At Pfizer’s advanced pharmaceutical facility in Illertissen, Germany, efficiency and precision are critical to meeting large-scale production demands. The site, staffed by around 400 skilled employees, produces over 80 million packages of solid-dose medications each year. With order sizes ranging from a few hundred to 100,000 units, the facility must constantly adapt its packaging lines to handle diverse product formats.
Each packaging line—stretching up to 60 meters and composed of equipment from multiple suppliers—requires frequent reconfiguration. These adjustments depend on “format elements,” specialized tools that must be swapped out whenever production shifts to a different product. In some cases, up to 100 elements are needed for a single changeover.
As production expanded, so did the inventory of these format elements. Over time, locating and retrieving them manually became increasingly inefficient, leading to delays and operational bottlenecks. The growing storage demands also consumed valuable floor space within the facility.
To address these challenges, Pfizer implemented a combination of Hänel Lean-Lift® and Hänel Multi-Space® systems—three Lean-Lifts® and two Multi-Space® units in total. These automated storage solutions dramatically reduced the storage footprint while improving accessibility and speed.
The system now accommodates approximately 250 double EUR-pallets, organized with custom holders for over 3,200 format elements. Instead of manual searching, employees use Pfizer’s in-house COMS software to request items. These requests are instantly transmitted to the Hänel control terminals, enabling fast and accurate retrieval at the push of a button.
The Hänel Multi-Space® systems introduce an added layer of flexibility by combining vertical and horizontal movement. Each system consists of four interconnected lift modules, functioning similarly to a high-bay warehouse. This design allows simultaneous multi-directional movement, ensuring that items are delivered to access points in the shortest possible time.
To maximize available space, both Multi-Space® systems—each exceeding 12 meters in height—were installed in a dedicated extension adjacent to the production building.
The integration of Hänel’s automated storage systems transformed Pfizer’s internal logistics:
By modernizing its storage and retrieval processes, Pfizer successfully aligned its logistics infrastructure with the demands of high-volume, flexible pharmaceutical manufacturing.
