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Food and beverage multinational PepsiCo will install Mecalux’s Automated Pallet Shuttle system with transfer cars in its Veurne plant (Belgium).
“The Mecalux solution will help us absorb the high production pace at our Veurne factory and unlock our further growth plans,” says PepsiCo’s project manager.
The Belgian entity of PepsiCo decided to overhaul its logistics operations by building a fully automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) to house the daily production of 2 million bags of potato chips and other snacks. The Automated Pallet Shuttle is one of the most efficient high-density storage solutions on the market, ensuring extremely high product inflows and outflows. To streamline internal goods movements, the AS/RS will be connected to the plant’s production lines via a conveyor system extending over 325' long.
The AS/RS will comprise four aisles with two racking blocks on each side. Twelve transfer cars (one on each storage level) will move goods to the corresponding storage channel. Once there, a motorized shuttle car will automatically transport pallets to their locations.
PepsiCo will also implement Mecalux’s Easy WMS warehouse management system for real-time stock control. This software will be integrated with the company’s ERP system to ensure that operations run smoothly. It will coordinate the flow of products, managing their journey from production to the AS/RS as well as their seamless preparation for distribution to clients.
PepsiCo acquired the factory in Veurne, Belgium, 25 years ago. Since then, the facility has become one of the largest potato chip and snack production plants in Europe. It spans more than 9.9 acres — the size of 7.5 football fields — and stands out for its cutting-edge and sustainable technology. Potato chip and snack brands produced include Lay’s, Doritos, Bugles, and Cheetos. The new AS/RS will complement the factory in Veurne.
PepsiCo: global leader in its sector
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in over 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated upwards of $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is its vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is the multinational’s strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how it will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow @PepsiCo on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.