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Month: August 2022

World of possibilities in advanced automation at IMHX

Posted on by David Priestman

Invar Group, a leading independent software developer and integrator of advanced warehouse automation, will be showcasing its intelligent WMS software, world-class robotic order picking solutions, and the latest technology in warehouse automation at the UK’s IMHX 2022 show – 6th to 8th September 2022, NEC Birmingham (Stand: 5AM26).

Visitors looking to transform operational performance in the warehouse will be able to explore the full range of technologies and options available to them – without fear of being limited to choices from a single manufacturer. As an independent integrator of warehouse technologies Invar Group is able to offer an unbiased approach to finding the optimum solution. And as Invar has the in-house expertise to provide clients with the software, integration and controls elements of a project, the business can efficiently bring together best-of-breed technologies in a seamless solution.

Craig Whitehouse, Managing Director of Invar Group, says: “We are witnessing a technological revolution in the warehouse – AI and robotics is transforming operational performance, particularly around dense storage, order assembly and packing. High CapEx automation, where conveyors and shuttles are bolted to the floor is no longer seen as flexible enough for the fast-changing world of ecommerce and logistics. Agile systems such as AMRs combined with intelligent software and pick-to-light technology can boost order picking performance from under 100 units per hour using traditional methods, to up to 600 picks per hour. As independent integrators we are free to specify and supply the most appropriate and cost-effective technology for the task – and attending IMHX 2022 presents us with a fantastic opportunity to engage with businesses, to explore what’s possible.”

Invar Group, headquartered in Cranfield UK, is focused on delivering complete turnkey warehouse automation solutions using advanced technologies such as industrial robotics, AMR goods-to-person solutions, pick-to-light technology, sortation systems, as well as conventional warehouse automation. The Group comprises: Invar Systems, a developer of warehouse control and management systems; Invar Integration, a front runner in solutions design, hardware integration and project management; and Invar Controls, specialists in the design, implementation and maintenance of PLC software and hardware.

The company has recently launched a new website (www.invargroup.com) to help guide businesses through the complexities associated with warehouse upgrades and digitalization projects, highlighting potential areas where advanced technologies can transform operational performance within the fulfillment or distribution centre. The new format brings together valuable independent insights and technical information on the latest innovative technologies available to the market. Invar Group has supplied systems to many of the world’s leading brands, such as: SuperDry, Games Workshop, Bentley, Coca Cola, and Nike. Discover what’s possible by visiting Invar Group on Stand 5AM26.

‘World-class’ automated facility for pet food maker

Posted on by David Priestman

Japanese factory automation specialist Daifuku has been instrumental in creating Europe’s most advanced production plant dedicated to the manufacture of high-quality ‘own label’ pet food.

Serving more than 2,500 customers globally, Lancashire-based GA Pet Food Partners produces over 80,000 tonnes of complete dog and cat food to strict human-grade standards. Its innovative use of intelligent automation underpins the business’ operational efficiencies, while enabling it to manufactures 930 different products for its global customer base of pet food brands.

Being able to manage such complexity, while maintaining the highest food standards, is largely down to the company’s adoption of best-in-class technology, which includes four fully automated fork lift trucks (called ‘Henrys’), high bay storage and retrieval systems, sorting transfer vehicles (STVs), conveyors and three huge automated guided vehicles (camels) called Snap, Crackle and Pop.

Daifuku has been specifically responsible for the design and installation of the storage and retrieval systems in the Pantry and Larder Store within the Ingredients Kitchen area of the GA Pet Foods’ facility. This solution comprises 12 automated cranes (six in each chamber), with associated racking, which creates 21,000 unique storage locations. These are used to store raw ingredients and finished products in the Pantry / Larder Store respectively, prior to transportation (via the automated camels) to the extrusion facility, where the finished, dry pet food is formed. All of the warehouse systems are controlled by Daifuku’s WCS partner Invar.

Collaboration is key

Five years in the planning and four years in development, the GA Pet Food Partners’ operation at Chorley, Lancashire represents the very best in automation and genuine partnership. Chairman of GA Pet Food Partners, Roger Bracewell, was determined to find the best automation providers to work on the project, as long as they were able to work together as a single team. He said: “From the outset of our automation journey, we made it clear to potential technology partners that we wanted to create a collaborative team, where genuine dialogue could take place among all of our automation partners.

“Right from the start, we made this intention clear, paying each technology provider for their time during the pre-engineering phase – so that they could provide us with the best, most detailed designs and proposals. We didn’t just ask firms for their ‘best price’. We wanted this to be a quality-driven process and not one that focused solely on the lowest cost.

“Having now opened our fully-automated Ingredients Kitchen, the results speak for themselves. This operation, we believe, sets new global standards for not just pet food production, but also human food processing – especially in the areas of traceability and operational efficiency.”

Extruder efficiency

Interestingly, GA Pet Food Partners’ automation investment strategy has been underpinned by the business’ adoption of sales and operational planning (S&OP) principles.

Russell Hutchinson, business development manager at Daifuku, explains: “While so many businesses nowadays adopt a lean manufacturing strategy, the team at GA have taken time to really understand their operation and realised that ‘lean’ is not the right approach for them. For the plant here in Lancashire, it’s all about keeping the main extruder working to maximum capacity.

“As they say here, ‘If it ain’t turning, it ain’t earning’. That was a real lightbulb moment for Roger and his team who have subsequently invested in the upstream element of their supply chain, with the ultimate objective of improving the extruder’s efficiency.”

For GA Pet Food Partners, automation has not been about labour saving or cost cutting. Moreover, technology has enabled the business to increase output by 30%, improve overall plant efficiency (achieving an improvement of 15% in extrusion up time) and maintain world-class quality standards. The use of leading-edge automation has also enabled the company to remain flexible – one of its key areas of competitive advantage within the global pet food production sector. This as all be done without any increase in headcount at the facility.

Having opened the fully automated production facility this summer, the next project on GA’s agenda is its finished packaging line, which will further improve its service levels to global customers.

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Enhance supply chain using AI-powered tech

Posted on by David Priestman

7bridges, the AI-powered logistics platform used by global businesses worldwide to transform their supply chains, today announces its new partnership with Rapha Racing (“Rapha”), the leading cycling apparel brand. The partnership will see Rapha leverage 7bridges’ cutting-edge AI technology to create more resilient supply chains that will improve performance and reduce costs.

Over the past 2 years, Rapha has faced a huge increase in demand. This increase presented new challenges, and Rapha sought out an experienced supply chain management tool to partner with, with the aim to optimise its supply chain and improve the customer delivery experience while controlling costs.

Partnering with Rapha, 7bridges will provide its AI supply chain technology to help the business make its supply chains smarter and more impactful. The AI technology will be used to help manage the wide range of different carriers and service providers that Rapha currently works with, streamlining the invoicing process, ensuring that service levels are always met, and automating the dispute and recovery process for any erroneous charges. On average, 7bridges’ invoice auditing technology can recover between 5-14% in lost costs and delivers up to 5X on ROI.

This partnership will also give Rapha the sustainable and scalable platform they need to grow, with the ability to automate the integration of more carriers into their supply chain to provide a wider range of delivery options and a better experience for their customers.

“We’re really excited to get stuck into the 7bridges platform and realise its potential.” Said Adam Caton, Logistics Lead at Rapha Racing. “We can reduce costs and improve the performance of our delivery to customers through the auditing and analytics function on the 7bridges supply chain management platform. As our brand and global logistical operation grows, we’re looking forward to building a successful partnership with 7bridges which delivers real commercial value.”

“We’re always enthused to begin working with new, future facing clients like Rapha Racing.” Said Philip Ashton, co-founder and CEO of 7bridges. “Rapha has the vision and drive to ensure that their customer experience matches the quality of their product and are forward looking enough to want to stand out in the marketplace by wielding their supply chain as a competitive edge and a generator of insightful data that will enable smarter decisions and more performance improvements over time.”

Enhance supply chain using AI-powered tech

Posted on by David Priestman

7bridges, the AI-powered logistics platform used by global businesses worldwide to transform their supply chains, today announces its new partnership with Rapha Racing (“Rapha”), the leading cycling apparel brand. The partnership will see Rapha leverage 7bridges’ cutting-edge AI technology to create more resilient supply chains that will improve performance and reduce costs.

Over the past 2 years, Rapha has faced a huge increase in demand. This increase presented new challenges, and Rapha sought out an experienced supply chain management tool to partner with, with the aim to optimise its supply chain and improve the customer delivery experience while controlling costs.

Partnering with Rapha, 7bridges will provide its AI supply chain technology to help the business make its supply chains smarter and more impactful. The AI technology will be used to help manage the wide range of different carriers and service providers that Rapha currently works with, streamlining the invoicing process, ensuring that service levels are always met, and automating the dispute and recovery process for any erroneous charges. On average, 7bridges’ invoice auditing technology can recover between 5-14% in lost costs and delivers up to 5X on ROI.

This partnership will also give Rapha the sustainable and scalable platform they need to grow, with the ability to automate the integration of more carriers into their supply chain to provide a wider range of delivery options and a better experience for their customers.

“We’re really excited to get stuck into the 7bridges platform and realise its potential.” Said Adam Caton, Logistics Lead at Rapha Racing. “We can reduce costs and improve the performance of our delivery to customers through the auditing and analytics function on the 7bridges supply chain management platform. As our brand and global logistical operation grows, we’re looking forward to building a successful partnership with 7bridges which delivers real commercial value.”

“We’re always enthused to begin working with new, future facing clients like Rapha Racing.” Said Philip Ashton, co-founder and CEO of 7bridges. “Rapha has the vision and drive to ensure that their customer experience matches the quality of their product and are forward looking enough to want to stand out in the marketplace by wielding their supply chain as a competitive edge and a generator of insightful data that will enable smarter decisions and more performance improvements over time.”

Sustainability in transport: Transporeon acquires Tracks

Posted on by David Priestman

Transporeon, a leading Transportation Management Platform, announced today the acquisition of Tracks, a Berlin-based start-up with the mission to decarbonise the transport industry. Founded in 2018, Tracks is a carbon visibility tool providing data solutions to monitor and manage carbon emissions across all transport modes. To do this, the company uses AI-based analytics and prediction tools to enable shippers, carriers and logistics service providers to collect and optimise emissions data at source.

Transporeon has made it its mission to lead the way in sustainability in the transport industry. The company has stepped up its investments over the past 12 months to pave the way to climate-neutral commercial transport. In early 2022, Transporeon launched its Carbon Visibility Solution as the tool of choice to precisely measure and report on CO2 emissions across the entire supply chain and all transport modalities.
In 2021 Transporeon entered into a partnership with EcoTransIT, a long-standing expert in the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions. EcoTransIT focus on a high-end, bottom-up calculation based on granular, science-driven industry default values. Adding Tracks’ expertise in the use of primary data to calculate emissions perfectly complements this existing partnership.

With Transporeon’s acquisition of Tracks coupled with its existing partnership with EcoTransIT, its customers will benefit from an enhanced offering that allows them to set realistic CO2 reduction targets, for themselves as well as their suppliers and customers, and define improvements against those targets. This combined carbon visibility capability is unique and offers the most accurate insight into emissions available on the market thus enabling customers access to an ever more detailed and actionable calculation. The combination of primary data with default calculations delivers insight into fuel or energy type and corresponding consumption which is critical to implementing measures to reducing one’s footprint.

“We are excited to welcome the Tracks team to Transporeon. Combining Tracks ‘know how’ about primary data and their AI based analytics capabilities with our existing carbon visibility solution will provide added value to all customers in our network”, says Stephan Sieber, CEO of Transporeon. “Tracks has built a strong product facilitating automated emissions management.”

“Transporeon’s acquisition of Tracks will have an immediate impact on the entire freight transport ecosystem,” said Tracks CEO, Jakob Muus. “Transporeon’s ‘move, manage and monitor’ dovetails perfectly with Tracks’ ‘measure, manage and mitigate,’ and the union will further empower companies worldwide to meet their sustainability targets by giving freight transport buyers and sellers the tools to become greener and more efficient. I am looking forward to Tracks becoming part of the Transporeon family.”

Digitisation of supply chain continues to be a driver to bring transportation in sync with the world. Sustainable initiatives such as carbon visibility calculation, tracking and reduction is a key factor in this ongoing quest. In this context, the acquisition of Tracks is a logical addition to Transporeon’s Carbon Visibility solution with the goal to benefit all parties in the network to Net Zero Logistics.

Sustainability in transport: Transporeon acquires Tracks

Posted on by David Priestman

Transporeon, a leading Transportation Management Platform, announced today the acquisition of Tracks, a Berlin-based start-up with the mission to decarbonise the transport industry. Founded in 2018, Tracks is a carbon visibility tool providing data solutions to monitor and manage carbon emissions across all transport modes. To do this, the company uses AI-based analytics and prediction tools to enable shippers, carriers and logistics service providers to collect and optimise emissions data at source.

Transporeon has made it its mission to lead the way in sustainability in the transport industry. The company has stepped up its investments over the past 12 months to pave the way to climate-neutral commercial transport. In early 2022, Transporeon launched its Carbon Visibility Solution as the tool of choice to precisely measure and report on CO2 emissions across the entire supply chain and all transport modalities.
In 2021 Transporeon entered into a partnership with EcoTransIT, a long-standing expert in the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions. EcoTransIT focus on a high-end, bottom-up calculation based on granular, science-driven industry default values. Adding Tracks’ expertise in the use of primary data to calculate emissions perfectly complements this existing partnership.

With Transporeon’s acquisition of Tracks coupled with its existing partnership with EcoTransIT, its customers will benefit from an enhanced offering that allows them to set realistic CO2 reduction targets, for themselves as well as their suppliers and customers, and define improvements against those targets. This combined carbon visibility capability is unique and offers the most accurate insight into emissions available on the market thus enabling customers access to an ever more detailed and actionable calculation. The combination of primary data with default calculations delivers insight into fuel or energy type and corresponding consumption which is critical to implementing measures to reducing one’s footprint.

“We are excited to welcome the Tracks team to Transporeon. Combining Tracks ‘know how’ about primary data and their AI based analytics capabilities with our existing carbon visibility solution will provide added value to all customers in our network”, says Stephan Sieber, CEO of Transporeon. “Tracks has built a strong product facilitating automated emissions management.”

“Transporeon’s acquisition of Tracks will have an immediate impact on the entire freight transport ecosystem,” said Tracks CEO, Jakob Muus. “Transporeon’s ‘move, manage and monitor’ dovetails perfectly with Tracks’ ‘measure, manage and mitigate,’ and the union will further empower companies worldwide to meet their sustainability targets by giving freight transport buyers and sellers the tools to become greener and more efficient. I am looking forward to Tracks becoming part of the Transporeon family.”

Digitisation of supply chain continues to be a driver to bring transportation in sync with the world. Sustainable initiatives such as carbon visibility calculation, tracking and reduction is a key factor in this ongoing quest. In this context, the acquisition of Tracks is a logical addition to Transporeon’s Carbon Visibility solution with the goal to benefit all parties in the network to Net Zero Logistics.

SSI Schaefer publishes first Sustainability Report

Posted on by David Priestman

The SSI Schaefer Group, a Germany-based family-owned company established more than 85 years ago and a leading international solution provider of modular storage and logistics systems, today published its first Sustainability Report. The report was prepared on the basis of the internationally recognized standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The company thus implements its 2023 SSI Strategy Roadmap, which defines sustainability as one of six focus topics.

Sustainability has two dimensions for SSI Schaefer, i.e. responsible operation along its own value chain and promoting the sustainability of its customers by offering them innovative and future-proof technologies.

“Our first Sustainability Report is intended to give our stakeholders an insight into the sustainable initiatives, projects and solutions we are pursuing already today, our major challenges in the relevant action areas in the coming years, and how we plan to master them,” says Steffen Bersch, CEO of the SSI Schaefer Group. “As the backbone of the globally growing e-commerce industry, we can help our customers make their material flow even more efficient and sustainable by offering them intelligent intralogistics solutions.”

Based on a comprehensive analysis of its business environment, which also involved the main stakeholders of the group of companies, SSI Schaefer has defined four action areas in accordance with its corporate strategy:
1. Value-oriented corporate culture as a foundation for the dealings with stakeholders and resources
2. Using intelligent processes to create innovative and sustainable solutions for customers
3. Responsible management by reducing impacts along the own value chain
4. Sustainability management as a strategic factor (process-oriented action area)

In each action area, SSI Schaefer has set itself specific goals based on measurable performance indicators or initiatives with clearly defined deadlines. This is to make the process as transparent as possible to all stakeholders. The report covers the entire basis of consolidation and, as a first step, records the performance indicators of the 18 largest entities, which represent more than 80% of revenues.

Specific goals defined with regard to a value-oriented corporate culture include, for instance, the development of a strategic EHS (environment, health and safety) management system or the definition of global KPIs for the Group’s safety performance. A strategic goal in the field of product development is to reduce the share of pneumatic products of selected product ranges, which are not very energy-efficient, to 5%. With regard to the value chain, SSI Schaefer wants to base its supplier management much more strongly on sustainability criteria; by 2023, at least 50% of the top 100 suppliers are to be subjected to sustainability audits.

As far as the Group’s carbon footprint is concerned, the calculation for the 18 largest entities is underway (Scope 1 & 2), with the aim of publishing a carbon/climate strategy for the SSI Schaefer Group by the end of 2022.

To implement the topics in the Group, SSI Schaefer has installed a Global Sustainability Council (GSC) led by Heiko Stötzel, Head of Group Social Responsibility & HSE, which coordinates control and target tracking across business units, regions and Group functions.

“Unlike large capital market-oriented corporations, our Group is not yet obliged to publish sustainability reports but does so voluntarily,” Steffen Bersch adds. “But to us, this is more than just complying with legal requirements. As a globally active group of companies, we want to show the way forward, live up to our social responsibility and continuously increase our contribution to achieving the climate targets as well as the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. This is why we joined the ‘50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders’ initiative back in 2020 as the first member of the intralogistics industry.”

SSI Schaefer publishes first Sustainability Report

Posted on by David Priestman

The SSI Schaefer Group, a Germany-based family-owned company established more than 85 years ago and a leading international solution provider of modular storage and logistics systems, today published its first Sustainability Report. The report was prepared on the basis of the internationally recognized standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The company thus implements its 2023 SSI Strategy Roadmap, which defines sustainability as one of six focus topics.

Sustainability has two dimensions for SSI Schaefer, i.e. responsible operation along its own value chain and promoting the sustainability of its customers by offering them innovative and future-proof technologies.

“Our first Sustainability Report is intended to give our stakeholders an insight into the sustainable initiatives, projects and solutions we are pursuing already today, our major challenges in the relevant action areas in the coming years, and how we plan to master them,” says Steffen Bersch, CEO of the SSI Schaefer Group. “As the backbone of the globally growing e-commerce industry, we can help our customers make their material flow even more efficient and sustainable by offering them intelligent intralogistics solutions.”

Based on a comprehensive analysis of its business environment, which also involved the main stakeholders of the group of companies, SSI Schaefer has defined four action areas in accordance with its corporate strategy:
1. Value-oriented corporate culture as a foundation for the dealings with stakeholders and resources
2. Using intelligent processes to create innovative and sustainable solutions for customers
3. Responsible management by reducing impacts along the own value chain
4. Sustainability management as a strategic factor (process-oriented action area)

In each action area, SSI Schaefer has set itself specific goals based on measurable performance indicators or initiatives with clearly defined deadlines. This is to make the process as transparent as possible to all stakeholders. The report covers the entire basis of consolidation and, as a first step, records the performance indicators of the 18 largest entities, which represent more than 80% of revenues.

Specific goals defined with regard to a value-oriented corporate culture include, for instance, the development of a strategic EHS (environment, health and safety) management system or the definition of global KPIs for the Group’s safety performance. A strategic goal in the field of product development is to reduce the share of pneumatic products of selected product ranges, which are not very energy-efficient, to 5%. With regard to the value chain, SSI Schaefer wants to base its supplier management much more strongly on sustainability criteria; by 2023, at least 50% of the top 100 suppliers are to be subjected to sustainability audits.

As far as the Group’s carbon footprint is concerned, the calculation for the 18 largest entities is underway (Scope 1 & 2), with the aim of publishing a carbon/climate strategy for the SSI Schaefer Group by the end of 2022.

To implement the topics in the Group, SSI Schaefer has installed a Global Sustainability Council (GSC) led by Heiko Stötzel, Head of Group Social Responsibility & HSE, which coordinates control and target tracking across business units, regions and Group functions.

“Unlike large capital market-oriented corporations, our Group is not yet obliged to publish sustainability reports but does so voluntarily,” Steffen Bersch adds. “But to us, this is more than just complying with legal requirements. As a globally active group of companies, we want to show the way forward, live up to our social responsibility and continuously increase our contribution to achieving the climate targets as well as the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. This is why we joined the ‘50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders’ initiative back in 2020 as the first member of the intralogistics industry.”

Ultra-reliable ecommerce sorter technology at IMHX

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Ferag, a global leader in advanced conveying and sortation solutions, will be showcasing its advanced Swiss engineered overhead pouch and sorter systems at the UK’s IMHX 2022 show – 6th to 8th September 2022, NEC Birmingham (Stand: 5D15).

Visitors to the stand will have the opportunity to discover the many innovative features of Ferag’s latest high-speed sortation systems, Skyfall and Denisort, along with the full range of energy-efficient conveyors and sorters in Ferag’s extensive product portfolio.

The speed and reliability of Skyfall, Ferag’s ultra-fast automated pouch sorter solution, enables retailers to gain greater operational efficiencies by accumulating orders in advance of a final pick-wave at 10pm. With processing speeds of up to 25,000 units per hour orders can be picked, sorted, packed and dispatched within the shortest time window, giving fashion brands the keen competitive edge of a late cut-off with an early next day delivery.

The same high-speed Skyfall pouch sorter system used for fulfilling ecommerce orders can also be deployed to create store friendly sequenced consignments for high-street shops – pulling from the same, pooled inventory used for ecommerce customers. Sequencing product to each store’s individual layout speeds shelf replenishment, freeing shop assistants to spend more time with customers. Developed for some of the most testing of handling applications in the international print industry, Ferag’s high-speed overhead conveyors are designed to be ultra-reliable, offering unfailing performance on daily newspaper production runs in the millions. The same technology has been successfully applied by Ferag within the intralogistics sector, bringing reliable, high-performance conveying to retail, ecommerce, automotive and general merchandise businesses.

Also featured on the stand will be Ferag’s innovative tilt-tray sorter. The Denisort combines conveying, order picking and sorting in one seamless and scalable system, with universal applications across a wide range of intra-logistics processes. The highly versatile design uses low-friction rollers within a steel profile, offering quiet and reliable, energy-efficient operation across single or multi-level applications.

Principle products in Ferag’s extensive range of innovative sorters and conveyors include: Skyfall, an overhead pouch system that combines conveying, buffering, sorting and consolidating, suited to a wide variety of goods weighing up to 20kg. The solution makes efficient use of available overhead space; Denisort, a tilt-tray sorter that provides order picking, conveying and sorting in one seamless and scalable solution; Denisort Compact, a modular vertical sorter designed for items weighing up to 12Kg; Deniway, a plate chain conveyor with low-friction rollers for long conveying distances, offering smooth transfers with the minimum number of drive units; and Easychain, a largely maintenance-free continuous and seamless conveying system with an ultra-narrow curve radii, making it well suited to complex, 3D layouts.

Also on the stand at IMHX will be a working scale-model of Skyfall, built by Ferag apprentices as an expression of the skills acquired by young people under Ferag’s long-standing apprenticeship programme, established in 1968. Each year 10-15 apprentices are enrolled on four-year in-house courses, ensuring the next generation of qualified professionals.

A number of leading fashion brands are taking advantage of pouch sorter technology to increase capacity and boost performance of their fulfilment operations. Ferag has recently installed a flexible high-speed Skyfall system at a new distribution centre for children’s fashion company, Mayoral Group, in Malaga, Spain. The extensive overhead pouch solution is one of the largest to date, with a mix of hanging pouches and garment hangers totalling more than 58,000 Skyfall hangers, and a throughput of up to 12,000 units per hour. The system features fully automatic unloading of pouches, including flat goods.

Ferag has installed intelligent conveyor and sortation systems for some of the world’s largest brands, such as: DHL, Auchan, Nestle, Zeiss, Cewe, Zalando, Mayoral, Viapost, Peerless Clothing International, Dumoulin, AstraZeneca, Stage, VW, Shoebox, along with many more.

Ultra-reliable ecommerce sorter technology at IMHX

Posted on by David Priestman

Ferag, a global leader in advanced conveying and sortation solutions, will be showcasing its advanced Swiss engineered overhead pouch and sorter systems at the UK’s IMHX 2022 show – 6th to 8th September 2022, NEC Birmingham (Stand: 5D15).

Visitors to the stand will have the opportunity to discover the many innovative features of Ferag’s latest high-speed sortation systems, Skyfall and Denisort, along with the full range of energy-efficient conveyors and sorters in Ferag’s extensive product portfolio.

The speed and reliability of Skyfall, Ferag’s ultra-fast automated pouch sorter solution, enables retailers to gain greater operational efficiencies by accumulating orders in advance of a final pick-wave at 10pm. With processing speeds of up to 25,000 units per hour orders can be picked, sorted, packed and dispatched within the shortest time window, giving fashion brands the keen competitive edge of a late cut-off with an early next day delivery.

The same high-speed Skyfall pouch sorter system used for fulfilling ecommerce orders can also be deployed to create store friendly sequenced consignments for high-street shops – pulling from the same, pooled inventory used for ecommerce customers. Sequencing product to each store’s individual layout speeds shelf replenishment, freeing shop assistants to spend more time with customers. Developed for some of the most testing of handling applications in the international print industry, Ferag’s high-speed overhead conveyors are designed to be ultra-reliable, offering unfailing performance on daily newspaper production runs in the millions. The same technology has been successfully applied by Ferag within the intralogistics sector, bringing reliable, high-performance conveying to retail, ecommerce, automotive and general merchandise businesses.

Also featured on the stand will be Ferag’s innovative tilt-tray sorter. The Denisort combines conveying, order picking and sorting in one seamless and scalable system, with universal applications across a wide range of intra-logistics processes. The highly versatile design uses low-friction rollers within a steel profile, offering quiet and reliable, energy-efficient operation across single or multi-level applications.

Principle products in Ferag’s extensive range of innovative sorters and conveyors include: Skyfall, an overhead pouch system that combines conveying, buffering, sorting and consolidating, suited to a wide variety of goods weighing up to 20kg. The solution makes efficient use of available overhead space; Denisort, a tilt-tray sorter that provides order picking, conveying and sorting in one seamless and scalable solution; Denisort Compact, a modular vertical sorter designed for items weighing up to 12Kg; Deniway, a plate chain conveyor with low-friction rollers for long conveying distances, offering smooth transfers with the minimum number of drive units; and Easychain, a largely maintenance-free continuous and seamless conveying system with an ultra-narrow curve radii, making it well suited to complex, 3D layouts.

Also on the stand at IMHX will be a working scale-model of Skyfall, built by Ferag apprentices as an expression of the skills acquired by young people under Ferag’s long-standing apprenticeship programme, established in 1968. Each year 10-15 apprentices are enrolled on four-year in-house courses, ensuring the next generation of qualified professionals.

A number of leading fashion brands are taking advantage of pouch sorter technology to increase capacity and boost performance of their fulfilment operations. Ferag has recently installed a flexible high-speed Skyfall system at a new distribution centre for children’s fashion company, Mayoral Group, in Malaga, Spain. The extensive overhead pouch solution is one of the largest to date, with a mix of hanging pouches and garment hangers totalling more than 58,000 Skyfall hangers, and a throughput of up to 12,000 units per hour. The system features fully automatic unloading of pouches, including flat goods.

Ferag has installed intelligent conveyor and sortation systems for some of the world’s largest brands, such as: DHL, Auchan, Nestle, Zeiss, Cewe, Zalando, Mayoral, Viapost, Peerless Clothing International, Dumoulin, AstraZeneca, Stage, VW, Shoebox, along with many more.

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