South African automotive parts distributor Goldwagen has selected an AutoStore system for its logistics site in Centurion, between Johannesburg and Pretoria, with Kardex acting as integration partner. It is the first deployment of its kind in the country.
Goldwagen is overhauling its 35,000 sqm distribution centre to keep pace with rapid growth. Founded in 1992, the company now lists more than 36,000 part references and runs a network of over 100 franchised outlets across southern Africa.
Inside the deployment
The installation will feature 13,000 bins served by 20 robots and several picking stations. It is built to handle small, high-value parts, and comes paired with an extensive conveyor network and Kardex’s FulfillX warehouse execution software, which will sit fully integrated with Goldwagen’s SaaS WMS.
Built to scale
According to Kardex, there will be no interruption to operations while the system goes in, and the layout has already been designed to allow future expansion. The AutoStore is currently being installed, with commissioning scheduled for the fourth quarter.
For a distributor adding outlets across a fast-growing franchise base, the question now is how quickly automated picking can absorb the next leg of demand.
AutoStore’s grid-based, goods-to-person design packs dense storage into a compact footprint, an attractive trait for distributors squeezed for space yet expanding their range. For Goldwagen, concentrating thousands of small references in one cube also shortens picking travel and tightens accuracy on high-value items.
