Tag: materials handling|sortation|warehouse automation

Ferag’s advanced pouch sorter system, Skyfall, is helping to automate logistics processes and handle e-commerce orders at shoe manufacturer Crocs in Dayton, Ohio (USA).

The extensive project involves expanding the existing distribution centre by over 70,000 sq m and is taking place under the direction of Bastian Solutions, a Toyota Advanced Logistics company. In the first phase, the Skyfall system will be equipped with 33,500 pouches that act as a dynamic, constantly rotating circulating buffer thanks to Ferag’s new U-turn switch. Commissioning is planned in several stages up to August 2022.

According to system integrator, Bastian Solutions, the Skyfall pouch sorter from Ferag proved the best technology for helping Crocs meet its strategic business growth plans, working in combination with the upstream AutoStore system. The goal was to find a high-performance, high-precision “order fulfilment machine” that is able to reliably process up to 40,000 units per hour at peak times, when complete. A further decisive point was the outstanding flexibility of the system.

The Skyfall solution can not only be scaled up with minimal effort when required, but can also be used for processing returns, which was planned from the outset in this project. The Ferag system can also be adapted to changing buying habits, new order profiles and seasonal fluctuations without any issues. Even changes within the Crocs product line do not pose any problems. These were the main reasons why the shoe manufacturer – famous worldwide for its plastic clogs – opted for Ferag’s Skyfall solution.

With 18 manual infeed stations and 153 delivery stations, 736 switches and about 8km of conveyors, the latest order from the USA is one of the largest Skyfall pouch sorter projects that Ferag has implemented to date. In addition to supplying its highly robust and fail-safe technology, Ferag also provided Crocs with a sophisticated concept for handling the special Jibbitz shoe charms that Crocs wearers use to personalise their shoes.

Crocs was founded in 2002. Since then, the shoe manufacturer has seen constant growth, with its bright plastic clogs in various colours, such as light green, turquoise or yellow, quickly gaining cult status. The company currently employs over 4,000 staff.

 

 

By adding an obstacle in its chute to increase the amount of sorter exits from 300 to 400 on the same footprint, EuroSort is introducing  a ground-breaking technology that narrows the required width of a sorter chute by up to 40%. This means either a 40% increase in sorter exits without having to increase sorter size, or the installation of a sorter in a much smaller space.

In a market where available floor space is the major restricting factor on the size of a sorter, you have to come up with creative ideas to get the maximum out of every available square meter of the warehouse. EuroSort is already well known for producing durable high capacity sorters on a small footprint, but is now making a huge step in what was believed to be impossible.

It has now introduced its next-generation chutes, featuring pitch reducing technology. This means that either the sorter itself can drastically reduce in size and budget, or up to 40% more exits can be fitted in the same footprint. EuroSort describes the development as “a massive improvement for our customers and a revolution in the automated sortation industry”.

By implementing a pneumatically controlled ‘door’ into the chutes, the forward movement of a discharged item can be altered. When an item is bound for the chute this door is linked to, it activates, rising up and creating  a barrier in the chute. This stops the item in its forward slide and guides it down into the designated exit. The result is that, for example, 400 chutes could fit in the same footprint as 300 chutes previously. This innovation enhances the flexibility while maintaining the capacity, reliability and accuracy that EuroSort sorters are known for.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” says Patrick van Haaster, CEO EuroSort. “We are very proud our own R&D team managed to take this from an idea to realisation and implementation. To see a thought come to life and actually perform the way you had in mind is great.

“Our Pitch Reducer is already successfully up and running at one of the largest fashion companies in Eastern Europe, serving over 1,800 stores in 25 countries. We are grateful for the trust they put in us and our new development.”

The benefits of EuroSort’s Smart Chute include:

• Up to 40% more exists on the same footprint
• Less materials needed
• Less floorspace needed
• Higher efficiency for operators thanks to less walking distance
• Less strain on operators to serve multiple chutes on small footprint
• Fits most EuroSort sorter solutions
• Very limited effect on capacity
• No impact on versatility and reliability
• No impact on sorting accuracy