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Tag: sortation

Ferag launches to UK market

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Ferag, a global leader in advanced conveying and sortation solutions, has launched its hi-tech, Swiss engineered overhead pouch and sorter systems to the UK market. The technology offers retail, ecommerce, automotive and general merchandise businesses reliable, high-performance conveying and sortation at speeds of up to 12,000 units per hour.

Based in Zurich, Ferag has its origins in the international print industry, where ultra-reliable, high-speed conveying technology is essential to the time-critical production of newspapers with daily print runs in the millions. With over 60 years’ experience designing, engineering and fabricating, high-speed overhead conveyor systems for mission-critical interlogistics operations, Ferag has now secured a strong presence in the UK intralogistics market by winning three new contracts for solutions in the apparel and retail sectors.

Heading up Ferag’s UK operations, Darcy de Thierry, Managing Director, Ferag UK Ltd, says: “British retailers and manufacturers are experiencing huge structural change. The growing focus for most is on ecommerce orders, which places a heavy emphasis on high-performance fulfilment operations capable of handling thousands upon thousands of single or few-item orders a day.

“Automated systems, such as overhead pouch and sortation solutions, facilitate fast picking, making them increasingly critical to maintaining and growing order volumes. But businesses cannot afford for them to fail – they need well engineered solutions using only the best, hard-wearing components and low-friction materials. That’s where Ferag’s extensive experience within the newspaper industry – where reliability is paramount – will be a tremendous advantage to the UK market.”

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.

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.

The launch into the UK’s intralogistics market plays to the strengths of Ferag’s international maintenance and support network, where remote and condition monitoring are provided 24/7 and replacement components are readily available to a UK based nationwide team of service engineers.

Ferag AG employs around 550 people worldwide and is represented in more than 18 countries with its own sales and service companies. The business has installed over 3,000 systems on five continents and holds in excess of 9,000 registered patents.

RSX1 offers maximum storage density for small parts

Posted on by David Priestman

High performance in the smallest space – that is the demand of today’s storage solutions in intralogistics. In 2019 the long-experienced intralogistics professional Florian Vent came up with new shuttle technology that meets this need and founded the tech start-up ROCKETSOLUTION GmbH. The young Munich-based company developed the innovative RSX1 shuttle system.

RSX1 is a small parts storage system which focuses on maximum storage density, enormous robustness and simple integration capability and pushes the limits of existing systems. It takes the next step in the evolution of automated small parts storage. The RSX1 shuttle system stores totes and trays up to 50kg with a flexibly scalable performance up to 1500 storages and retrievals per hour and aisle in the smallest of spaces. It can be used in different industries and fields of application.

Intralogistics is a rapidly growing market worldwide with huge potential to contribute to the sustainable protection of our environment. At the same time the desire for improving profitability grows as well. Thus, achieving higher profits while increasing durability is the challenge. ROCKETSOLUTION wants to solve today’s and future economic and ecological challenges and offers excellent solutions to optimise the intralogistics sector.

The RSX1 technology is distributed and serviced by an international, ever-expanding network of qualified system integrators and distributors. Only six months after the official market launch, seven international partners were already convinced by the ROCKETSOLUTION technology. Including the strategic investor Kardex, a global player in intralogistics for automated storage solutions and material flow systems, which ROCKETSOLUTIONs partnered with in 2020.

Compared to conventional shuttle systems, the RSX1 reduces the required space by more than half and stores almost six times higher than height-restricted cube storage systems.

Next to the utilisation of the warehouse height, intelligent container arrangement and an innovative load handling make the new dimension of space efficiency in the shuttle warehouse possible.

Thereby, the performance remains the same or even increases. Innovative, well thought-out product design as well as high-quality and durable materials and maintenance concepts ensure high availability and reliable process safety.

Another advantage of the RSX1 is the simple integration. Whether at the level of material flow systems and Internet of things (IoT) structures or in building structure and technology. A highly standardised, open PLC interface, cloud integration and low requirements for the base plate enable a quick and easy system installation in almost all current and planned facilities and logistics systems.

The four core components: RS-Rack, RS-Shuttle, RS-Lifts and RS-Software form the innovative RSX1 shuttle system by ROCKETSOLUTION. It is flexibly scalable in size and performance and can be used in different industries and application areas. Whether retail, manufacturing, or service, the RSX1 adapts easily to the respective requirements.

The configurable and expandable racking system RS-Rack with a maximum height of 30m, low floor requirements and its intelligent, space-saving access concept is the basis.

The RS-Shuttles are high-performance shuttle vehicles that travel within this racking system. They can effectively pick up small parts weighing up to 50kg and handle the orders from one or more storage levels, depending on the performance requirements. Due to the low overall height of the shuttle, there is no loss of space from a container height of 100mm. The RS-Shuttles are extremely robust and reduce susceptibility to faults thanks to the innovative load handling device.

The RS-Lifts used can be positioned anywhere in the rack, and the number of lifts can be scaled according to the required system performance. Tote transfers can be completed in the lift shadow, in a way that conserves space and without additional conveyor technology. The system offers high energy efficiency through energy recovery, DC link coupling and power caps.

The system is rounded off with the future-proof RS-Software that comes with a standardised, highly flexible IT interface to external material flow and warehouse management systems covering all sequencing requirements. A modern app-based user interface facilitates handling. IoT data is provided via MQTT.

With the RSX1 technology, ROCKETSOLUTION delivers an efficient storage and retrieval solution for different warehouse sizes and fields of applications. Thus, the micro-fulfilment solution RSX1-Micro is a fully functional complete system especially suitable for urban warehouses or smaller automated systems e.g., within retail shops. The turnkey, standardised fulfilment centre includes conveyor technology and various workstations, material flow control, an integrated warehouse management system.

The integrated system solution RSX1-Enterprise, however, is a core high performance storage unit for individually planned and holistic intralogistics systems like comprehensive warehouses, distribution centres or buffer storages.

ROCKETSOLUTION’s RSX1 offers flexible storage solutions for all types of industries and applications. The shuttle vehicle’s unique load handling device and ultra-compact design allow for greater lateral bin density, reduced aisle width and quadruple-deep storage. As a result, the required size of the shuttle warehouse can be reduced by half. All RSX1 components such as racking, adaptable lifts and innovative shuttle vehicles reduce unnecessary empty space within the storage system. It also conserves resources and increases efficiency and profitability in small parts storage.

Ferag supplies pouch sorter to Crocs DC

Posted on by David Priestman

With its highly efficient pouch sorter system, Ferag AG is helping to automate logistics processes and handle e-commerce orders at shoe manufacturer Crocs in Dayton, Ohio (USA), which also successfully operates on the European market.

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, contracted by the Swiss company for many years. 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 the new U-turn switch. Commissioning is planned in several stages up to August 2022.

From the point of view of system integrator Bastian Solutions, the Skyfall pouch sorter from Ferag proved the best technology for helping Crocs meet its strategic business and growth plans in the coming years 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. Furthermore, the outstanding flexibility of the system from the Swiss experts was also a decisive argument.

The Skyfall system can not only be scaled 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 the system from Switzerland’s Zürcher Oberland.

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 particularly robust and fail-safe technology, the family-owned company also provided Crocs with a convincing, sophisticated concept for handling the special Jibbitz shoe charms that Crocs wearers use to personalise their shoes according to their own individual taste.

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

Peterhans benefits from micro fulfilment centre

Posted on by David Priestman

As part of a holistic realignment of its intralogistics, Peterhans Handwerkercenter AG, located at Würenlos near Zurich in the Swiss canton of Aargau, has remodelled and automated the logistics processes of its central warehouse and store for faster order processing and more storage capacity.

After comparing various AKL technologies and solution approaches, the family-owned company, founded in 1952, opted for an AutoStore solution from Element Logic.

“With around 500,000 articles, our multichannel strategy and our continuous growth, we wanted to invest in a system offers close to zero picking errors and maximum flexibility for future system expansions,” said Dieter Egloff, deputy managing director of Peterhans Handwerkercenter AG, explaining the main reasons for the decision. “Therefore, we examined various logistics facilities in practical operation and visited reference facilities with AutoStore solutions. When we weighed up all the factors, it quickly became clear: AutoStore technology was on our wish list. The simplicity of the technology, the flexibility of the storage concept and the output convinced us right from the start.”

Peterhans Handwerkercenter AG distributes building materials, tools, machines, fittings, fasteners and personal protective equipment directly to tradesmen and companies in the construction industry, making it one of the leading companies in this segment in Switzerland. Continuous growth, the servicing of different distribution channels promoted the decision to automate intralogistics.

“We are continuously strengthening our business through future-oriented investments in digitalisation and logistics,” Egloff said. “The automation solution allows us to handle volume increases with the same number of employees.”

The contract for system planning and implementation was awarded to system integrator Element Logic, the first official AutoStore integrator and the world’s most successful AutoStore distributor in 2020. With nearly 200 implemented AutoStore solutions, the company has extensive experience and a competitive edge in the planning, implementation and support of maximally efficient storage and picking systems for container-ready products. Based on this broad foundation, the system integrator is continuously developing further optimisation options in the field of AutoStore technology.

Integration of tailored system

For Peterhans, Element Logic installed an AutoStore system with a footprint of just 400 sq m for around 25,000 storage locations during ongoing operations in a two-stage project.

“The system includes 11,650 totes that are subdivided up to eight high,” said Egloff, illustrating the storage capacity. The 220mm-high bins used allow a load of up to 30kg with internal dimensions of 603 x 403mm.

“The main objectives of the automation project were to improve in-house logistic processes and maximise storage capacity in the existing building by increasing storage density,” said Joachim Kieninger, Director Strategic Business Development Element Logic Germany. “For an optimal layout of the facility, we analysed the very different sales channels and took them into account with regard to layout and processes.”

Peterhans supplies the shelves in the retail store from the central warehouse, orders via the online store, deliveries with its own vehicles to fitters and tradesmen, as well as output for direct pick-ups or orders in the store.”

For these goals, Peterhans and Element Logic already worked closely together in the planning phase. “The result is the perfect integration of an auto store system tailored exactly to our requirements into our existing building,” explained Egloff.

With the AutoStore automated storage and picking solution, the family business opted for an innovative storage concept in which the containers for small parts storage are stacked on top of each other in shafts and stored and retrieved by small robots. The system impresses with its efficiency and flexibility as well as minimal space requirements and comparatively low investment and operating costs.

The container stacks are stored in a standardised aluminium grid up to 5.4m high. The robots work on the surface of this grid. Depending on the container height, up to 16 or 24 bins are stacked on top of each other in a grid. The compact overall system with integrated workstations, the so-called ports, offers 60 to 70% better space utilisation than conventional miniload solutions.

The system layout can be adapted precisely to any structural conditions and is easily scalable with additional robots, ports or shafts to meet growing performance or capacity requirements. Consequently, AutoStore systems achieve the highest storage density among the available miniload solutions. The same applies to energy efficiency: with an average energy consumption of 100W per robot per hour, AutoStore systems have by far the lowest need for energy of all available miniload solutions.

In the system built for Peterhans, 20 bins are stacked on top of each other, adapted to the height of the hall. Ten robots move along the top of the grid. They lift the totes with the desired goods, transfer them to the workstations and stack the totes back into the system after picking.

Special feature: The system was realised in two construction stages due to the fact that it was implemented during ongoing operation. One of the advantages of the modular AutoStore concept, its high flexibility, came to the fore: first, one half of the grid could be conveniently erected, put into full operation and filled with goods. The empty shelving units were then dismantled and the AutoStore system was expanded to include the second half. This solidified the idea of connecting three of the six installed workstations directly to the sales floor.

“Customers are amazed and impressed to see an automated logistics system and transparent processes tied directly to the store,” Egloff said proudly. “This makes us very advanced – and allows us to offer customers something in additional, a unique shopping experience.”

The same applies to energy efficiency: with an average energy requirement of 100W per robot per hour, AutoStore systems have by far the lowest energy consumption of all available miniload solutions. With these attributes, AutoStore solutions form a proven basis for automated processes and fast order processing in modern micro-fulfilment centres, for example in online retailing.

97% fill rate

The workstation modules used in the AutoStore system are so-called carousel ports for higher warehouse throughputs and conveyor ports for lower throughputs. The carousel ports serve both as picking and repacking stations for loading the system totes.

Of the six ports at Peterhans, the three conveyor ports on the sales floor are used to retrieve goods for store customers. The three ports that are not visible in the store are used for retrieval of dispatching orders from the online store and for external deliveries to companies and fitters in the field, for example.

“In less than two minutes, a customer’s order is at the sales counter,” Egloff pointed out. “The system control of the AutoStore system knows which bin is in which place, calculates the routes and then distributes the driving orders to the robots via radio link.”

The robots work in a coordinated manner, quickly rearranging the totes, quickly releasing the required bins and filling them into the shafts for the integrated workstation modules. Thereby  the system automatically ensures that the bins are positioned according to ABC criteria: Less frequently requested containers slide successively further down, while fast-moving items remain continuously in quick access on the upper levels.

“Compact, high-density storage and fast, virtually error-free picking,” summarised Egloff. “With a system filling level of 97%, an average of 15,000 picks are made with the system per month – between 700 and 800 accesses per day.”

Immediately after installation, Element Logic’s AutoStore solution enabled the company to meet customer expectations for same-day delivery and shorter waiting times at in-store pickup counters. And the AutoStore system is also a great benefit for employees: “Our new, fully automated AutoStore system simplifies important loading processes and significantly supports our employees in their daily work. They no longer have to cover long distances or lift heavy goods. Overall, the picking processes are less labour-intensive for them than before.”

Element Logic ensures high system availability through its service team with preventive maintenance on site, as well as qualified telephone and online support.

According to Peterhans’ calculations, the investment in the AutoStore system will be paid off in five years. The flexibility of the storage system supported the two-stage project creation during ongoing operations as well as future growth.

“Without the AutoStore system, we would have had higher staffing requirements in logistics,” said Egloff. “With the AutoStore facility, we were able to meet the steady growth and even the rapid increase in online orders, because the retail store remained closed during the pandemic, without additional resources. An investment in the future from the very beginning. We can now count on a high-performance, automated small parts warehouse and our partner to meet our customers’ expectations for fast order fulfilment.

“And the system is still standing so well because we had such a good implementation partner in Element Logic. We are completely satisfied with the project handling, the cooperation and the results.”

The project details at a glance:

  • 400 sq m AutoStore plant footprint
  • 11,650 bins with around 25,000 storage locations
  • 10 robots
  • 6 ports
  • Simplified and ergonomic warehouse processes
  • Increased efficiency through automation
  • Important component of the digital transformation
  • Nearly zero defect picking
  • Same-day order processing and delivery
  • 80% Space savings offer future expansion potential
  • Highly reliable plant technology
  • Reduced burden on employees

CLICK HERE to watch a video of the project

Sacchi extends operations with shuttle technology

Posted on by David Priestman

The Sacchi Group (part of Sonepar Group), one of Italy’s leading electrical product wholesalers, has selected Vanderlande as a partner for a new ADAPTO goods-to-person (GtP) solution inside its existing warehousing facility in Desio, north of Milan.

With nearly 100 points of sale and about 1,400 employees, the Sacchi Group offers an assortment of approximately 1.5 million products. Previously, Vanderlande supplied the company with a miniload system, which is now being expanded with Vanderlande’s ADAPTO shuttle technology. Vanderlande’s ability to link the two systems together, combined with the excellent relationship between the two companies, were ultimately the decisive factors in securing this latest GtP project.

The solution will initially include manual receiving stations, picking stations served by dedicated picking lifts and clearing stations. In addition to erection and closing systems, the shipping sorter will be expanded. The ADAPTO system will have 58 ADAPTO shuttles spread over 29 levels.

With installation work commencing next April and operations due to begin in Q4 2023, the flexible and scalable ADAPTO system has the capacity for further expansion over the coming decade in order to accommodate Sacchi’s predicted year-on-year volume growth.

“Our business is growing quickly as a result of internal development and acquisitions, and our supply chain is our main strength in this market, as it allows us to balance high service levels with competitive costs,” says Marco Brunetti, President and CEO of Sacchi Group.

“With the full support of Sonepar HQ, and in particular of the GVP Supply Chain, Jo Verbeek, we decided to invest in our distribution centre in Desio, strategically located close to Milan,” adds Luca Maggioni, Sacchi Group’s VP Supply Chain. “To this end, we’ll be extending our building with a new 20,000 m2 construction – the main element of which will be the new ADAPTO system. Our goal is to improve our omnichannel business in order to reach our 40,000 customers faster and more efficiently.”

“We are very proud to further establish our relationship with Sacchi and the Sonepar Group,” says Terry Verkuijlen, Vice President Warehouse Solutions at Vanderlande. “We believe that extending their current operation with Vanderlande’s ADAPTO GtP solution will enable Sacchi to further grow and optimise their operations for many years to come.”

Signode showcases ASRS technology at MODEX

Posted on by David Priestman

Signode, a leading manufacturer of a broad range of end-of-line packaging equipment, tools, consumables as well as end-to-end automation and warehouse automation solutions, will be showcasing its StorFast technology at MODEX.  The event, which will take place in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center on 28th-31st March 2022, will also feature additional Signode solutions that support the warehousing, distribution and logistics operations of its customers.

Signode’s StorFast Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) is an innovative cart-based solution consisting of powered carts and lifts that automatically move pallets in and out of storage positions in the warehouse. The newly enhanced cart-based StorFast system operates at twice the speed with improved control for acceleration and deceleration of the robotic carts. In addition, StorFast components can now handle pallets weighing up to 4,400 lbs (1,995kg).

The StorFast ASRS delivers an intelligent logistics management solution integrating with order management, warehouse management, and order fulfilment systems. The system offers a fully customisable logistics solution to enhance throughput to meet customers’ demands and optimise operational resources and improve inventory management.

“Signode’s StorFast ASRS delivers a fully integrated warehouse automation system solution to maximise operational savings for the supply chain,” said Byron J. Paul, Group President, Signode. “Our customers are increasingly looking to invest in smart automation solutions. Signode is responding, as our organisation has for the past 100 years. We’re collaborating with our customers to help them achieve greater profitability by delivering new technologies and equipment that provide faster throughput, uptime and operational efficiency.”

In addition to the ASRS, the Signode automation product portfolio includes a full range of robot-based depalletising, palletising and material handling solutions, all providing cost and performance advantages over other traditional warehouse systems.

Visitors to MODEX 2022 will be able to see the technology in action at booth B2013.

 

Yodel invests £1m+ in own sortation system

Posted on by David Priestman

Independent UK parcel carrier Yodel has invested over £1m in a state-of-the-art new sortation system that is specially designed to handle delicate and irregular shaped parcels. The investment follows a record year of growth for the business, with it scaling up capability to handle a broad range of specialist items.

The new system, called Merlin2, will be located at Yodel’s Shaw sorting centre and is the business’ second automated out-of-gauge sortation facility, following the success of the original Merlin which was introduced in Wednesbury (West Midlands) in 2019.

The system, created by Yodel’s engineers in response to needs of the booming online retail sector, is capable of processing up to 2,900 one-metre-long items per hour and will work alongside the larger fully automated sort at its Shaw (Greater Manchester) depot. Merlin2 is capable of handling items up to 1.8m long and 0.9m wide and will significantly increase the speed and efficiency of the out-of-gauge parcel sorting process.

Merlin2’s automation will also ensure that clients and customers benefit from greater visibility and traceability of their parcels throughout the network. By linking directly with Yodel’s billing systems, the system also provides greater speed and accuracy for invoice processing. Items that previously had to be manually sorted will now be automatically scanned, weighed, volumised and photographed.

With more consumers switching to online shopping, parcel carriers are having to handle increasing volumes of irregular shaped items. By implementing the system in a second sort centre, Yodel can support the sorting of a larger volume of parcels every day, facilitating further growth and supporting the trend that saw Yodel move into profit for the first time in 2021.

Carl Moore, COO, Yodel, explained: “Increasing visibility across our sorting process reduces opportunities for parcels to be misplaced and means packages can travel from our clients and to consumers much faster, meeting the greater demand for a more seamless service. The system’s design also makes for a safer work environment for our colleagues by reducing the physical demands of the work at our sort centres and reducing the risk of strain and injury.”

Mike Hancox, CEO, Yodel, commented: “Yodel has seen dramatic growth alongside much of the sector in the last year and a half. Expanding the Merlin system to more sort centres allows us to continue responding to the demands of the growing online retail market. By increasing visibility across our sorting process, we can strengthen Yodel’s position as the parcel carrier of choice.”

Shaw is one of Yodel’s three central sort centres. Packages are sorted at Shaw before being sent on to one of Yodel’s depots around the UK, where they are passed on to final-mile drivers for delivery to customers.

Aicobotix demos QiCHECK-2 at WOF Expo

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Slovakian start-up Aicobotix launched an upgraded version of its QiCHECK Solutions recognition system at the recent WOF Expo in Bratislava. QiCHECK-2 uses a camera for object recognition and the entire system learns on the spot based on the recognition of good samples.

In this way, the conformity of the product, assembly, type and quality can be checked by accurate comparison with good samples. If an incorrect sample is detected, the operator is informed immediately.

The camera sees the scene, recognises it then evaluates the category in which it is to be placed. The whole learning process is quick and can be handled by a normal operator, which is a good feature when production changes.

All recognition results are also available online via a standard web browser. Deployment does not require significant intervention in the existing line and the production data is processed in an easy-to-understand format. In addition, the entire solution can also be rented and its features tested.

At the WOF EXPO 2021, Aicobotix demonstrated stock recognition using QiCHECK-2 in this way. It recognised the categories ‘empty place’, ‘pallet in the right place’ and ‘pallet with sweets’. The categories were recognised by a camera placed above the test area and the system quickly interpreted the visual image of the virtual warehouse.

Here again, the company demonstrated how quickly QiCHECK-2 could learn what was good housekeeping when changing the desired behaviour.

The camera as a smart sensor represents a visual system with an extremely fast implementation. In doing so, the camera sensor identifies changes in the scene with the support of machine learning. The entire system is suitable for plants with conveyors and can inspect multiple parts at once. It only needs a moment to evaluate and no special knowledge is required to learn it on-site at the production site.

WATCH THIS VIDEO to learn more.

 

Conveying the right solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Japanese engineering specialist Itoh Denki believes it can help integrators and OEMs looking to find intralogistics conveying solutions for the new economy. Logistics Business magazine editor Paul Hamblin reports.

In a logistics world in which there needs to be room for businesses of all shapes and sizes, it follows that the conventional logistics model needs to be challenged. Yes, the big players will still need their large Build-to-Suit warehouses, and vast, multi-tenanted logistics parks are undoubtedly here to stay. But what about ecommerce providers looking for professional, fast logistics?

These companies might be small – but they might grow very fast, in which case they need agility, flexibility. Most of all, they want ease of payment alongside ease of use. Not for them the vast capital expenditures on logistics of those giants who can make such facilities so cost-effective. Ideally, they want state-of-the-art logistics capability without necessarily needing the building asset that goes with it.

Japanese-founded engineering specialist Itoh Denki, which has worked with integrators and OEMs in logistics for many decades in the supply of rollers and conveying components, has recognised this pattern. It has identified a trend, notably in Japan where land use is at a premium, but increasingly in Europe, for multi-storey, multi-tenanted logistics spaces deployed with a pay-per-use sharing model.

“Think of it as Hotel Logistics,” quips Tatsuya (Ted) Akashi, Itoh Denki MD Europe. “You come and go as agreed, you can stay for longer if you wish and you only pay for those times.”

Recognising that reliable, flexible sortation is key to this business model, Itoh Denki has brought its Diverter-Centric Sorting to the market. Best known for Motorised Driver Roller (MDR) technology, Itoh Denki’s footprint in Europe has now expanded to include a fully capable Amsterdam Tech Centre to complement its base in St Pierre, France where the MDRs are given final assembly.

Alexander Gigerl, Technical Sales Manager, explains the Diverter-Centric sorting business case by pointing out that the high throughput of the traditional crossbelt sorter comes with a correspondingly high cost. He says that Itoh Denki’s F-RAT (Flat Right Angle Transfer) will bring down those costs dramatically, but without necessarily the very high throughputs some customers require. The company’s MABS (Multi Angle Ball Sorter) also brings with it considerable cost savings versus the cross belt but with three times the throughput of the FRAT. The combination means that Itoh Denki can offer a powerful hybrid solution to suit a variety of budgets and requirements.

An enormous variety of package sizes can be smoothly transported, even the most fragile loads. The list of benefits includes the flexibility and scalability that comes from a fully modular system. Maintenance and service is another plus, because faults can be sourced and fixed quickly via this modularity, without unnecessary and profit-killing downtime. Safety and comfort of workers is promised by the optimised footprint of the layout and the super-quiet, no pneumatics, 24v DC power source.

It is fully CE compliant, which means costs will not be incurred in installing extra safety facilities or barriers in the vicinity. Energy efficiency is assured by on-demand operation, the motor driven only when a load enters the zone.

The central 90° technology of the F-RAT offers the benefit of transfer without changing levels. Meanwhile, the MABS solution offers 30, 45 and 90° transfer.

Itoh Denki emphasises that it will not be selling direct to end users and will continue to work with its established OEM partners to ensure end user customer delight.

Edeka Group Plots Sophisticated DC

Posted on by David Priestman

The new logistics centre of German food group EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen mbH located in Marktredwitz, is currently under construction and will start operations in mid-2024 – both technologically and economically. It will supply some 900 stores in parts of Franconia, the Upper Palatinate, Saxony, and Thuringia with almost 28,000 different items from the dry goods range, fruits, vegetables, gourmet foods, frozen products, and flowers.

The facility with a size of approx. 100,000 sq m is designed for a peak picking performance of 583,000 cases per day. Spread across all logistics areas, 66,000 pallet storage locations, 730,000 tote, and tray storage locations, as well as 139 stacker cranes are connected by an efficient material flow – intelligently controlled by advanced logistics and IT systems.

EDEKA’s eighth OPM warehouse

As in the EDEKA distribution centres in Oberhausen, Landsberg, Zarrentin, and Berbersdorf, as well as in the NETTO distribution centres in Erharting and Henstedt, WITRON Logistik + Informatik GmbH from Parkstein is responsible for the complete design, implementation, and commissioning as a logistics lifetime partner. This also includes the design and implementation of all IT, control, and mechanical components. Furthermore, a WITRON Onsite team takes care of service, maintenance, and a constantly high system availability of this distribution centre.

A future expansion of the Marktredwitz site is already part of the current logistics design. “The investment secures a large number of jobs not only in Marktredwitz, but far beyond the region,” says Rainer Kämpgen, Logistics Director of EDEKA Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen. “At the same time, it stands for a good and reliable supply of people in the long-term, especially in our rural Bavarian region.”

“WITRON’s task was to develop a technical and economic end-to-end solution,” says Kämpgen. “End-to-end within the internal supply chain – from receiving to shipping. End-to-end within the external supply chain – from the supplier to the distribution centre, transportation, and to the stores. End-to-end in terms of temperature zones and product groups: Dry, fresh, gourmet food, fruits, vegetables, frozen products. End-to-end in terms of the cases and load carriers to be picked: Piece picking, case picking, totes, half pallets, full pallets, roll containers, and insulated containers. WITRON has convincingly succeeded in meeting these requirements.”

High level of automation

Similar to the Berbersdorf site, EDEKA in Marktredwitz relies again on a fully automated WITRON system for the distribution of sensitive fruit and vegetable products. Thus, it is possible to successfully relieve the logistics operators from unergonomic work in a temperature-controlled work environment. More than 1,000 different products are stored here in a temperature range between +7°C and +10°C.

The logistical centrepiece of the fruit and vegetable area is WITRON’s intelligent and modular Automated Tote System (ATS) with nine stacker cranes and 42,500 tote storage locations. Plastic totes of the size 600 x 400 and 400 x 300mm are used as well. With the ATS, totes (stacks) already filled with goods by the supplier are received fully automatically, destacked, buffered, picked, stacked on a dispatch unit according to customer or store requirements, and made available for shipping.

More than 3,500 different gourmet food items such as ready meals, salad menus, or convenience products are picked by the WITRON OPM technology in the temperature range +4°C/+6°C with six COM machines onto pallets or roll containers in a store-friendly manner and without the need for personnel. The semi-automated CPS system (Car Picking System) is also used in this assortment area. With CPS, the items are placed in the pick front by stacker cranes as required and then stacked onto the load carriers by the logistics staff in a route-optimized and store-friendly manner using pick-by-voice technology.

Module mix ensures high flexibility

The dry goods assortment is the product range with the highest throughput, handling 65% of all units. Here too, fully or semi-automated systems handle the processing of cases, single-item picking, and the store-friendly consolidation of display pallets with maximum efficiency.

The implementation includes an OPM system with 18 COM machines, an All-in-One Order Fulfilment System (AIO) with 20 ergonomic piece picking workstations, a Car Picking System (CPS) for the semi-automated picking of heavy or bulky items, as well as a Display Pallet Picking System (DPP), which consolidates customer orders consisting of different half and quarter pallets in a separate high bay warehouse in line with customer requirements.

All dry goods orders are consolidated by a fully automated shipping buffer, which, in addition to pallets and roll containers of the dry goods assortment, also provides deep-freeze containers to the loading personnel just-in-time for delivery via heavy-duty lanes, sorted according to route and unloading points.

Pick-by-voice

The distribution centre in Marktredwitz stores and picks flowers and frozen items using a pick-by-voice system and controlled by a WITRON WMS. The picking of frozen goods takes place at -18 degrees Celsius or -22 degrees Celsius directly into the deep-freeze containers.

“True to the credo ‘technology from people for people’, EDEKA and WITRON always aim to focus on the five key issues – service level for the stores, cost-efficiency, people, sustainability, and flexibility,” says Kämpgen. “When it comes to service level, EDEKA merchants and all consumers benefit first and foremost in terms of premium customer service made possible by holistic and cost-efficient processes within the internal and external logistics supply chain.

“When it comes to people, it is the employees in the stores who benefit from the highly efficient goods handling based on store-friendly picked load carriers – and, of course, all staff members in the EDEKA logistics centres who benefit from ergonomic and leading-edge workstations.

“Sustainability is addressed in many ways – for example through significant CO2 savings due to densely packed load carriers, optimal truck utilization, and fewer trucks on the roads. Furthermore, through footprint savings in construction, and significant reduction of excess goods, breakage, and waste. In addition, flexibility and expandability also ensure future viability. With that permanently changing market requirements can be met quickly and flexibly.”

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