Witt-Gruppe Weiden Distribution Center

Project Overview

The Witt-Gruppe, a major German retailer, established a highly efficient distribution center on the outskirts of Weiden, Germany. This facility serves as the central hub for fulfilling orders from the entire Witt-Gruppe catalog and website, requiring a system capable of processing a wide variety of clothing and household items. The products present a significant handling challenge due to their diversity, with weights ranging from just a few grams up to 7 kilograms and a wide array of shapes and sizes.

Efficiency was the central design principle for this operation, extending beyond pure throughput to include environmental sustainability. The project aimed to implement a state-of-the-art sorting system that could manage high daily volumes while dramatically reducing energy consumption and the site's carbon footprint. Witt-Gruppe partnered with BEUMER Group to achieve these ambitious goals.

Technical Solution

BEUMER Group LS-4000 "Green" Sliding Shoe Sorters

The heart of the solution is the installation of three BEUMER Group LS-4000 sliding shoe sorters. This installation marked the world's first deployment of this next-generation "green" sorter model. The key innovation lies in its advanced motor technology, which fundamentally reduces power consumption during operation compared to sorters using conventional motor drives.

Key Features

The defining feature of this project is its pioneering status as the world's first installation of the energy-saving LS-4000 "green" sorter. The innovative motor technology is the direct cause of the extraordinary 76%+ energy savings. The environmental benefit is quantifiable, with the three-sorter system collectively saving over 26 tons of CO2 emissions annually.

Despite its focus on sustainability, the system does not compromise on performance. It delivers very high capacity, processing an average of 180,000 items daily, and is specifically engineered to handle the challenging product mix of a large general merchandise and apparel retailer, from lightweight fabrics to heavier home goods.

Results & Benefits

The automation delivered exceptional environmental and operational results. Each LS-4000 sorter achieves a direct energy saving of over 76% per year compared to sorters with conventional motors. In aggregate, the three sorters reduce the site's carbon footprint by more than 26 tons of CO2 annually, making a significant contribution to the company's sustainability goals.

Operationally, the system reliably handles the high daily volume of 180,000 diverse items, supporting the Witt-Gruppe's omnichannel fulfillment for both catalog and e-commerce sales. The space-efficient design of the standardized modules allowed for high capacity to be integrated into the facility's layout without excessive use of floor space.

Challenges & Solutions

The primary challenge was selecting a sorting system that could meet three demanding criteria: high throughput for 180,000 daily items, gentle and reliable handling of an extremely diverse product range (from grams to 7kg), and industry-leading energy efficiency to support corporate sustainability targets.

BEUMER Group's solution was the then-revolutionary LS-4000 "green" sorter. Its innovative motor technology directly addressed the energy consumption challenge with groundbreaking savings. Simultaneously, the proven sliding shoe sortation technology provided the necessary gentle handling and high-speed sorting accuracy for the mixed SKU portfolio, all within a compact and highly efficient system layout.

System Integrator

The BEUMER Group served as the system integrator for this project. They were responsible for supplying, installing, and integrating the three LS-4000 "green" sliding shoe sorters into the Witt-Gruppe's new distribution center in Weiden. Their innovative technology was crucial in enabling Witt-Gruppe to achieve its dual objectives of operational excellence and environmental responsibility.