Sophisticated door and gate logistics

Focus on industrial customers

Über die Teckentrup GmbH & Co. KG

Die Teckentrup GmbH & Co. KG mit Hauptsitz Verl (Ostwestfalen) und Produktionswerken in Verl und Großzöberitz (Sachsen-Anhalt) zählt zu den größten Herstellern von Türen und Toren in Europa. Das 1932 gegründete Familienunternehmen steht für Qualität, Design und Service „Made in Germany“. Als Experte für individuelle Tür- und Torlösungen bietet Teckentrup hochwertige, kundenzentrierte Produkte in den Bereichen Home (Garagentore), Professional (Funktionstüren) und Industrial (Industrietore). Das Unternehmen entwickelt gemeinsam mit seinen Partnern stets passgenaue Lösungen und ist national wie international erfolgreich.

Teckentrup currently has a high vertical range of manufacture of 90 per cent. With around 900 employees – 250 of whom are based in Großzöberitz – and a network of European subsidiaries and partners, the company has extensive market knowledge and develops doors that are precisely tailored to country-specific requirements. The focus is on the development and production of high-quality industrial doors and functional sheet steel doors, which are specially manufactured for use in fire, sound, burglary and smoke protection. Requirements have increased significantly in recent years due to stricter regulations and an increased need for security. ‘As a medium-sized, owner-managed company, we are flexible, provide individual customer service and meet high requirements,’ explains Peter Handrich, Head of Supply Chain Management at Teckentrup in Großzöberitz. ‘We are the market leader in terms of approval depth and technical specifications, especially when it comes to safety issues such as fire protection or special constructions.’ However, Teckentrup is more than just a product supplier: the company offers comprehensive services related to its products – from order processing and ordering services to on-site support and after-sales services. Digitalisation plays an important role in accelerating and streamlining work processes. ‘Teckentrup is driving forward digital solutions in all areas of the company, with a focus on sales and production,’ explains Handrich. ‘Our online configurator TEO, for example, allows doors and gates to be configured quickly and in a user-friendly manner in accordance with standards, and construction projects to be planned efficiently,’ says Handrich. ‘A new import function makes it possible to read, analyse and process service specifications at the touch of a button.’

High demands on functional doors

In Zörbig, in the district of Großzöberitz, Teckentrup operates a factory built in 1990 and continuously modernised and expanded to produce steel doors – in particular fire doors, tubular frame doors, roller shutters and frames. ‘Here, industrial doors are manufactured largely automatically in two shifts,’ explains Handrich. ‘Due to rising production figures of around 100,000 doors and 5,000 roller shutters per year, the capacity in the powder coating area at the Großzöberitz plant was expanded in 2023 with a new system and the manufacturing processes were restructured.’

Teckentrup is currently planning two new production lines for frames and a new mat hall for the manufacture of fire doors. Sustainability plays a major role: the roof of the production hall in Großzöberitz is equipped with a PV system with a total capacity of 1000 kWp for generating the company's own electricity. When the decision was made to purchase new industrial trucks, it was clear that only environmentally friendly electric forklifts would be considered.

Focus on sustainability and safety in the industrial truck fleet

‘We tested several competing vehicles, but I liked Clark's “green” one best and it won us over – not because of the colour,’ laughs Peter Handrich, ‘but because of its good performance data and high user-friendliness.’ The close cooperation with Clark's partner P&H Gabelstapler und Baumaschinen GmbH from Bitterfeld-Wolfen was also a decisive factor. ‘P&H had already provided us with good advice and support with the Clark gas forklifts,’ says Handrich. Marcel Krämer, Head of Maintenance, can only agree: ‘The Clark forklifts and P&H have become indispensable in our factory.’

Currently, 30 Clark electric forklifts are in use in Großzöberitz – including 27 GEX 20-30 electric forklifts with a load capacity of 2 and 3 tonnes and one GEX 50 electric forklift with a load capacity of 5 tonnes and a special triplex mast with a lifting height of 8.50 metres. The vehicle is mainly used for maintenance work, for example on the PV system. Two new Clark SE20 (48 volt) and SE30 (80 volt) electric forklifts were recently purchased. With a load capacity of 2 and 3 tonnes, these forklifts offer the perfect combination of ergonomics, safety and high handling performance. The compact forklifts are very manoeuvrable and ideal for indoor and outdoor use. With a steering angle of 101° (zero steer turn axle), they prove particularly useful in narrow aisles or space-critical work areas, as they can turn almost on the spot.

Occupational health and safety are high priorities at Teckentrup. Management also listens to its employees. ‘Our forklift drivers should feel comfortable on their forklifts, because good ergonomics increase productivity,’ says Peter Handrich. It was therefore important that the electric forklifts had an ergonomic driver's seat and intuitive controls. Restraint systems from IWS GmbH in Kamp-Lintfort provide additional safety. The IWS Pilot Protector restraint system consists of gas-pressure-sprung swing doors that protect the driver in the event of the vehicle tipping over sideways.

Lead-acid instead of lithium-ion batteries

All Clark electric forklifts are equipped with lead-acid batteries. Teckentrup made a conscious decision against lithium-ion technology. ‘The use of Li-ion batteries is not cost-effective in our factory,’ explains Marcel Krämer. ‘We have the time to charge batteries because our logistics operate on a single shift basis.’ Teckentrup uses high-frequency charging technology so that vehicles are quickly ready for use when needed. ‘We have the space for the charging infrastructure. Lead-acid batteries have a long service life – often well over ten years – even with around 1,000 operating hours per year in single-shift operation,’ says Krämer.

Tailored to the task

Clark forklifts are used in all areas of the plant, from goods receipt and dispatch to truck loading and unloading. They distribute goods within the plant and supply the production lines with materials. Raw materials are delivered on coils or pallets and transported to the relevant consumption points. Larger coils are moved by crane; smaller coils (slit strips) and palletised goods are transported to their destination by forklift. The hydraulic fork adjustment ensures that the forks of the forklift can be adjusted from pallet to coil transport.

The material for current production is kept ready to hand at the workstations. Clark forklifts also ensure that supplies are replenished. The lead time from ordering a door solution to delivery is approximately 4-5 weeks for standard solutions. The finished doors are stored in a cantilever trolley in the warehouse or transported by forklift to the shipping department, where they are packaged. The Clark forklifts responsible for picking the goods are equipped with a tablet so that picking can be carried out paperless via the merchandise management system.

‘Our goal at our plant in Großzöberitz is to make industrial door and gate production as efficient and sustainable as possible – from resource-saving production and in-house power generation to emission-free and smooth logistics processes. Our partner Clark also makes an important contribution to this,’ explains Peter Handrich.