A pointer control machines

The Krones spare parts centre sends out 4500 products a day. The logistics specialists have clever solutions ready.

Prize question for journalists: “Who ensures that you can take yoghurt from the fridge in the morning”, asks Christian Loipeldinger. This could be one of many things, but as a logistics specialist with body and soul, Loipeldinger of course primarily means his profession. At Krones in Neutraubling, the head logistician of the Lifecycle Service Centre (LSC), which has been operating for two years, is not responsible for yoghurt, however. He is responsible for ensuring that in-house technicians as well as customers around the world are supplied with replacement parts - within 24 hours if possible.

Loipeldinger, who has an extended title of Head of Intralogistics and Production and Logistics Strategy, Central Production and Logistics, makes clear why time is money using the example of a “bread and butter system” of the machine construction group. 36 000 to 48 000 bottles are filled by a standard

plant, which the market leader sells globally. The machine runs 365 days a year in three shifts. “If it fails to operate for just one hour, the bottler’s daily profits could be lost”, says Loipeldinger, who started in the company 24 years earlier as a Technical Drawer, but found his true calling in Logistics.

The LCS logistics centre now comes into play, bundling the incoming goods, arrangement, packaging and dispatch of the spare parts.

The system is called “Pick by motion”, and has been used at Krones since the start of the year. “The error rate in the LCS centre is under 0.2 per cent”, says Loipeldinger with pride. And the Krones system is cheap to boot. The cameras come from the entertainment industry. The electronic alternative would cost many times the price per workplace, says the logistician.

And in order that the employees do not overwork - which can also be reflected in costs - each employee can set up his workplace individually using lifting platforms. Loipeldinger speaks of flagship workplaces in terms of ergonomics in this context.