Bem Brasil, the leading producer of pre-fried frozen chips in Brazil, has recently shored up its logistics capacity by building two automated clad-rack warehouses from Mecalux in its plant in Perdizes (Minas Gerais). Both facilities are equipped with the Automated Pallet Shuttle system with a stacker crane and supervised by Easy WMS warehouse management software. They efficiently store and distribute 500,000 tonnes of frozen foods annually.

In a country of 211 million people, Bem Brasil covers up to 55% of the national demand for products like smiley chips (carinhas) and onion rings, among other specialities. The company also exports to South America, Taiwan, Singapore, the US and Mexico, where it holds a commercial partnership with Walmart. “Mecalux’s solutions give us complete control over our stored goods. That translates into faster, safer and more cost-effective logistics operations,” says Célio Zero, Operations Manager.

The two Mecalux clad-rack warehouses have provided 66,000 pallet positions. Automation has helped Bem Brasil increase production by 10% and revenue by 30% over the past year. Inside the facilities, kept at -25 °C, the Automated Pallet Shuttle system inserts and retrieves goods autonomously. Conveyors connect the storage and production areas to maintain a continuous flow of raw materials and finished products. This robotic infrastructure eliminates the need for lighting during operations, improving energy efficiency.

Bem Brasil ensures the quality and traceability of its frozen products with Easy WMS, which monitors inbound, putaway and outbound processes in real time. The Mecalux warehouse management system applies the FEFO (first-expired, first-out) method to prioritise the dispatch of products with the nearest expiry date. By optimising inventory turnover, this strategy minimises food waste.