The solution that Kasto presented at this year's handling award speeds up order picking, the flow of goods and truck loading. At its heart is a storage system of the Unicompact type, which is 15 meters high and 115 meters long and offers space for around 10,000 cassettes. Each cassette can hold materials up to six meters in length and loads of up to 3.4 tons. Fast storage and retrieval is made possible by the five storage and retrieval machines (SRMs), which are distributed across three rack aisles. The second SRM in a rack aisle acts as a so-called "slave", primarily for storage and exchange orders between the Kasto honeycomb warehouses as well as for sawing and secondary picking orders. The small approach dimensions of the storage and retrieval machine ensure that as much space as possible is used for storage purposes.

The SRMs deliver the long goods quickly to the output stations according to the "goods to man" principle. Three Kastowin F bandsaw machines are directly connected to the system. Kasto installed two manipulators on separate tracks to automatically transport the picked materials to the loading station. From these, the long goods are transported via a conveyor system to one of 25 loading stations. A station with a wrapping machine is also available for wrapping with stretch film.

To ensure a transparent overall process, the new logistics system is also mapped in the mobile version of the Kastologic warehouse management system. It not only records the storage and picking of items, but also optimizes and controls the sawing orders. Shipping is also connected, including a shipping control system. The end-to-end information flow and paperless processing are fully in line with the Industry 4.0 concept.

During the ceremony in the atrium of Messe Stuttgart, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kirsten Tracht, Director of the Bremen Institute of Structural Mechanics and Production Systems, presented the award together with Peter Eberhard, Publishing Director of Weka Business Medien GmbH and publisher of the trade journal handling. "We are delighted to receive this award. It proves the added value that we can generate for our customers with our modern concept and holistic approach," explained Armin Stolzer at the award ceremony.