Opened in summer 2019, the logistics center adds a further 70,000 sq. ft. to MTU’s Berlin-Brandenburg facility, where it carries out overhauls on Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A, PW200, PW300 and PW500 and GE CF34 family engines.
Adding to the Growing Berlin Operation
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With the addition of a new logistics center, overall volume of the Berlin site will stand at around 280,000 sq. ft. The site has been the recipient of heavy investment in recent years. For 2018 and this year, the company has invested a total of €30 million in site expansion by adding new machines, material and engine pools and the introduction of new engine programs and technologies.
New Additions
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Some of these capabilites added since last year include a mobile repair team for the PW800 engine and new parts repair services for the PW1100G-JM engine.
Expansion A Necessity
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With the workload in Berlin growing around 7-8% annually, MTU saw fit to grow the number of parts stored on site. The business's Berlin location is also seeing a surge in employee numbers, bringing in 150 staff in 2018. As of summer 2019, the company employs a total of 838 people. All relevant departments will relocate to the new building in September.
IT Infrastructure
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Storing MTU and customer spare parts, the Berlin logistics facility will run off an SAP software system. The center is expected to become more paperless over time--with ongoing projects using tablets to oversee the trasnfers and orders of pallets. However, unlike some warehouses seeing in influx of automation and robotics, MTU isn't expecting too much in the way of that in its Berlin logistics center.
Vital Statistics
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In total, the facility houses 100 shelving units, approximately 4,816 crossbeams, and around 4,500 gridded shelves. Overall. MTU estimates that the new Berlin logistics facility has space for 8,000 pallets.
Office Space
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The facility will also have a designated office area. Still undergoing construction, MTU expects this to be completed by September.
As Aviation Week's MRO Editor EMEA, James Pozzi covers the latest industry news from the European region and beyond. He also writes in-depth features on the commercial aftermarket for Inside MRO.
