Industry
Aftermarket Automotive
Pollini Autodemolizioni: 3 SILO² for used auto parts management, +300% storage capacity
- Automotive
- SILO²
- Spare parts MRO
Greater storage density and immediate access to over 400,000 references
To support sales growth across its retail stores, eCommerce platform and marketplaces, Gruppo Pollini — a long-established Italian company specialising in end-of-life vehicle dismantling and recovery — has introduced three SILO² automated vertical storage systems, increasing storage capacity for high-turnover spare parts and speeding up order preparation.
Product
3 SILO² VLMs
Key results
+300% storage capacity
1,800 daily movements managed
Picking errors eliminated
Key features
– API integration with proprietary ERP via ICON
– Storage organised by product category, tray subdivided into 3 sections
Pollini Autodemolizioni: 500,000 used auto parts references, ready for delivery across Italy
For over 40 years and three generations, Gruppo Pollini has operated in the automotive dismantling and used spare parts sector, developing a model unique in the Italian market. With its main facility in Bedizzole (BS) and a network of 12 locations across northern Italy, the company manages over 500,000 references visible in real time and sells around 1,200 parts every day through its retail stores, proprietary eCommerce platform and national and international marketplaces, guaranteeing immediate availability and 24-hour delivery. In a sector traditionally focused on scrap metal recovery, Pollini has chosen to build its business around the capillary distribution of used spare parts, making digitalisation, traceability and automation the strategic drivers of its growth.
The logistics challenges
Over 400,000 parts stored across three floors, between 1,000 and 1,800 movements per day, with no way to plan a single incoming item: Pollini’s logistics has no precedent in the sector.
Pollini’s business model generates a structurally complex logistics challenge: stock depends on the vehicles arriving for dismantling, not on supplier orders. The availability of references in the warehouse is directly proportional to the level of service the company can offer the market and every part not found in time is a lost order.
The main pain points before automation:
- unpredictable stock: parts availability depends entirely on vehicles received for dismantling, no supplier orders, no advance planning possible
- limited storage density: traditional racking occupied the same footprint with a fraction of the useful capacity
- picking speed under pressure: 1,000–1,800 movements per day on high-turnover parts, all tied to 24-hour delivery commitments
- unreliable legacy automation: machine downtime from previous systems generated unfulfilled orders and urgent workarounds
- eCommerce growth to sustain: with the online channel already at 30–35% of revenue and growing, logistics needed to scale without expanding the physical footprint
3 SILO²: almost 200 m³ of high-turnover storage in approximately 77 m²
Following a structured market evaluation involving the main players in the industry, Pollini chose ICAM and installed 3 SILO² vertical lift modules at its headquarters in Bedizzole, Brescia. Each system is 8.Each system is 8.4 metres in height, configured with 3 storage columns and 2 side-by-side picking and refilling stations, delivering a useful volume of 63–65 m³ per unit. Total capacity increased from approximately 50 m³ to almost 200 m³. The existing racking was relocated to other areas of the warehouse to serve bulkier product categories.
Trays organised by product category: maximum density, immediate access
Inside the SILO² VLMs, items are organised by product category: each tray holds the same type of component regardless of the make or model of the vehicle it ca…Inside the SILO² VLMs, items are organised by product category: each tray holds the same type of component regardless of the make or model of the vehicle it came from. A deliberate choice compared to the logic of fixed racking, where each shelf level is dedicated to a single vehicle model. Since the VLM brings the tray to the operator and indicates the exact part to pick, proximity between parts from the same vehicle is irrelevant: what matters is density. A tray dedicated to a single model would often be half-empty; organised by category, it stays consistently full. Modular dividers and smaller bins manage the tiniest components within each tray.
API integration and end-to-end traceability
The SILO² VLMs are integrated via API with Pollini’s proprietary ERP through ICON, ICAM’s warehouse management software. Pollini retains full control of all allocation and search logic; the only touchpoint with ICAM is the tray call. The operator, using a Zebra handheld, views the pick order, calls up the correct tray and finds it already positioned at the station. Confirmation is made by scanning the barcode on the unique label that accompanies every part from the moment it enters the warehouse. The overall return rate sits between 5% and 7%, a figure largely driven by voluntary customer returns — internal picking errors account for a minimal fraction.
Key results
More space, more speed, more reliability: logistics that scales with the business.
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+300% storage capacity
From approximately 50 m³ to almost 200 m³ with the same floor footprint, thanks to full use of available height and strategic organisation of items on trays.
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1,200 parts shipped every day
Faster order preparation and greater responsiveness to the omnichannel market.
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1,800 daily movements
Each SILO² VLM features side-by-side stations for picking and refilling at the same time
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Picking errors eliminated
Unique barcode identification on every part and full digital traceability: internal return errors account for a minimal fraction of the overall 5–7% return rate.
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Operational continuity guaranteed
Machine downtime significantly reduced compared to previous systems; issues resolved remotely by ICAM in rapid turnaround times.
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400,000+ references always available
High-turnover parts are concentrated in the SILO² VLMs and immediately accessible: no manual searching, no picking errors
Our team adapted to the new setup quickly and appreciated how straightforward the SILO² VLMs are to use from day one. After the expected fine-tuning period, the system reached full operating capacity. What convinced us most was the reliability: machine downtime dropped significantly compared to our previous systems and, whenever needed, ICAM’s support team stepped in fast, often resolving issues remotely
Discover the product chosen by Pollini Autodemolizioni
SILO²: the Vertical Lift Module
From 2 to 7 storage columns, with over 120 tray dimension configurations and a specific load capacity of up to 1,000 kg/m²: SILO² is ICAM’s solution for managing small and medium-sized items, including heavy ones.
Explore SILO²
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