Logistics Tour

Short distances and excellent availability are important factors in responding to customer demands. An important part of our logistics process is the inbound area, where up to 25 trucks are handled daily at eight unloading docks. Our employees sort and inspect the incoming products and electronically record each and every cable and accessory so that they can detect any defects immediately before sending the orders to their destination as quickly as possible. An automatic conveyor belt transports the ordered customized cables, connection sleeves and complete cable drums directly to the outbound logistics area. Products that are not destined for shipment are stored in the HELU warehouse ready for the next delivery.

Storage space up to the ceiling. To serve customers quickly and flexibly, HELU stores a large part of its products in the logistics center in Hemmingen. Two fully automated and interconnected high-bay storage locations are arranged in 40,000 pallet spaces. Both the inbound and outbound processing of product from the storage spaces are fully automated, as 16 driverless storage/retrieval machines place cable drums of up to 1.5 tons on the correct rack along the 100-meter (328-foot) long aisles and pick them again on an as-ordered basis. For larger cable drums weighing up to four tons, a total of 670 spaces are available on two heavy-duty racks. These drums are picked using special heavy-duty storage/retrieval machines. The two high rack storage locations are connected to the slitting machines through the use of fully automated conveyor technology.

For logistics specialists, there is no difference between a cable terminal and a cable drum during product picking. Both have to be searched, counted and assigned to the correct order. Therefore, the procedures employed in the small parts warehouse often determine how quickly shipments get on the road. The small parts warehouse at HELU's headquarters in Hemmingen is fully automated with six shelf retrieval machines that go back and forth in six aisles picking products from 36,800 storage locations. They store and retrieve up to 1,000 totes per hour and deliver fittings and cable drums to the order picking system, which is also automated. Customer orders are also temporarily stored in the distinctive red garbage cans until the order is consolidated for shipment. This is another "small detail" that explains how the fully automated small parts warehouse speeds order processing.

When ordering cables, if a certain length is not available from stock, cables can be cut to length. The required length is unwound from the source reel, wound onto the destination reel and cut, in a fully automated process. Even the transport from the high-bay warehouse to the cutting machines is done by conveyor belts. The use of forklifts that can damage the cables with their sharp points in the cable processing chain has been banned. The cable is now unwound and at the same time wound onto reels or spools. The uncoiling and coiling machines are motor-driven and synchronized by an electronic pull force monitor. This helps to prevent the cable from overstretching. Automatic transfer of the cable to reels and spools ensures that it is wound neatly and evenly. During this process, cutting data is documented and archived using calibrated and tamper-proof measuring instruments. This allows each ordered item to be traced through to shipment by referring to its unique packaging data.

Large cables with an outer diameter of up to 100 millimeters (4 inches) are handled at our heavy-duty cutting station. Once a customer order is placed, the warehouse management system in the fully automated logistics center in Hemmingen, Germany, initiates all necessary steps for order fulfillment. The system selects the required drum from more than 33,000 products stored in the high-bay warehouse and delivers it directly to the cutting machine using conveyor technology. Only a few minutes later, the drum arrives at the cutting station where the target drum is already waiting. The target drum selected depends on the required bending radius. This fully automated machine can even mount drums of almost two and a half meters (8 feet) and weighing up to four tons. A worker then pulls the cable from one drum to the other using the feed motor and completes the ordered cut. The motors run simultaneously to prevent the cable from overstretching and ensure that the lay pattern is perfect. Finally, the conveying technology delivers the labeled drum directly to the shipping department. This process allows deliveries to be made within 24 hours.

HELU customers can rely not only on fast shipments, but also on the safe and complete packaging of their products. This guarantee is made by a team of 20 people working in two shifts at 10 pick and pack stations in the logistics center. Their ergonomic workstations are equipped with handling equipment specially developed for HELU. This not only benefits the workers, but also the goods, as it avoids the use of clumsy equipment such as forklifts. Pick-packers know which parts belong to which order from the assignments given to them by the warehouse management system. In addition, a digital display that shows them the number of drums, reels, boxes and other types of packaging helps them pack more efficiently. Each item is assigned a bar code that the packer scans. A visual inspection and comparison with the digital packing screen provides additional assurance that the shipment is complete. Then, the vacuum suction lifting tool gently lifts the package and places it on the shipping pallet. This precision pays off, as it means the order arrives at the customer's facility complete, intact, on time and ready to use.

Customers placing orders with HELU need not be patient because orders destined for Germany and much of Europe are processed and shipped within 24 hours. This expedited service is provided by 26 employees at the Hemmingen distribution facility who package and ship 200 tons of cables, wires and assembly components every day. They prepare the products for shipment if necessary, according to customer-specific packaging instructions, before handing them over to the appropriate carrier. From packages weighing just one kilogram (two pounds) to cable reels weighing up to four tons, they are shipped around the world by land, sea or air. HELU's status as an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) means simplified customs procedures and no delays. Receiving orders at the customer's premises should also be easy. If requested, HELU will arrange deliveries using low-bed trailers with forklift, dolly or crane unloading. If the shipping address consists only of geographical coordinates, as is the case with wind power plants, HELU's logistics experts ensure delivery to the exact location in the open field.