Warehouse technology and intralogistics software provider Mecalux recently deployed a pallet monorail at PepsiCo’s warehouse in Środa Śląska, Poland, making it the global food and beverage provider’s first automated warehouse in the country.
PepsiCo has operated along the Vistula River since the 1970s, opening its first factory in Michrów in 1991. With 9,000 locations for finished products, this space is part of the Środa Śląska factory. The sustainable facility is responsible for distributing thousands of pallets of potatoes every day.
The facilities - which cover an area the size of seven soccer fields - produce bags of potato chips and other snacks for the European market, primarily Germany. Every year, Środa Śląska receives over 66,000 tons of potatoes to manufacture Lay’s chips and over 16,500 tons of corn to make Doritos chips.
Electric monorail, conveyor system to be integrated with ERP
PepsiCo said Mecalux’s automated pallet storage system has helped it meet its high production levels. The facility receives goods through new electric monorail and conveyor systems for pallets, executing thousands of movements continuously every day.
These systems are helping to optimize PepsiCo’s supply chain overall. The multinational company also recently relied on Mecalux to equip its facility in Veurne, Belgium.
Additionally, PepsiCo will implement Mecalux’s Easy WMS warehouse management system to control inventory status in real time. This software will be integrated with PepsiCo’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to help ensure that operations run smoothly, coordinating goods flows from production until they are picked and prepared for distribution to clients.
“The production process is fully integrated with the automated warehouse,” said Maciej Pietrusa, PepsiCoPoland Środa Śląska warehouse manager. “This means each bag of potato chips is automatically transferred from production to picking, palletizing, and loading onto the truck.”