Shanghai (ZXZC)- On December 20, German auto supplier Schaeffler held a groundbreaking ceremony for its logistics center at its manufacturing base in Taicang city, Jiangsu province, according to a post on the company's WeChat account.

Photo credit: Schaeffler

This new project serves as a crucial part of the investment agreement for Schaeffler's new energy Phase III project in Taicang base signed with the Jiangsu Taicang Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone in November. It is set to play a key role in the company's logistics and warehousing of automotive components' raw materials and finished products within the Chinese market.

This logistics center project, integral to the continuous expansion of production lines and capacities in Taicang, particularly in response to the increasing diversity of product types, especially new energy vehicle components, aims to meet higher demands in logistics and warehousing, said Schaeffler.

Groundbreaking of logistics center at Taicang base; photo credit: Schaeffler

Covering an area of 75 mu (50,000 square meters), the project will be conducted in two phases. The Phase Ⅰ, with a construction area of 30,000 square meters, will consist of warehouses for automotive components' raw materials and finished products, packaging materials storage, and related auxiliary rooms. It is expected to be completed in October 2024, with operational capacity.

As Schaeffler's production lines and capacities in Taicang continue to grow, with an expanding product range, especially in new energy vehicle components, there is a heightened requirement for logistics and warehousing. In response, Schaeffler initiated the logistics center project for its Taicang manufacturing base to enhance material supply speed, reduce transportation costs, and optimize production layouts.

According to Schaeffler, the project is dedicated to establishing a modernized logistics center, incorporating advanced equipment such as pallet-based automated vertical warehouses, unmanned shuttle cars in material box storage, and AGVs (automatic guided vehicles). These technologies will not only increase the spatial utilization efficiency of the logistics center but also establish seamless transfer paths for raw materials and finished products between the logistics center and the factory, achieving fully automated material storage for more coordinated and efficient transportation.