The new logistics center is situated on an area of 10 000 sq.m. and has 2400 pallet spaces and 17 ramps for trucks and pickups. More than 10 million of EUR were invested in the project and 25 new jobs are expected to be created.

The core of the logistic center is the AS/RS system (an automatic storage retrieval system), a product of the Austrian Company KNAPP.

We have been working on this project for two years. This time covers all stages of investigation until the complete construction of the new terminal. In order to define accurately the project parameters, we have used state-of-the-art Austrian know-how.

The basic activities of the KNAPP system start at the time of delivery of the products to the warehouse.

The products are supplied on pallets. Each product is registered in the automatic storage retrieval system and as a result it is assigned a bar code label, specifying its precise address in all warehouses areas.

When the AS/RS robot and A-frame automate for fast circulating products are loaded, the operators, by means of RF terminals, distribute the packages in grey containers by types, concurrently registering them in the data base as well. The baskets are released along the conveyer belts and reach the AS/RS robot. With its aid, the grey containers are distributed on the shelves at the precisely defined addresses. From there, when an order is placed, they are transported to the lower floors where the operators arrange the drug boxes in the automate for fast circulating products which is called an A-frame or a SDA and automatically sorts the user orders.

The orders of the clients are fulfilled by means of blue containers. The path of each clients basket in the warehouse is defined by the products included in the order. When products are required from the special areas, the computer sends a message to the operators from the area and they supply the necessary products by means of a portable RF terminal. After that the blue containers move by the conveyer belt to the control and check locations. An invoice for the order selected by the system is automatically added to each basket. Then it is closed, labeled, iron-hooped and transported to the shipment area by means of the conveyer belt according to the route. From there it is loaded on the transportation vehicle and directed for supply to the client.

The speed at which the clientscontainers move through the channels is 6 meters per second, while the capacity of the system is 300 clients containers concurrently processed within a minute. The system provides a possibility to process 30 000 lines of clients order per day, as more than 85% of them are fulfilled in a completely automatic way. The modern technology accelerates the process of order processing by 7 times.

The new logistics center offers the system for drug storage and sales management, developed by the Austrian Company KNAPP, which is unique for South-Eastern Europe. 

The drug center has been licensed by the Bulgarian Drug Agency as a warehouse for wholesale trade in drugs and meets all the national and European requirements for Good Distribution Practice. It was officially opened on 11th of December 2008.