Case Study

Gambarotta spa

SectorContract confectionery production

Semi-automated high-density warehouse with shuttle satellites for the confectionery industry

Challenge

Gambarotta S.p.A., a historic confectionery manufacturer based in Novi Ligure, underwent a significant scale-up after the change of ownership in 2018 — doubling production lines and increasing third-party processing volumes, reaching over 900 tons of processed chocolate every year.

This growth created the need for a new warehouse capable of sustaining very high daily flows (500–1,000 pallets/day), while managing considerable seasonal peaks linked to Easter chocolate products, typically bulky and produced in large batches.

Key constraints and design requirements included:

  • Maximizing storage capacity without exceeding 12.5 m building height (landscape restriction)
  • Maintaining constant temperature 14–15°C to preserve chocolate quality
  • Reducing handling time during peak months
  • Maintaining the highest safety standards for operators and goods

Solution

To meet the new storage and productivity requirements, Modulblok designed an intensive semi-automated warehouse equipped with:

High-density racking served by 12 Logaut L-SOLE-800 Bi-Front Wi-Fi 4.0 shuttle satellites, engineered to accelerate pallet handling and optimize storage depth.

Key functional elements:

FeatureOutcome
Ultra-thin 105 mm shuttle designenables one additional storage level vs. conventional systems
Three functional storage zonesBulky packaging, 2,730 pallet slots for semi-finished goods, 3,300 for finished goods
Laser positioning systemensures precise pallet insertion and consistent operations
Magnetic fork-lockingstabilizes the shuttle during handling — considered by the customer more effective than anti-slip systems
Scalable layoutfuture addition of shuttles, AGV integration, layout expansion

Technical data

Category Specification
Industry Third-party chocolate production
Warehouse typeIntensive racking + semi-automated shuttle system
Total area4,600 m²
Height12.5 m
Capacity>10,000 pallet positions
Shuttle fleet12 Logaut L-SOLE-800 units
Load units handled EPAL and 1000×1200 pallets (two satellite types)
Construction period 2023–2024
Environmental constraintConstant temperature 14–15 °C

Benefits

Storage capacity maximized
10,000+ pallet positions achieved without increasing building height

Peak-season performance
Continuous movement of 500–1,000 pallets/day with reduced handling time

Safety improvements for operators & goods
Magnetic locking + laser positioning → secure, precise, low-risk handling

Sustainability integrated into production strategy
5,000 m² photovoltaic system installed, new plants planned, urban industrial area remediation (~36,000 m² asbestos removed)

Future-ready scalability
AGV-ready layout, WMS integration capability, storage expansion potential

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