KASTOecostore: Efficient processes and an overview in the warehouse

The customer – With more than 500 employees worldwide, the Kurt J. Lesker Company (KJLC) manufactures vacuum components for various industries. The specialists from Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania, USA, also process sheet metal, for example when it comes customer stainless steel and aluminium vacuum chambers.

The challenge – In order to be able to continue supplying customers reliably, KJLC expanded its production and invested in additional processing machines. However, the expansion of capacity meant that the sheet metal warehouse was in danger of bursting at the seams. Additional space was not available and complications with storage and retrieval were inevitable. A new system was needed that could cope with limited space and a variety of materials.

The solution – With the automated KASTOecostore tower storage system, KJLC can optimally stock all sheet metal formats. In this project, the user benefits in particular from the low space requirement and high storage density. The system is also characterized by its flexibility in picking up materials and short access times. The load handling devices are automatically loaded and unloaded, and a hoist brings them to the optimum loading and unloading height. Other advantages of this economical solution, which meets KJLC’s high standards of quality and customer satisfaction, include short downtimes and fast, error-free operation thanks to the ProControl machine control system. The intuitive user interface with touchscreen, which is easy to operate, also pays off for frequently changing users.

The conclusion – "The KASTOecostore tower storage system fits our circumstances perfectl. We had a space problem and wanted to keep the logistics processes as simple and clear as possible. It was quick to set up and our employees were able to work productively with it straight away thanks to the good training," says Emily Ondras, Global Procurement Manager at KJLC.