{"id":237377,"date":"2026-05-13T11:55:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T09:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alimentibevande.it\/uncategorized\/magazzini-automatici-icam-per-i-liquori-beltion\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T12:24:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T10:24:11","slug":"beltion-redesigns-spirits-logistics-with-icam-automated-storage-systems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alimentibevande.it\/en\/imbottigliamento\/industrial-plants\/beltion-redesigns-spirits-logistics-with-icam-automated-storage-systems\/","title":{"rendered":"Beltion redesigns spirits logistics with ICAM automated storage systems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the spirits industry, warehouse operations are no longer just about storage capacity. Maintaining accuracy and operational control has become equally critical as SKU complexity continues to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is especially true for manufacturers managing both proprietary brands and private-label production: highly similar products, minimal label variations, different destinations, and specific customer requirements. In these environments, intralogistics becomes a critical operational factor, not only for moving materials efficiently, but for ensuring consistency between production, packaging, and final distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was exactly the challenge behind Beltion<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s logistics reorganization project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beltion: balancing brand identity and private-label production<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Founded in 1885 in Putignano, Southern Italy, Beltion is one of the historic names in the Italian spirits industry, known for products such as almond milk syrup, limoncello, and Amaro Mediterraneo. Today, the company exports to more than 30 countries and manages a broad portfolio of non-alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, liqueurs, and distilled spirits<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its business model combines proprietary production with contract manufacturing. Beltion manages more than 200 SKUs overall, including over 70 under its own brands, while the remaining products are developed for third-party customers<\/strong>. This means handling multiple product lines simultaneously, each with different market requirements, packaging formats, and distribution flows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This level of SKU variability creates significant warehouse management challenges. Many products differ only by small labeling details. Limoncello is a clear example: not a single product, but multiple variants designed for different customers or export markets. During a single production day, up to four different labeling kits may be required for the same product family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the project, this variability was managed using drive-in racking systems. While effective for high-density storage, drive-in racks offered limited selectivity and made it difficult to maintain precise control over highly similar SKUs. Material access lacked flexibility, flow separation was inefficient, and floor stacking was often used to simplify access to fast-moving items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From drive-in racks to optimized material flows with COMPATTA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Beltion partnered with ICAM<\/a><\/strong> to redesign its material handling flows and finished goods management processes through advanced storage technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project focused on implementing separate COMPATTA mobile racking systems for domestic and export operation<\/strong>s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Italian market<\/strong>, characterized by fragmented orders and frequent picking activities, Beltion installed two facing COMPATTA mobile racking systems with capacities of 260 and 390 pallet positions respectively, distributed across 10 mobile bases<\/strong>. Each base measures 2.5 meters wide and 8.5 meters deep, with three storage levels reaching more than 6 meters in height. The system can simultaneously open up to three aisles, allowing multiple operators to work in parallel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For export operations<\/strong>, where shipments are primarily full-pallet loads, Beltion implemented a COMPATTA system with 496 pallet locations and three mobile bases, each 17 meters deep and 2.5 meters wide, equipped with four storage levels exceeding 8 meters in height.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both systems operate on the same principle: only the aisle required for the operation opens. This allows maximum storage density without sacrificing direct access to specific SKUs. Additionally, the optional COMPATTA Picking system<\/strong> supports multiple simultaneous manual picking activities by opening several operator-width aisles at the same time, preventing workflow bottlenecks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The original drive-in systems remain in use for low-turnover raw materials, while dynamic SKUs are now managed within the mobile racking systems. Rails for future mobile bases have already been installed, enabling future expansion without structural modifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eliminating a hidden bottleneck with the SILO2<\/sup> VLM<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of Beltion\u2019s most critical bottlenecks involved label management<\/strong>. Previously stored in drive-in racks, label rolls occupied nearly twice the floor space currently required. Retrieval operations were slow, often requiring ladders and two operators, while the similarity between label codes increased the risk of picking errors. Floor-stacked pallets were also frequently used to improve accessibility for high-rotation labels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The introduction of the SILO\u00b2 VLMs completely transformed the process. Configured with three storage columns and one picking\/refilling station, the system occupies just 21 m\u00b2 of floor space while extending vertically to 5 meters. Despite its compact footprint, the VLM centralizes the storage of approximately 600 SKUs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the \u201cgoods-to-person\u201d principle<\/strong>, the SILO\u00b2 VLM makes materials immediately accessible while improving picking speed and accuracy. This is made possible through the integration between ICON, the warehouse management software of ICAM automated storage systems, and Essenzia ERP by Apra<\/strong>, directly connected to production equipment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Average picking list processing times were reduced by 50% and, with approximately 15 picking operations per day, the company now recovers more than 300 working hours annually.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organizing label kits to manage SKU variability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most significant improvements concerns the material organization logic itself<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whenever possible, each tray inside the VLM is configured to contain the complete labeling kit required for a specific production batch: front label, back label, and neck label<\/strong>. Materials are therefore prepared and stored according to actual production logic, reducing downstream handling time and minimizing the possibility of errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One tray delivery allows operators to complete three picks simultaneously, supplying the production line quickly and accurately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more complex configurations, storage allocation follows dimensional optimization criteria while still maintaining clear SKU separation and traceability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Material preservation also improved significantly.<\/strong> Labels, which are highly sensitive to heat and humidity, are now protected inside a closed environment, preventing deterioration that often went unnoticed with traditional shelving systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scaling operations without losing control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The value of the Beltion project lies in the alignment between logistics organization and business model requirements<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Separating flows, reducing SKU confusion, and organizing materials according to operational logic<\/strong> now allows Beltion to manage both proprietary brands and private-label production without compromising precision or reliability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results extend beyond operational performance. Eliminating floor stacking and reorganizing flows also allowed the company to recover nearly one-third of the floor space previously occupied around the drive-in areas. That space has now been repurposed to support production expansion and the introduction of new automated lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to the modular structure of the COMPATTA systems, already prepared for additional mobile bases, Beltion can continue expanding its product portfolio and market reach while maintaining the same level of operational control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Measurable results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Beltion achieved concrete operational improvements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n