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Close Warehouse automation in the automotive: from scratch to top efficiency
In 2023, we began discussions with STRANS – a leading distributor of truck and heavy-duty vehicle parts in Ukraine. The goal was ambitious: to design and implement a fully automated order fulfillment system at their logistics facility in Brovary, recently restored from near destruction.
Customer. STRANS operates more than 60 stores across Ukraine, two logistics hubs, and offers a catalog of over 50,000 SKUs from 300+ brands. With a robust logistics infrastructure, they guarantee nationwide delivery within 24 hours. There is a regional center in Brovary that serves 30 of the chain’s stores. It processes and transfers orders to the stores.
Task. The customer approached the project with a clear strategy: full automation from day one. Their prior experience made it evident that manual operations couldn’t meet the speed and volume required for modern logistics – so manual lifting and lowering of totes was ruled out from the outset.
We were tasked with building a system capable of uninterrupted 20/7 operation, automating vertical movement between mezzanine levels, and sorting picked orders by delivery routes. On average, the system needed to handle:
- 650 totes down from the mezzanine per shift;
- 300 totes up for replenishment;
- Additionally, collected orders had to be distributed across six routes: five for scheduled deliveries and one for priority orders.
We implemented a full automation of internal logistics across three warehouse levels for seamless 20/7 tote handling.
Key automotive warehouse automation components included:
- ZPA roller conveyors – zone-controlled powered conveyors minimize congestion and wear by running only when a tote enters a zone, improving durability and efficiency during high throughput.
- gravity roller conveyors – in areas without traffic automation needs, we used non-powered conveyors to provide cost-effective buffering and manual handling support.
- vertical conveyors with high-speed gates – totes move between warehousing levels through fast-closing gates. The technology ensures clear zoning and safety by preventing unauthorized access during operation.
- SIMATIC HMI control panel – this operator interface allows real-time monitoring, alerts, parameter adjustments (for service teams), and tracks equipment usage.
- autonomous dispatcher control – the system operation is independent, requiring manual intervention only in exceptional cases. Features include automatic fault detection, critical parameter display, status messaging, and configuration management.
- visual and acoustic indicators – light and sound alerts along the conveyor route provide immediate feedback, ensuring prompt response even in large automotive warehouse spaces.
- protective mesh fencing – all vertical conveyor zones are enclosed in metal mesh for operator safety, in line with occupational safety standards.
- thermal zoning with high-speed gates – installed between zones with different climate conditions, these gates automatically open for tote transfer, ensuring compliance with cold-chain automotive parts warehousing requirements.
Every piece of warehouse automation technology was designed, manufactured at our own facility, installed on-site, and integrated with the customer’s WMS.
Result. By May 2025, the automotive warehouse technology was fully operational – marking a new efficiency benchmark for the customer:
- order processing times significantly reduced – picked orders are transported to shipping in under one minute;
- up to 300 orders per hour are now conveyed automatically;
- picking accuracy increased dramatically, with error rates nearing zero;
- workforce productivity doubled, thanks to minimized routes;
- order picking performance tripled;
- the warehouse technology runs stably in 20/7 operation mode with minimal human intervention.
A partnership beyond automotive warehousing technology
This project marks STRANS’ first deep dive into high-level warehouse automation – and we’re truly impressed by their bold, forward-thinking approach. Such automotive warehousing transformations require not only investment but also vision and courage – clear signs of a strong team building the future of their business today.
For KAPELOU, it was an honor to be part of that automotive warehouse transformation. And we’re here to support the customer every step of the way – through training, service, and future automotive parts warehousing scaling.
