Gerresheimer automates two Peachtree City warehouses, reinforcing its leadership in the US

Gerresheimer: Operating globally and close to customers

Gerresheimer is an innovative systems and solutions provider and a global partner for the pharma, biotech and cosmetic industries. The Group offers a comprehensive portfolio of drug containment products, such as closures and accessories, along with drug delivery systems, medical devices and other healthcare industry solutions. Its product range features digital tools for therapy support, on-body devices, syringes, pens, auto-injectors and inhalers. It also includes primary packaging such as vials, cartridges, ampoules, tablet containers, and infusion, dropper and syrup bottles, among other items. Gerresheimer ensures the safe delivery and reliable administration of drugs to patients. Founded in 1864 in Düsseldorf (Germany), Gerresheimer employs 13,600-plus professionals, operates more than 40 production plants and is present in over 16 countries.

Gerresheimer, an innovative systems and solutions provider and a global partner for the pharma, biotech and cosmetic industries, has increased the production and logistics capacity of its Peachtree City (GA) site. As part of the expansion, it commissioned two automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RSs) for pallets. This dual investment responds to the sharp increase in demand for medical supplies and strengthens the company’s automation-driven growth strategy.

Gerresheimer’s plants manufacture inhalers, infusion system components, microinjectors, test cards for microbiological analyses and autoinjectors used to treat diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

“Expanding our Peachtree City plant is a key step towards consolidating our presence in the US and being even closer to our customers in the healthcare industry,” says Tobias Gebhard, Global Head of Smart Factory Automation. “The project has created over 400 new jobs, added state-of-the-art cleanrooms, commissioned highly automated production lines and fully modernised our internal logistics setup.”

Two automated warehouses, one unified strategy

The ambitious expansion plan for the Peachtree City plant has marked a turning point in logistics management. After years of operating with manual processes, Gerresheimer decided to automate its material flows to achieve greater precision, safety and efficiency — critical factors in the medical industry. “In an environment where every component must be handled with the utmost care, automation adds a new level of control and reliability,” says Gebhard.

The two new automated warehouses, supervised by the Easy WMS warehouse management system, store semi-finished products from two different manufacturing plants. Both facilities are very similar and were designed to handle components arriving directly from injection moulding production. These components are used in medical devices such as inhalers, autoinjectors and infusion systems.

The first AS/RS stands 13 m high, accommodates 1,040 pallets and is equipped with a stacker crane serving double-deep racking. Pallets enter the system from a side connected to production and are automatically stored. When orders are executed, the pallets are transported from the front of the AS/RS to the shipping area via automated conveyors.

After seeing the operational benefits of this solution and the close collaboration with Interlake Mecalux throughout the project, Gerresheimer decided to go a step further and replicate the model at its new plant near Atlanta Regional Airport. This second AS/RS, also 13 m high, features a stacker crane and racking with a capacity of 1,104 pallets. Its design incorporates two input and output points positioned at opposite ends of the racking structure, optimising the flow of goods.

“The new automated warehouses from Interlake Mecalux have increased our storage capacity and boosted productivity across our logistics processes. They enable us to operate continuously and guarantee product availability in a facility that runs almost 365 days a year,” says Gebhard.

Both AS/RSs are outfitted with twin-mast stacker cranes with telescopic forks, designed to handle pallets in double-deep selective pallet racking systems. These machines automatically transport goods from the AS/RS input points to their assigned locations. When needed for orders, they swiftly move products to the output points for shipping. This ensures that Gerresheimer’s medical devices are handled safely at all times in a highly regulated industry.

Intelligent management of two warehouses with Easy WMS

“In the medical industry, there’s no room for error. End-to-end product traceability and control are essential for guaranteeing quality,” says Gebhard. “With Easy WMS, we’ve achieved a level of precision that optimises all our logistics flows.”

The Interlake Mecalux software tracks the movement of more than 30 medical device SKUs from the production lines. Easy WMS assigns each item a location based on its demand level and sends specific instructions to the stacker cranes for transport. This ensures that all devices are immediately available when needed, while maintaining comprehensive, real-time control over every stored unit.

Growth built on trust

The commissioning of the new automated warehouses strengthens Gerresheimer’s operational capacity in the North American market for medication packaging and delivery systems. This project, the result of close collaboration between Gerresheimer and Interlake Mecalux, lays the foundation for a more innovative and efficient logistics model ready to support the company’s sustained growth in the highly demanding medical industry.

The new automated warehouses from Interlake Mecalux have increased our storage capacity and boosted productivity across our logistics processes