Industry
Building and construction
FT SpA streamlines construction tool distribution with 4 SILO² VLMs
- Building & Construction
- SILO²
- Raw materials
400 orders a day, a complex mixed assortment, zero errors allowed — the warehouse needed a new logic entirely
FT SpA’s pickers were walking up to 6 km a day across three mezzanine levels of traditional shelving. Orders took 45 minutes each. Picking errors on complex mixed orders were a daily cost. Four SILO² VLMs from ICAM, arranged as a pod of machines at the Lentigione di Brescello (RE) facility, changed all three. Order fulfilment dropped to 15 minutes. Picking errors fell 99%. Operators now work in 50 m² — running 4 orders at once — without leaving their station.
Product
SILO² 4 VLMs in pod of machines
Key results
–67% fulfilment time (45 to 15 min) · –99% picking errors · from 6 km to metres/day · 1,700 references in 92 m² · 400 orders/day · 4 simultaneous orders
Key feature
4 SILO² in pairs facing each other, forming a pod of machines: operators handle the entire picking process in 50 m², 4 orders simultaneously, barcode confirmation on every pick
FT SpA: from a pioneering patent to national construction tool distribution
Founded in 1969, FT SpA is a national reference point for the B2B production and distribution of professional tools and construction safety equipment: hand tools — trowels, levels, floats — measuring instruments and personal and collective protection devices including helmets, safety barriers and fall arrest systems. The company serves specialist retailers and trade distributors across Italy from its 10,000 m² facility in Lentigione di Brescello (RE), with a catalogue of around 2,500 active references.
At seasonal peaks — spring and autumn, when building sites are in full swing — the warehouse handles up to 400 orders a day. That volume leaves no room for delays or mistakes.
At seasonal peaks — spring and autumn, when building sites are in full swing — the warehouse handles up to 400 orders a day. That volume leaves no room for delays or mistakes.
The logistical challenges
Small parts, loose items and compact products were spread across three mezzanine levels of traditional shelving.
Every order — typically mixing products of different types and sizes — meant movement across multiple levels.
The pain points were measurable:
- pickers covering up to 6 km a day between aisles, stairways and goods lifts
- 45 minutes average to fulfil a single order — unsustainable at 400 orders a day
- picking errors on complex mixed orders generating returns, rework and reputational damage
- paper-based lists, no traceability, reliance on individual operator memory
- three mezzanine levels inaccessible without stairs or a goods lift — ergonomic risk and injury exposure
4 SILO² in a pod of machines: 400 orders a day in 50 m², 4 at a time
Each SILO² — 3 storage columns, 90 trays (1,953 × 897 × 41 mm), 400 kg max tray capacity, 61.49 m³ of storage in 23.21 m² — is paired with another, the two facing each other to form a compact pod of machines. Operators move in 50 m² of total working area: no walking, no stairs, no level changes. Each SILO² has 2 side-by-side IRIDE picking stations, for 8 stations running in parallel at 52 trays per station per hour.
ICON is integrated with the HORSA WMS already in use: orders arrive directly on the on-station terminal, ICON assigns picks across the SILO² units based on availability and priority, IRIDE guides every operation with a digital dashboard and light beams. Each item is barcode-confirmed: full real-time traceability. Up to 4 orders simultaneously, 600 to 1,200 picks per day, 120 daily replenishment operations. The approximately 1,700 small-parts and loose construction product references sit across the 4 SILO² units in 92 m² combined.
ICON is integrated with the HORSA WMS already in use: orders arrive directly on the on-station terminal, ICON assigns picks across the SILO² units based on availability and priority, IRIDE guides every operation with a digital dashboard and light beams. Each item is barcode-confirmed: full real-time traceability. Up to 4 orders simultaneously, 600 to 1,200 picks per day, 120 daily replenishment operations. The approximately 1,700 small-parts and loose construction product references sit across the 4 SILO² units in 92 m² combined.
Key results
Less walking, fewer errors, more orders — same team size
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–67% order fulfilment time
From 45 to 15 minutes per order
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–99% picking errors
IRIDE and barcode confirmation eliminate errors on complex mixed orders
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From 6 km to metres per day
The pod of machines removes all mezzanine traversals
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400 orders/day handled
With 4 simultaneous orders at seasonal peaks
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1,700 references in 92 m²
From multiple mezzanine levels to one compact system
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Fully digital operations
ICON-HORSA: digital pick lists, real-time traceability, zero paper
I chose ICAM automated warehouses to streamline order fulfilment for FT’s small parts range because I found it the solution best aligned with our needs compared to the competition: the SILO² units are not only more efficient and technologically advanced — they are also easier for operators to use.
Discover the product chosen by FT SpA
SILO²: the Vertical Lift Module
With 2 to 7 storage columns, over 120 tray size configurations and specific tray load bearing capacity up to 1,000 kg/m², SILO² is ICAM’s answer for companies managing small and medium-sized items, even those with a very high specific weight.
Explore SILO²
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