Warehouse automation specialist KNAPP has just delivered a handling solution to TUS, the leading supermarket group in Slovenia. At the TUS distribution centre in Celje, KNAPP has employed various order picking technologies – including pick-by-voice, pick-to-light and RF picking – to maximise efficiency in each area of the warehouse.
For fresh and chilled products, KNAPP’s high-performance OSR (Order, Storage & Retrieval) shuttle-based storage system is integrated into the workflow. The OSR automatically feeds goods required for orders to its three goods-to-person picking stations. The system achieves six times the rate of totes in/out than a standard ASRS, while using less than 10% of the energy consumption.
Internal transport at TUS is supported by KiSoft AUTOMOVE, KNAPP’s solution for equipping low-level order picking trucks with laser navigation. Each truck can undertake long driving tasks, such as collecting empty pallets, on its own. Then the truck automatically escorts the picker, who is equipped with pick-by-voice, to the required pick locations. The AUTOMOVE solution ensures maximum staff availability for picking and the use of a voice system allows staff to use both hands for this task. Pick-by-voice typically shows an increase in picking performance over paper picking of up to 35% and over handheld scanner operations of up to 15%, with a return on investment of less than 12 months.
KNAPP’s own warehouse management system, KiSoft WMS, optimises all warehouse operations for the Celje facility, with the material flow from the dispatch ramp to the customer being controlled by KiSoft Track&Trace, including delivery control, load carrier tracing and returns handling.
Beverage expertise
When German Coca-Cola licence holder, Getränke-Industrie Hamburg (GIH), wanted a batch-tracking system that would optimise its logistics operations, KNAPP was appointed to implement software-supported block storage management and voice-controlled order picking. KNAPP implemented KiSoft WMS and KiSoft VOICE, together with its G-CONTROL and G-TRACK forklift management systems.
The WMS is linked to Coca-Cola’s ERP system and is responsible for storage strategies, product expiry date management, order sequencing and batch management. The G-CONTROL forklift management system knows where every lift truck is located at any precise moment and allocates transport orders to the nearest available truck. G-TRACK records all forklift pallet movements and reports them to the WMS and G-CONTROL, forwarding the unique pallet ID numbers and their locations. Thus, all stock movements – as well as any cases of breakage, theft or damage – are recorded by the system.
KNAPP UK Ltd
Tel: 01844 202149
Email: sales.uk@knapp.com
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