Grupo Familia warehouse can accommodate 19,000 pallets and workflows of 140 combined cycles per hour.

Cajicà (Colombia) is the venue for one of Grupo Familias' logistics centers, a company dedicated to hygiene and personal care products with seven main brands sold throughout South America and the Caribbean.

In 2009, Mecalux built and installed a warehouse for Grupo Familia with three twin-mast stacker cranes, one of the first Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems in Colombia.

A few years later, and without interrupting the production and logistics activities of the center, the second part of the AS/RS warehouse was built: with three additional stacker cranes that provided the project with a total capacity of 19,000 pallets.

DIEGO LUIS SALDARRIAGA - OPERATIONS AND LOGISTICS MANAGER
We chose Mecalux as our solution provider, precisely because of its reputation and experience. We visited many facilities, met with several suppliers and, in the end, opted for a provider that has multiple systems and installations worldwide. This gave us the confidence we needed to undertake a project of this scale in Colombia.

 

The rack supported structure in the first phase is 102 feet high and 328 feet long. The second phase structure, 112 feet high and 377 feet long.

This extension had to be carried out while the warehouse was fully operational, since the 7,400 pallets the company worked with could not be kept on stand-by.

The result has been a marked improvement in both the daily logistics and productivity of the installation.

JOSÉ YMHOTEP ROA - DIRECTOR OF LOGISTICS DEVELOPMENT
The biggest challenge was ensuring the already installed system would not be affected during setup.

 

Currently, the Grupo Familia warehouse can accommodate 19,000 pallets and workflows of 140 combined cycles per hour.

Seeing that products are highly flammable, Mecalux equipped the facility with a comprehensive fire safety system. In all, the installed sprinklers are capable of spraying 9,510 gallons of water a minute.

Pallets with incoming finished products, flowing from the attached production center, are moved by forklifts. At the other end, there is an additional entrance.

Both entry points have checkpoints with gauges that validate the weight and condition of the pallets entering the warehouse.

Since loads bulge over the pallets, their dimensions were taken into account when palletizing and storing them.

Pallets are moved from the front of the warehouse to the automated entry point in the warehouse via Mecalux conveyors.

Storage is done via the FIFO method (First in, First out), which ensures replenishment of stock and traceability of each and every one of the issued goods.

Warehouse stock control takes place through the Easy WMS system from Mecalux, connected to the warehouse’s ERP.

JOSÉ YMHOTEP ROA - DIRECTOR OF LOGISTICS DEVELOPMENT
Easy WMS enables us to maintain complete control over our stock and respond quickly to our customers.

 

Outgoing goods circulate on a conveyor that runs lengthwise along one side of the warehouse. It is equipped with hydraulic lifts, allowing pallets to be picked up at ground level.

Operators, with electric pallet trucks, drive the goods to the dispatch area, where they are loaded in the corresponding dock and transport vehicle.

DIEGO LUIS SALDARRIAGA, OPERATIONS AND LOGISTICS MANAGER
Automation has provided us with many advantages. We decided to implement the expansion of our distribution center primarily to fulfill our objective, which is to ensure our products are always available at points of purchase to ensure sustainable growth.

 

This project setup in Colombia is the result of years of collaboration and the confidence Grupo Familia has placed in Mecalux.