Wärtsilä’s new, state-of-the-art logistics center relies on indoor logistics solutions provided by Jungheinrich and DHL Supply Chain

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Jungheinrich equips Wärtsilä Finland’s new logistics center with an automatic small parts warehouse and a narrow aisle warehouse. Managing Director Mika Laatikainen from Jungheinrich Lift Truck Oy says that the logistics center project represents a significant leap in the evolution of Finnish indoor logistics. 

– The order picking height in the narrow aisle warehouse is the highest in Finland at 17 meters and there will be room for as many as 21,600 pallets. The height of the small parts warehouse is 18 meters and it features 15,000 storage places, Laatikainen says.     

The narrow aisle warehouse will encompass four semiautomatic high rack stackers, each equipped with advanced warehouse navigation. The small parts warehouse is to feature four order picking stations and one error management station.

The logistics center is part of Wärtsilä’s research, development and production center Smart Technology Hub which will be completed in Vaskiluoto, Vaasa, Finland, by the end of the year. Logistics operations will be transferred to the new center during spring 2022. 

Senior Project Manager Mika Harjamäki from Wärtsilä says that the logistics center is being built to serve the operations of the Smart Technology Hub, and also the local ecosystem, as efficiently and flexibly as possible.

– Thanks to the new logistics center and its modern automation solutions, we are able to react with improved agility since the needs of various operations can be addressed a lot faster. 

The construction of the 14,500 square meter logistics center kicked off in June 2020 and it is expected to be finalized by the end of October 2021. The narrow aisle warehouse will be completed in December 2021 and the small parts warehouse will be handed over in April 2022.

DHL Supply Chain (Finland) Oy is in charge of building the indoor infrastructure for the logistics center. The company will also run the center’s operations once it kicks off.

– From our perspective, this is an automation project with significant scope that allows us to utilize the latest available technologies, says Business Development Director Ilkka Marja-aho from DHL Supply Chain (Finland) Oy. According to Marja-aho, the project is “one of the most progressive” undertakings in the Nordics right now.  

– We have designed, together with Wärtsilä, a logistics concept that supports the operations of the Smart Technology Hub in an optimal fashion. The automation solution provided by Jungheinrich links seamlessly with our concept.   

The new operative model streamlines the material flows from the logistics center to the production facilities, while allowing, for its part, a reduction in the volume of transport in urban areas, bringing down both carbon footprint and noise level.   

– Presently, automation is really making an impact in indoor logistics. Industry forerunners such as Wärtsilä will be among the first to harvest the fruits of the future in this regard, which in turn boosts competitiveness, says Mika Laatikainen. 

  

For additional information, please contact:

Mika Laatikainen
Jungheinrich Lift Truck Oy
+ 358 40 833 6359
mika.laatikainen@jungheinrich.fi, www.jungheinrich.fi