Henkel builds state-of-the-art automated warehouse in Spain

Henkel is investing in its production site in Montornès del Vallès ‏(Barcelona, Spain): The company will build a new, state-of-the-art logistics center for the Laundry & Home Care business unit in southern Europe and expand its production capabilities with a new packaging line for liquid detergents.

Investment in Industry 4.0

The new logistics center, which will be fully operational by 2020, will feature a warehousing space of 24,000 square meters and have a distribution capacity of more than a million pallets per year. In line with Henkel’s strategy to further invest in Industry 4.0, the facility will run on fully robotized processes based on advanced communication and automation systems. The new warehouse will be directly integrated with production and with the existing warehouse, making supply-chain processes much more efficient and sustainable.

Driving sustainability

In addition, Henkel is building a new high-speed packaging line for liquid detergents in Montornès. The detergents WiPP Express, Dixan and Micolor contain a new formula that is 24 percent more concentrated, which means lighter bottles are needed to lower their transportation costs and CO2 emissions. The new detergent formula also helps to improve the products’ environmental footprint overall: It reduces water consumption in the production process, decreases the amount of waste generated and reduces both energy and water consumption during use thanks to its high effectiveness at low washing temperatures.

Montornès: The reference center for southern Europe

Henkel’s production site in Montornès del Vallès near Barcelona has been in operation for more than 50 years. Today, it employs around 500 people and produces over 200,000 tons per year, which are exported to approximately 60 countries. Jordi Juncà, site manager of Montornès del Vallès, says: "We are very proud that our production site was chosen once again for an expansion of its capabilities, as we are simultaneously building a new production facility for the aerospace applications of our Adhesive Technologies business here. This will make Montornès the European hub for the aerospace industry.”