24 July 2025, Company News
In just three weeks, Kardex completed the refurbishment of a two-aisle, high-bay warehouse at the headquarters of the family-owned WEBER-HYDRAULIK in Güglingen, Baden-Württemberg. The warehouse serves as buffer storage for the production area. The project included the replacement of two stacker cranes and the refurbishment of the conveying technology with two transfer carriages as well as five height-adjustable picking stations and two weighing terminals. In addition, a material flow system with customized design was installed.
It all began in 1939 with the original “Weber-Heber” bottle jack. The hydraulic lifting jack was suitable for loads of up to 10 metric tons and was especially easy to use. The device, which was designed by Emil Weber, marked the beginning of a long and successful company history. Today, at five production locations, WEBER-HYDRAULIK manufactures high-quality cylinders, power units, control systems, and valves, as well as car jacks and a comprehensive range of garage equipment. As an innovative partner, the hydraulics specialist also produces sophisticated, application-specific system solutions according to customer specifications.
Tight schedule was a special challenge
The buffer storage facility for production supply at the company’s HQ in Güglingen was showing signs of age. The plant, constructed in 1991 by a third-party provider, was mechanically worn out, and its entire process was to be completely redefined and made more efficient. Against this background, the two-aisle, automated high-bay warehouse was to undergo complete refurbishment. The project also included renewal of the conveying technology and the implementation of new ergonomic workstations. A tailored, material flow system with customized design completed the requirements profile. The short timeframe was one of the main challenges: “The extensive measures had to be completed within just three weeks,” says Chris Gulyasch, project manager at WEBER-HYDRAULIK.
Kardex Mlog was entrusted with the contract for the project. In addition to numerous references and the high level of vertical integration at the company’s location in Neuenstadt, the Kardex Mlog proposition offered excellent value for money. Kardex Mlog was also the only provider who could guarantee completion of the refurbishment within the allowed time. WEBER-HYDRAULIK also took into account the positive experiences from earlier projects it had carried out with the Kardex Group. At the Güglingen location, for example, seven small-parts and shuttle storage facilities supplied by Kardex Remstar have been in use for several years.
High-precision replacement
In the first step, the Kardex Mlog team disassembled the stacker cranes from the third-party provider, which were worn out after a service life of 30 years. These were then removed by a crane via an opening in the roof. Two new machines of type MSingle A with aisle equipment and automatic controls were then installed via the same route. Light grids and an access concept with keys ensure high plant safety. The high-precision replacement operation was completed exactly as planned and on schedule.
Kardex then installed an additional storage line in goods receipt, including an extra distribution vehicle with camera, and two additional removal conveyors. Improvements were also made in the picking area, now equipped with five ergonomic, height-adjustable workstations with hydraulic scissor lift tables.
The new plant design is also evident in two newly configured pick-up and set-down stations, where the elimination of the supervisor cabin has created space for additional storage spaces. The goods are set down to the side and are picked up by forklift truck. Now, eleven different load carriers can be stored without the need for pallet switching – these include Euro and steel flat pallets, various stacking bins, wire mesh containers, and plastic system pallets.
Transparency replaces black box
The newly installed material flow system of type Kardex MFlow now controls order and storage location management, and the Kardex MVisu software enables plant visualization. This means that all operations in buffer storage are now fully transparent, and the company’s fault management has been significantly improved. Kardex MFlow has interfaces to the underlying controls of the conveying technology, the vertical conveyors, and the stacker cranes. The software also communicates with the customer’s warehouse management system in SAP. “For the first time, with Kardex MFlow, the warehouse is no longer a black box for WEBER-HYDRAULIK. We can now see clearly the location of every load,” explains Kardex project leader Martin Ewert.
Summary: The on-time refurbishment, completed in just three weeks, provides WEBER-HYDRAULIK with several benefits. Goods receipt has been optimized, and plant availability has been increased. In addition, plant safety and transparency have significantly increased. The pickers now work at workstations that are significantly more ergonomic. It is no wonder that project leader Chris Gulyasch from WEBER-HYDRAULIK has a positive review: “We can see the positive effects of the refurbishment, and, at the same time, we have been very impressed by the on-time and extremely reliable work done by Kardex Mlog. The competent and experienced Kardex Mlog project team was always approachable, and the support we received was first class.”
Background: WEBER-HYDRAULIK
WEBER-HYDRAULIK is a leading international specialist for customized and reliable hydraulic solutions. Reliable and high-performance, the company, headquartered in Güglingen, Germany, with additional locations in Germany, Austria, and Poland, has been developing high-quality cylinders, control systems, steering and suspension systems, valves and power units for mobile machinery, special-purpose vehicles, and machine tools for over 80 years. As an innovative partner, the hydraulics specialist also manufactures sophisticated application-specific system solutions tailored to customer specifications, offering an unmatched portfolio of services for movement, strength, and dynamics. The topic of sustainability is firmly embedded as a corporate goal both along the value chain and in the use of the solutions produced by the company.
For more information, see www.weber-hydraulik.com.
About Kardex Mlog
The company has more than 50 years of experience in the planning, implementation and maintenance of fully automated logistics solutions. The three business sectors – Greenfield installations, Refurbishment, and After-sales service – draw upon its in-house manufacturing facility in Neuenstadt. Kardex Mlog is part of the Kardex Group and employs 353 people. In 2023 the company achieved revenues of €113 million.