Over the past three years, Comhan has made significant investments in both expansion and sustainability. With the inauguration of our new office, equipped with various sustainable initiatives (and the construction of a completely new, energy-efficient warehouse) Comhan is taking a significant step forward.
Sustainable office with an unusual facad design
We relocated to our new office early 2021, which boasts several sustainable features. For instance, the office is heated using energy-efficient heat pumps. Solar panels have been installed on the roofs of both our new office and warehouse to meet our energy requirements. With a total of 1158 solar panels, we aim to fulfil up to 80% of Comhan's total electricity consumption.
Moreover, we ensure a healthy work environment in the office through a modern ventilation system. Polluted air is effectively extracted while fresh air is circulated, creating a conducive working environment that positively impacts the health and wellbeing of our employees and prolongs the building's lifespan.
Additionally, the majority of our vehicle fleet is now electric. Smart charging points have been installed in the car park adjacent to our office, facilitating the charging of our electric vehicles and contributing to a sustainable future beyond the office premises.
- Both the office and warehouse roofs are fitted with solar panels.
In addition to its sustainable attributes, our new office design places great emphasis on aesthetics and the choice of materials. To learn more about the unique facade design and material selection, please refer to our blog post titled ‘Comhan 'covers' facade of new office with aluminium profiles'.
- The new facade of Comhan Holland B.V. headquarters.
Energy-efficient warehouse
Sustainability was a primary consideration in the design of Comhan's new warehouse. The warehouse features an innovative and sustainable underfloor heating system, coupled with optimal insulation, ensuring a consistent temperature throughout the year. This not only benefits the stored aluminium by reducing the risk of condensation and corrosion, but also provides a comfortable working environment for our employees, complemented by ample natural light through skylights.
High level of automation
The new KASTOunicompact warehouse is heavily automated. This storage and retrieval system comprises 2,675 cassettes capable of storing approximately 3,000 tonnes of aluminium profiles.
Upon delivery of new profiles, they are unloaded from trucks in the new dispatch hall. Subsequently, the aluminium profiles are loaded into designated containers at the initial station. These containers are automatically stored by a crane, which transports them to the high-bay warehouse.
When profiles are required for an order, the same crane, positioned at the warehouse's centre, moves the necessary containers to station 2 or 3. At these stations, operatives can manually retrieve the required profiles from the containers.
Once all profiles for an order are gathered, they are automatically bundled and wrapped. The wrapped bundle is then transported to the customer's dispatch area, where it is loaded onto a lorry. This high level of automation ensures that orders are processed and prepared for dispatch efficiently.
Benefits of the new automated warehouse
Integration of our ERP system with the WMS and weight control of the Kasto warehouse has led to a reduction in picking errors by up to 98%. Moreover, the physical workload for our employees has significantly decreased, as they are required to handle and move less aluminium, resulting in a notable reduction in handling damage. Our warehouse staff greatly appreciates the reduced physical strain and improved working environment.
- Comhan's new multi-story warehouse (both exterior and interior) situated on Amsterdamseweg in Uithoorn.
Ready for the future
With the finalisation of the refurbished office and state-of-the-art, energy-efficient warehouse, Comhan is primed for future expansion and has made significant strides towards adopting a more sustainable approach to operations!
