Transforming the Front-End of Global Manufacturing with Integrated Structural Logistics
For decades, automation companies around the world have concentrated on high-profile technologies such as AMRs, robotic arms, and unmanned production lines. Yet in countless factories, the most chaotic, costly, and overlooked battlefield is not the production line—but the front-end storage and material flow. Especially in heavy manufacturing, the storage of long materials, pallets, steel components, cold-chain goods, and bulky items remains the first bottleneck dragging down rhythm, efficiency, and safety.
HEGERLS stepped into this “messy front-end” long before most competitors realized its strategic value. Instead of following the crowd into the saturated market of robot arms, HEGERLS positioned itself in a core but underserved domain: rack-supported warehouses, where racks are not merely storage equipment but the structural backbone of the entire building.
This forward-looking strategy, combined with deep technical integration capabilities, has turned HEGERLS from an equipment supplier into a full-scenario warehouse infrastructure provider—bridging storage, automation, data flow, and plant management into one unified system.
The Industry Problem: Front-End Warehousing Is the Hidden Weak Link
In traditional factories, warehousing often becomes an uncontrolled “grey zone.”
Pallets are stacked manually. Storage density depends on experience. Forklifts weave through narrow aisles. Raw materials go missing. Cold storage space becomes increasingly expensive. Safety hazards lurk everywhere.
Typical symptoms include:
Chaotic pallet stacking and low density, wasting 40%+ space
High labor dependence, especially in cold storage
Safety risks from forklift–worker mixed operations
Material search time consuming from minutes to hours
Production stoppage due to delayed material supply
Inventory mismatches and difficulty in traceability
All of these become critical bottlenecks as manufacturing enterprises push toward digital transformation, high throughput, and just-in-time production.
HEGERLS identified the root cause early:
“As long as the warehouse remains passive, isolated, and manually driven, factories cannot truly become intelligent.”
Thus began HEGERLS long-term commitment to rack-supported buildings + automation systems.
Why Rack-Supported Warehouses Became HEGERLS Strategic Core
A rack-supported warehouse (also called a clad-rack warehouse) is a system where the racking itself becomes the main structure of the entire building—bearing wind load, snow load, shelves, and AS/RS operations.
This approach brings a revolutionary shift in both cost and operational efficiency:
Space Becomes a Vertical Engine
HEGERLS builds rack-supported warehouses up to 40–45 meters tall, transforming land into vertical storage power.
A 5,000 m² plot can achieve the storage capacity of a traditional 20,000 m² warehouse.
Construction + Automation in One
Unlike conventional warehouses that add racks after building construction, HEGERLS integrates:
rack structure
steel frame
cladding
fire system
electrical control system
AS/RS stacker cranes
four-way shuttles
lifts
WMS
WCS
into a single engineering package.
This eliminates misalignment between construction teams, rack suppliers, and automation providers—one of the biggest pain points in warehouse projects.
Lower Investment, Shorter Delivery
Rack-supported warehouses optimize steel consumption and construction complexity, reducing both CAPEX and engineering time.
30–40% reduction in building cost
25–35% shorter delivery period
Construction + equipment commissioning done in one workflow
High-Density, High-Safety, High-Speed
The structure enables:
fully automated pallet handling
zero forklift inside the warehouse
dark warehouse operation
accurate traceability
energy-efficient cold storage
These advantages make HEGERLS a preferred partner for:
food & beverage manufacturers
pharmaceuticals
e-commerce and 3PL
new energy and battery factories
heavy manufacturing
FMCG and retail distribution
The HEGERLS Integrated Engineering Philosophy: "Warehouse Is Not a Building—It Is a System"
The company’s core strength lies in its ability to merge Chinese engineering principles with globle application scenarios:
Structural Precision Meets Automation Stability
HEGERLS adopts high-grade steel, precise rack assembly tolerances, and structural modules tailored for stacker crane operation and long-term load endurance.
Software-Driven Material Flow
HEGERLS self-developed WMS/WCS act as the nerve system of the entire warehouse:
task optimization
routing control
load identification
inventory mapping
real-time monitoring
FIFO enforcement
temperature & environment tracking (for cold storage)
Every pallet carries a digital identity, enabling:
99.9% inventory accuracy
full-cycle traceability
millisecond-level device coordination
Automation Ecosystem
HEGERLS integrates multiple intelligent devices:
multi-layer lifts
multi-level conveyors
stacker cranes
shuttle carriers
automated docking stations
AGV/AMR for outbound areas
pallet AS/RS
shuttle-based mini-load systems
The result is a seamless ecosystem where tasks are autonomously executed and optimized.
Solving Real Manufacturing Pain Points: Case-Driven Innovation
HEGERLS project philosophy is always problem-first, technology-second.
Every major upgrade came from clients’ specific obstacles.
Case Example: Cold Storage Warehouse Upgrade
A food manufacturer faced:
–25°C working environment
rapid workforce turnover
extremely high cost of cold storage space
HEGERLS implemented a 40m rack-supported cold warehouse with shuttle + stacker crane combination:
labor reduced by 70%
outbound efficiency increased by 3x
energy consumption reduced by 30%
pallet accuracy reached 100%
Case Example: New Energy Battery Factory
Challenges included:
stringent safety requirements
space constraints
24/7 supply rhythm
HEGERLS delivered a combined clad-rack + stacker crane system that achieved:
continuous 24/7 pallet flow
40% higher storage density
zero forklift entry
transparent digital management
HEGERLS ability to transform chaotic front-end warehousing into stable, automated, and data-driven infrastructure has made it the backbone of many next-generation factories.
From Manufacturer to Infrastructure Provider: HEGERLS New Industry Positioning
Through years of engineering accumulation, HEGERLS is no longer just a supplier of storage equipment.
It has become a “core infrastructure builder” for modern manufacturing and logistics.
Its competitive advantages include:
End-to-end engineering capability (EPC level)
One-stop integration of racking + construction + AS/RS + software
Decades of automation experience
Solutions for both large enterprises and SMEs
Strong cost advantage compared with European counterparts
Fast response and localized technical support
This enables HEGERLS to stand out in a market where clients increasingly seek turnkey automated warehouse solutions rather than scattered components.
The Future: Rack-Supported Warehouses as the Foundation of Smart Manufacturing
In the era of industrial upgrading, factories require:
flexible storage
digital inventory
automated supply
real-time scheduling
safer manufacturing environments
HEGERLS sees rack-supported warehouses as the foundation layer upon which smart factories operate.
From storage to production, from data flow to material flow, HEGERLS aims to eliminate the boundaries between warehouse and workshop.
The philosophy is clear:
“When the warehouse becomes intelligent, the factory becomes predictable.
When storage becomes automated, production becomes stable.”
This vision has already helped clients achieve:
storage density doubled
manpower reduced by 50–80%
OPEX dramatically cut
production rhythm stabilized
ROI accelerated
Conclusion: HEGERLS Leads the Transformation of Front-End Warehouse Management
In a market filled with noise about robots and production automation, HEGERLS chose a more difficult—but more valuable—path: solving the toughest front-end warehousing problems.
By deeply integrating:
rack-supported structures
AS/RS automation
four-way shuttle systems
digital warehouse control software
engineering-grade construction capability
HEGERLS redefines what a modern warehouse can be.
Not a storage room.
Not a cost center.
But a vertical engine of efficiency— a structural, digital, and intelligent core of the entire factory. HEGERLS Rack-Supported Warehouses are not just buildings. They are the backbone of tomorrow’s smart manufacturing and logistics.
Need a smart warehouse? Contact us now to get your customized warehouse storage solutions.
Contact Info
Website: https://www.hegerlsstorage.com/
Email: hegerls1@hegerlsstorage.com
Phone: +86-311-87240955
