Optimized inventory

Working closely with our partners in the Far East and Europe, appropriate purchasing management ensures that we achieve a 97% delivery rate. Thanks to a very careful selection of suppliers, you can come to us for general but also very specific products. Our staff are professionals and will be happy to help you with any questions you may have.

We currently stock more than 25,000 articles. In 2007, we invested heavily in logistics management. The current warehouse was expanded, work started on the automated warehouse and investments were made in a buffer warehouse in Aalter. This provides room for 20,000 pallet locations and 60,000 bin locations and increases the total storage capacity to 17,000m².

The totes are scanned and taken to their location via a conveyor belt. 

Via the conveyor belt, the scanned totes reach the automatic warehouse.

The supply of the filled bins and the return of the empty ones. 

Via 7 robots, the totes are put away in their designated location and picked. 

In total, the warehouse accommodates 40 000 bin locations. 

At full occupancy, 10 000 order lines per day can be processed.

Container reception area

Every day in the reception area, we receive and process more than 70 pallets delivered by our suppliers. These goods are sorted and checked against the accompanying reception list. Afterwards, the goods are provided with a scanning label so that they can be referred to the pallet warehouse or the Maestro system.

Reception of goods

Every day, within the reception area, we receive about 30 pallets of piece goods. These goods are also sorted and checked, again using the consignment note sent along. Then all goods are given a scanning label, and they too are ready for the pallet warehouse or the Maestro system.

Checking the goods

Incoming goods are subjected to random quality checks. Initially, this is done via visual checks where we use calipers, micrometers and wire calipers. Lab tests are also carried out and recorded, such as testing for hardness and measurements with a profile projector.

Putting the goods away

After reception and checking, all incoming goods are given a place in the pallet warehouse. This is done by 2 induction-guided CTX machines using RF technology. These devices work according to a set procedure. Here, the scan label indicates the location where the goods should be placed. Once one then arrives at the correct location, the location label is scanned, after which the goods are put away. From then on, the goods are available for sale or picking.

Picking the goods

We have six order pickers every day, who follow a fixed procedure for picking the goods. On the monitor, the picker sees the location where the goods are to be picked. Once they arrive at the correct location, the location label is scanned in. In turn, the number of goods to be picked appears on the screen and the goods are picked. Afterwards, the location label is scanned again for confirmation. Goods are now picked and the available stock was updated both in the system and online.

Item 1: Checking the goods

All goods coming from our suppliers are received in the reception warehouse. Once the goods are sorted, they are taken to the Maestro warehouse. There, the goods are brought into the Maestro system. All goods are brought in by means of green bins. In doing so, each green bin has a unique barcode that will be scanned.

The reception label is scanned, at which point the system knows which product and how much of the product is in the green bin. Afterwards, it checks again whether the expected quantity is effectively in the green bin, this is done by a weight check. If the product in the green bin is not known, the products are first weighed and all data are first entered into the system.

Item 2: Entry of the goods

The already prepared green totes are now inserted into the Maestro system. The green bins are placed on the conveyor belt and both the barcode of the bin and that of the goods are scanned again for verification. At this point, we are 100% sure that the green bin contains the correct number of boxes of the correct article. After that, the green bins are moved one by one on the conveyor belt to their place on the shelves.

Item 3: Operation of the robots

The barcodes on the inserted green totes are read by the system via barcode readers. At that point, the position in the rack is determined and the bin arrives on the conveyor (stocking) of the assigned robot. There are 7 robots continuously supplying and removing green bins. Each robot is capable of stocking 2 green totes and picking 2 green totes each time. In the latter case, the barcode of the green bin is read again by a barcode reader and taken via the conveyor belt (picking) to the assigned picking post. At the picking post, the goods are manually picked for the customer.

Item 4: Picking the goods

Through the barcode readers, the robot knows at which picking post to place the green totes. There are a maximum of 6 green bins in rotation per pick post and only 2 green bins can be routed to the pick post simultaneously. The picker gets the right bin and sees on the screen how many goods to take from the green bin. The picked goods are placed in a cardboard box by the picker. These boxes are brought to the picker via a conveyor belt ('empty boxes'). With each picking, the first box is automatically labelled.

When picking is finished, the picker presses 'approve', this causes a new weight check to be performed. The green bin then disappears from the picking station back to the rack. The next green bin is then taken to the picking station.

If the carton is full, the picker presses 'close carton' and takes a new carton. After approving another picking, a new label is automatically printed for this carton. Each closed carton box is pushed to the conveyor belt 'closed boxes' and arrives at the appropriate dispatch post.

Post 5: Expedition of goods

Via the conveyor belt 'expedition', the cardboard boxes are sorted by order and arrive at 1 of the 10 expedition posts. These boxes are collected on a pallet. Any order lines from the pallet warehouse are released and added to the customer's order. Only when everything is collected can the order be finalised and prepared for shipment to the customer.

Our know-how and continuous investment in new technologies ensure that we always meet more stringent requirements. Our 24-hour delivery service and high-quality standards ensure that we can offer our customers maximum service.

Our flagship product is "Maestro": a fully automated storage system for the correct and fast processing of your orders.

We also offer our customers tailor-made service packages for efficient stock management. Our aim is to take the logistics part out of our customers' hands so that they can concentrate fully on their core business.

Using our logistics services will undoubtedly benefit you.

In general, fasteners are only a small factor in the entire production process. However, a lack of the right material can have very serious consequences for the production process.

Stock management of such "C-parts" is therefore much more than just having the required items available. It is also an optimisation of order quantity, stock and stock location, as well as providing the required transport. This requires major efforts leading to increased (logistics) costs within the flow of goods.