Früchte Jork puts new deep-freeze warehouse into operation

Automated storage and retrieval systems are increasingly used in temperature-controlled logistics where manual handling is physically demanding and operational precision is critical. A new automated deep-freeze warehouse for food distribution illustrates how goods-to-person automation and barcode positioning systems improve throughput and safety in frozen environments. In this context, Früchte Jork GmbH implemented a fully automated deep-freeze warehouse with intralogistics integrator Klinkhammer Intralogistics GmbH.

From forklift picking to automated cold-chain logistics
Früchte Jork, a family-run wholesaler based in Baden-Württemberg, supplies more than 13,000 food products to roughly 600 restaurants and hotels within a 180-kilometer distribution radius. Growth in product variety and order volumes pushed the company’s earlier deep-freeze warehouse to its operational limits.

In the previous setup, order picking took place manually using forklifts in storage areas maintained at −22 °C, creating both productivity constraints and demanding working conditions. To increase storage density, picking speed, and process reliability, the company developed a new automated concept together with Klinkhammer Intralogistics.

The result is a high-bay deep-freeze warehouse designed to support a digital supply chain for temperature-controlled food logistics, replacing manual pallet movement with automated storage and retrieval processes.



Automated deep-freeze warehouse with over 26,280 tray storage locations. (Image source: Früchte Jork)

High-density storage with goods-to-person picking
The new automated facility provides 26,280 tray storage positions. Instead of workers entering the frozen storage zone, the system applies a goods-to-person picking principle, where trays are transported automatically to workstations positioned at ergonomic height.

This approach reduces the need for employees to remain in sub-zero storage areas and minimizes repetitive movements such as bending or lifting heavy cartons. Automated tray handling also shortens internal transport distances and supports higher order-picking throughput.

Flexible tray carriers allow cartons of different sizes to be stored within the same infrastructure, enabling the warehouse to manage a diverse product range typical of food-service distribution.

Sequencing and energy-efficient crane operation
Order processing within the warehouse is coordinated by an integrated sequence buffer, which organizes order lines so that items reach the picking stations in the correct order. This sequencing capability helps maintain consistent picking performance when multiple orders are processed simultaneously.

The automated storage system uses stacker cranes equipped with camera technology to position trays accurately within the rack structure. Energy consumption is reduced through regenerative braking, which feeds electrical energy back into the system during crane deceleration.

Together, these mechanisms shorten travel distances and stabilize handling accuracy within the high-bay storage structure.



Leuze FBPS 607i bar code positioning system in use. (Image source: Klinkhammer)

Barcode positioning for stacker cranes in extreme cold
Precise navigation of automated storage equipment becomes more complex in deep-freeze environments where optical sensors and mechanical components must function reliably at very low temperatures.

For crane positioning, Klinkhammer integrated the FBPS 607i bar code positioning system from Leuze. The system uses barcode markers along the storage aisles to determine crane position with high accuracy.

The FBPS 607i includes an integrated heating element and operates at temperatures as low as −30 °C, allowing reliable use in frozen warehouses. The device communicates through a redundant SSI interface and is connected directly to the drive’s frequency converter.

Position updates are transmitted within 10 milliseconds, enabling fast control response during crane travel. The system also supports compliance with the new EU Machinery Directive safety requirements. In earlier configurations, two separate positioning devices were required to reach the necessary safety performance level. The integrated architecture of the FBPS allows this requirement to be met with a single unit, reducing installation complexity and integration time.

Expanding automation beyond frozen storage
The deep-freeze warehouse represents the first phase of a broader logistics modernization program. In a second expansion step, automated shuttle warehouses for chilled and dry goods were introduced.

These systems combine order lines from multiple temperature zones before shipment, creating a coordinated order-assembly process across the facility. The integration of automated storage systems across frozen, chilled, and ambient products allows the distributor to streamline its warehouse automation strategy while maintaining strict cold-chain logistics requirements.

For food wholesalers handling large product assortments and frequent small orders, such integrated automation can reduce manual handling, stabilize throughput, and improve energy efficiency in temperature-controlled warehouses.

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