The timely delivery of medical devices to healthcare facilities is of the utmost importance for the health and well-being of patients. Mecalux recently supported Gerresheimer, an innovative systems and solutions provider and a global partner for the pharma, biotech and cosmetic industries, in optimising its medical device logistics operations in the US. As part of the production and logistics capacity expansion of its Peachtree City plant, Gerresheimer commissioned two automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RSs) for pallets from Interlake Mecalux. This dual investment responds to the sharp increase in demand for medical supplies and strengthens the company’s automation-driven growth strategy.

“Expanding our Peachtree City plant is a key step towards strengthening our presence in the US and being even closer to our customers in the healthcare industry,” says Tobias Gebhard, Global Head of Smart Factory Automation for Medical Systems at Gerresheimer. The project has created over 400 new jobs, added state-of-the-art cleanrooms, commissioned highly automated production lines and fully modernised our internal logistics setup.

The ambitious expansion plan for the Peachtree City plant has marked a turning point in logistics management. After years of operating with manual processes, Gerresheimer decided to automate its material flows to achieve greater precision, safety and efficiency — critical factors in the medical industry. “In an environment where every component must be handled with the utmost care, automation adds a new level of control and reliability,” says Gebhard.

Interlake Mecalux’s Easy WMS warehouse management system tracks the movement of more than 30 medical device SKUs from the production lines. The software assigns each item a location based on its demand level and sends specific instructions to the stacker cranes for transport. This ensures that all devices are immediately available when needed, while maintaining comprehensive, real-time control over every stored unit.

This project, the result of close collaboration between Gerresheimer and Interlake Mecalux, lays the foundation for a more innovative and efficient logistics model ready to support the company’s sustained growth in the highly demanding medical industry.