An advanced factory in the heart of Champagne

E80 Group has been chosen to complete a new production site in Champagne, France. The site's architecture was designed to respect the natural environment and to blend in with the landscape of the Champagne region, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The project demanded optimized space management

With these environmental requirements in mind, the site has only one floor above ground while most is below ground level. 
Our two companies were selected to assist with this challenge and to install a plant that is fully automated and integrated in all its cycles. Such a large and high-performance plant had never before been installed in the champagne sector. “Such a large project had never been attempted and we were looking for a partner capable of combining development, innovation and reliability. That's why we chose E80 Group” explains the production manager. 

The project demanded optimized space management. Given the need to exploit aging cellars as fully as possible, cases were stacked on 4 levels in cellars covering two underground floors, about 300 meters long by 80 meters wide. Between them, the two floors occupy a total area of 50,000 square meters and provide storage space for 90,000 cases. 
Twenty-five laser guided vehicles move over 300 cases an hour. All the cellar operations of “mise en cave, transfert, remuage, habillage” up to final shipment are performed by LGVs, making the whole factory extremely efficient. 

“The process of producing champagne is a multi-stage process that involves the temporary storage of bottles in cases. Its success depends on two main factors: the smooth handling of the cases and the efficient management of wine stocks. We are proud of the success of this project and wish to thank E80 team for their valuable contribution,” states the director of the site. 

Our companies completed the project with a fully robotic end of line, featuring an automatic pallet control, a high-speed wrapping system and a pallet labeling system. 

Objectives and key results

Thanks to E80 Group technology and our team's support, the company’s factory in Champagne has achieved all its objectives: 

• improving bottle quality by reducing impacts during handling;
• optimizing the aging process thanks to controlled lighting and reduced vibration; 
• ensuring total product traceability; 
• optimizing the storage area;
• eliminating accidents in areas where accidents were frequent in the past.