Client: The Bulgarian company Maxcom is one of the largest bicycle manufacturers in Europe with a capacity of 400,000 bicycles annually. The Sprint and Shockblaze brands are well-known in many countries across the old continent;
On the other hand, the Austrian company Pierer Mobility AG is a leading holding in the field of motorized and electrified two-wheeled vehicles production and commercializes well-known international brands such as KTM, GASGAS, Husqvarna, and MV Agusta Motorcycles;
At the end of 2022, the two companies announced their collaboration regarding the construction of a new production base and logistics center for e-bicycles, and just a few months later, in mid-2023, the new joint venture received an A-class investment certificate;
Industry and specifics: With a maximum capacity of 350,000 electric bicycles annually, the new company will practically make Bulgaria a leader in the production of electric bicycles. Almost all production is intended for export to The European Union countries;
The new production plant will use innovative robots and painting technologies, mainly used in the automotive industry and for the first time, will be applied in the production of e-bicycles. Of course, new logistics hubs will be buffering the production before the export;
Project location: The building of the new production facility was completed at the end of 2023, and now - at the beginning of 2024, it already operates as a distribution center for finished bicycles, equipped by the STAMH Group;
It’s located in an industrial zone with exceptionally modern, newly built infrastructure in central Bulgaria. The logistics hub is strategically positioned near the Trakia highway and one of the largest cities in Bulgaria - Plovdiv;
Implementation period: The first part of the design of the new storage systems was implemented by the engineering teams of STAMH Group in May 2023. Engineering of all stages of the new racking system, in all warehouse premises was completed in November 2023. In a matter of weeks, all structural elements were delivered to the warehouses of Maxcom and Pierer Mobility AG near the city of Plovdiv. Before mid-February 2024, the distribution center was fully operational;
Challenge: The new warehouse for e-bicycles is distributed in several different zones intended for storing pallets and boxes with non-standard dimensions. The space in the logistics center had to be optimized while ensuring sufficient space for working with the specialized lifting equipment.
The deadlines were extremely challenging for STAMH Group engineering, logistics, and field construction teams;
Solution: The new Conventional Racking System was designed as a combination of modules with 4, 5, and stacking 6 levels, and additionally equipped with special protectors and barriers at the base, passage corridors with a height of 3.64 m, and special protective fences around the periphery of the new racking structures;
The racking system from STAMH also features a so-called stop pallet protection beams, which serve as limiters when stacking goods. The shelves are additionally equipped with high-quality shelf grids with load-bearing frames, allowing for the storage of boxes that are only 20 cm wide at the base - a specific load for the bicycle manufacturing industry;
Achievement: The new storage system can now effectively buffer over 53 500 warehousing units - boxes with non-standard dimensions of 200x2000x1500 mm and more than 17 000 pallets of varying heights, spread throughout the area and its contents. The warehouse has designated areas for storing finished products, a battery storage area, and areas for storing individual components of electric bicycles.
The passage corridors ensure faster and easier servicing of the system. The special protectors at the base, protect the bases of the storage system from unwanted damage and ensure longer, trouble-free operational lifetimes.
Learn more about the storage systems for pallets from STAMH Group, here;
