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Case at a Glance

As one of the world's leading suppliers of automotive replacement parts, MAHLE Aftermarket supports customers across North America through a large distribution network. As ordering patterns shifted from pallet quantities to smaller, more frequent shipments, the company needed a fulfillment operation capable of delivering higher throughput without sacrificing accuracy or scalability.

To support its global Warehouse 4.0 initiative, MAHLE Aftermarket partnered with Kardex to design and implement an AutoStore solution that would maximize storage density, streamline order fulfillment, and integrate seamlessly with its SAP warehouse management system.

Changing Customer Expectations Required a New Fulfillment Strategy

For years, MAHLE Aftermarket's distribution model focused primarily on shipping larger pallet quantities to customers. As market demands evolved, customers increasingly expected smaller, more frequent orders delivered faster than ever before.

This shift placed growing pressure on warehouse operations.

MAHLE Aftermarket needed a solution that could:

• - Increase throughput for small-order fulfillment

  • - Improve storage density without expanding the facility
  • - Reduce manual travel and handling
  • - Standardize automation across global distribution centers
  • - Scale alongside future business growth
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• Rather than simply adding labor, the company looked for a long-term automation strategy that would support its Warehouse 4.0 vision while improving customer service.

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Why MAHLE Aftermarket Chose Kardex

MAHLE Aftermarket selected Kardex because of its ability to deliver far more than warehouse automation. Working alongside MAHLE's operations team, Kardex designed a complete fulfillment solution tailored to the company's workflows, integrating AutoStore with SAP EWM while optimizing material flow from receiving through order fulfillment.

The project combined:

Rather than adapting operations to fit a standard automation package, Kardex engineered a solution around its business objectives and long-term growth plans.

The Solution for a Smarter Distribution Center

The new AutoStore empowered by Kardex installation became the centerpiece of MAHLE Aftermarket's Olive Branch distribution center.

The AutoStore System:

• - 42,000 storage bins
• - 18 AutoStore robots
• - 5 CarouselPorts
• - 2 ConveyorPorts
• - Conveyor integration
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Integrated systems:

- Light-goods conveyor system

- 21 consolidation lanes

- Integrated with existing parcel mezzanine

- Communication to SAP EWM through LogBase

By bringing inventory directly to operators, the solution dramatically reduces walking throughout the warehouse while increasing picking speed, storage density, and operational efficiency. Because of AutoStore's modular architecture, MAHLE Aftermarket can continue expanding capacity by adding robots, ports, or bins as business requirements evolve.

Supporting Global Warehouse 4.0

For MAHLE Aftermarket, the project wasn't simply about automating one facility—it was about creating a repeatable fulfillment model for future distribution centers.

The Olive Branch implementation established a blueprint that aligned with the company's global Warehouse 4.0 strategy, providing standardized automation, scalable software integration, and consistent operational processes.

Following the success of the North American deployment, the business expanded its partnership with Kardex by implementing a second AutoStore system at its distribution center in France, further validating the solution's scalability.

Ready to Modernize Your Parts Fulfillment & Distribution?

Whether you're experiencing increasing order volumes, labor challenges, or space constraints, Kardex helps organizations rethink fulfillment through intelligent automation, software-driven workflows, and scalable AutoStore solutions.

Schedule an Operational Assessment

Connect with a Kardex automation expert to evaluate your operation, identify fulfillment bottlenecks, and discover opportunities to improve storage density, throughput, and long-term scalability.