Haberkorn commissions Kardex for warehouse automation

The Austrian trading company Haberkorn has commissioned Kardex to expand its logistics center in Recklinghausen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The aim of the project is to automate the handling of small parts and pallets. Haberkorn, a technical dealer focused on the DACH and CEE markets, offers a comprehensive range of occupational safety and technical products.

Project Scope

As part of the contract, an automatic pallet high-bay warehouse with 5,388 storage locations and a two-level AutoStore system with a capacity of up to 178,800 containers will be constructed. Additionally, the project includes approximately 600 meters of automatic container conveyor technology. The logistics center will be managed by the Warehouse Management System SAP EWM, which will be implemented by the Kardex partner prismat. The project provides for a total of nine picking stations for pallets and small parts, as well as 21 packing workstations. The first construction phase will begin in April and is scheduled to be handed over to Haberkorn in December.

The new storage areas will be housed in a four-story extension building covering an area of 13,000 square meters. In addition to the logistics areas, workshops, offices, and a cafeteria are also planned. The expansion of the logistics center is intended to strengthen the Haberkorn Group’s network of logistics locations in the long term and serve as a central warehouse for occupational safety in Germany. A total investment of 55 million euros is planned for the entire project, representing the largest single investment by the Haberkorn Group since its founding.

Collaboration with Kardex

Haberkorn chose Kardex due to positive experiences in concept development and the demonstrated approaches. Jan Schimmelpfennig, the main project manager at Kardex, expressed his pleasure about the collaboration: “We are very pleased that we were able to win this exciting combined project from several areas of the Kardex Group together.”

The first construction phase includes the small parts warehouse, which will be realized by Kardex AutoStore Solutions. Here, grids with a capacity for up to 178,800 containers will be created on two levels, moved by 97 next-generation AutoStore robots. The entry and exit will take place via seven carousel ports and 20 conveyor ports.

Picking will be supported by seven Intuitive Picking Assistants (IPA) from Kardex. For a possible future expansion, four bin lifts and six frames are also planned. The conveyor technology for the AutoStore containers will extend over 588 meters and includes, among other things, three container vertical shifters and two buffer and sequencing sections. In the packing area, 14 workstations for consolidating packages and seven workstations for packing mixed goods will be set up.

Second Construction Phase and Outlook

The second construction phase, which includes the automatic pallet high-bay warehouse with 5,388 storage locations, is scheduled to begin in April 2027. The Kardex MSingle A-800/18-ZT type storage and retrieval machines will form the heart of this facility. The connection will be made via an automatic pallet conveyor system with approximately 200 drives. The completion and handover of the second construction phase is planned for November 2027.

Bernd Neßler, Head of Logistics at the Haberkorn Group, expressed optimism about the progress of the project: “The previous collaboration with Kardex during the planning phase and the now commenced implementation is running absolutely smoothly. Therefore, we are very confident that the timelines for the various construction phases will be adhered to.”

From the first construction phase, prismat will be actively involved in the implementation of the Warehouse Management System SAP EWM. The system house based in Dortmund will be responsible for the interface to the Kardex AutoStore controller as well as the PLC control of the entire conveyor technology and storage and retrieval machines.

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