hour. Two automatic charging stations with a charging capacity of 300 amperes support short charging cycles and multi-shift operation.
The mobile robot fleet is complemented by manually operated EKX 516k and EFX 413 very narrow aisle trucks. Control of the mixed operation is handled via the Jungheinrich Logistics Interface. This software coordinates interaction between people and machines, manages aisle changes and prevents collisions using a traffic light system.
One logistical challenge involved the transport of big bags that protrude up to 15 centimetres beyond the pallet. For this application, Jungheinrich developed project-specific control adjustments and adapted distance settings to enable damage-free transport.
To structure cooperation between automated and manual vehicles, a so-called “handshake” process was implemented. When a manual very narrow aisle truck requests an aisle change, the mobile robots are automatically guided out of the relevant area. They are only released again once the truck has returned to its aisle, ensuring that the material flow remains controlled.
Hennes Fischbach, project manager at Jungheinrich AG, explains that the interaction between very narrow aisle trucks and mobile robots, including the handshake process, supports reliable handling of logistics operations within the warehouse.
In addition, Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG has opted for a five-year full-service contract with Jungheinrich. This includes remote support via a dedicated hotline and technical assistance from Jungheinrich’s service network. If required, a service technician can be on site within four hours, in line with the requirements of continuous operations.
With the warehouse expansion, Ritter has increased storage capacity and improved the efficiency of its logistics processes. Thanks to the scalable system architecture, the solution can be expanded in the future, for example by adding additional mobile robots or automating further warehouse areas.
