Industry
Fashion & textile
Mario De Cecco: 2 outdoor SILO² systems for workwear
- Appareal
- SILO²
- Finished products
Saturated racking, no indoor space left: the automated storage system is installed outside and solves the problem
With a catalog ranging from technical workwear and promotional apparel to safety equipment, Mario De Cecco S.p.A. manages one of the most complex product ranges in the industry: multiple variants by model, size and color, stored on saturated racking that slowed down picking and left no room for growth. The solution: 2 SILO² automated vertical storage systems installed outside the facility, insulated, with direct indoor access through a wall opening, without taking up a single square meter of internal production space.
Product
SILO²
Key results
– Over 40,000 items in 40 m²
– 100% indoor space freed up
Key feature
Outdoor installation with indoor access
Mario De Cecco: over 60 years of professional clothing, from Sambuceto across Italy
Headquartered in Sambuceto, in the province of Chieti, Mario De Cecco S.p.A. has been one of Italy’s leading manufacturers of workwear and promotional apparel for over 60 years. Its range covers three distinct areas: technical garments for protection and safety in production environments, customized promotional apparel such as t-shirts, polo shirts, jackets and caps, used by companies as a brand identity tool, and a “Total Safety” line of safety products and equipment designed to fully outfit every type of worker.
The variety of the range makes finished goods warehouse management particularly complex: thousands of SKUs that must always be kept under control, picked accurately and reliably traced.
The variety of the range makes finished goods warehouse management particularly complex: thousands of SKUs that must always be kept under control, picked accurately and reliably traced.
The logistical challenges
The main warehouse dedicated to finished goods was organized on traditional racking that had reached the limit of its capacity.
The main critical issues were:
- saturated racking: insufficient space to store the full range with all its size, colour and model variants
- manual search was slow and prone to errors across highly similar SKUs: garments often distinguishable only by label or code
- no indoor space available to expand the warehouse without taking floor area away from other departments
- no inventory traceability, with a risk of inventory discrepancies
- ergonomic limitations: manual picking from high racking, with frequent walking and a higher risk of errors during order preparation
2 outdoor SILO² VLMS, each 12 m high: 170 m³ in 40 m², insulated, with picking and refilling stations facing indoors
ICAM installed 2 SILO² VLMs outside the facility, clad with insulated panels to protect against weather conditions in every season.
Each system, 12 meters high with 3 storage columns and 2 side-by-side picking and refilling stations, occupies just 20 m² and manages over 1,200 boxes for around 20,000 apparel items.
Each tray holds up to 6 boxes, enabling compact management of all SKUs. Together, the 2 systems provide 170 m³ of capacity in just 40 m² of outdoor floor space. 100% of the indoor space previously occupied by racking was freed up and returned to other production uses.
Each system, 12 meters high with 3 storage columns and 2 side-by-side picking and refilling stations, occupies just 20 m² and manages over 1,200 boxes for around 20,000 apparel items.
Each tray holds up to 6 boxes, enabling compact management of all SKUs. Together, the 2 systems provide 170 m³ of capacity in just 40 m² of outdoor floor space. 100% of the indoor space previously occupied by racking was freed up and returned to other production uses.
Indoor access and RF traceability for every inbound and outbound movement
The picking and refilling stations are accessible from inside the facility, so operators can pick materials at ergonomic height without going outdoors.
From the PC at the picking and refilling station, using ICON, the warehouse management software integrated with the company’s management systems, operators launch the picking task and receive the correct tray within moments.
Radio-frequency reading ensures full traceability of every inbound and outbound movement.
From the PC at the picking and refilling station, using ICON, the warehouse management software integrated with the company’s management systems, operators launch the picking task and receive the correct tray within moments.
Radio-frequency reading ensures full traceability of every inbound and outbound movement.
Key results
The warehouse outside, the benefits inside: space, speed and real-time control over more than 40,000 SKUs
-
170 m³ capacity in 40 m²
High-density vertical storage: more items, less floor space, with no changes to the internal structure
-
100% internal floor space recovered
The area previously occupied by traditional racking returned entirely to other productive uses
-
Over 40,000 items managed
All size, colour and model variants stored in a single ordered, accessible system
-
Faster and more accurate picking
Trays are delivered at ergonomic height at the picking and refilling station: no manual search, no walking between rakcs
-
Real-time RF traceability
Every movement is logged: inventory always up to date, reliable stock counts, inventory under control
-
Full integration with internal workflows
Outdoor installation does not compromise operability: picking and refilling stations are accessible from indoors in any weather condition.
Discover the solution chosen by Mario De Cecco
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
Want to achieve the same results?
Every distribution hub has its own SKU mix, volumes and seasonal peaks.
Tell us about your setup and we will design the right solution for you.