Daimler Trucks Launches International Spare Parts Facility in Halberstadt
Daimler Truck Opens €500m Global Spare Parts Centre in Halberstadt, Germany
Daimler Truck has recently opened a state-of-the-art Global Parts Centre in Halberstadt, Germany, marking one of the biggest logistics projects in its history. The centre, spanning 260,000 sq.m, will serve as a crucial hub for the Mercedes-Benz Trucks division, supplying parts to 20 regional logistics centres worldwide for onward delivery to nearly 3,000 dealers in 170 countries.
The centre is equipped with the latest warehousing and conveyor technology, including an AutoStore system that handles smaller parts. This fully automated system is designed to optimize itself based on demand, with high-demand parts stored in upper levels and low-demand parts at the bottom.
Inbound trucks for the centre come directly from suppliers or have been collected regionally beforehand by a local forwarding agency. The warehouse stacks and retrieves boxes using 56 automated robots, ensuring a space-saving and fast process, as multiple robots can process orders in parallel.
Sea freight containers from overseas suppliers are also received at the centre. To avoid disruption, the system is designed to handle failures gracefully. If one robot fails, another steps in and replaces it. The centre is expected to send an average of 10,000 orders per day, with no customer order being the same.
The centre will start supplying customers in Europe in November, followed by the rest of the world. Day-to-day operations, including logistics for incoming and outgoing parts, as well as management of the parts warehouse, will be managed by DP World.
The Global Parts Centre will also draw its energy from one of the largest rooftop photovoltaic systems in Europe. An energy storage facility of approximately 2,000 kWh is planned, with plans for a further storage facility at a later date.
In an effort to reduce carbon emissions, Daimler Truck is working to use electric trucks for inbound parts operations. The centre will feature charging facilities for suppliers' trucks and employees' electric vehicles, including 30 charging points for employees using electric vehicles.
Moreover, Daimler Truck has supplied eActros 300 and eActros 600 vehicles to its suppliers to support the transition to electric transportation. The centre will also use driverless transport systems to move small parts from the conveyor to the outgoing goods area.
The Halberstadt facility will also house the Global Parts Centre's AutoStore, which is designed to handle the continuous flow of parts. Approximately 160,000 boxes are stored in the AutoStore grid. The high-bay warehouse, a 40-metre-high steel structure, is fully automated and will be commissioned by the end of the year.
The organisation responsible for the daily logistics work for the incoming and outgoing parts at the Global Parts Centre of Daimler Truck in Halberstadt is the logistics department within Daimler Truck itself. This strategic move underscores Daimler Truck's commitment to streamlining its logistics operations and providing efficient, reliable, and sustainable spare parts services to its global network of dealers.
