German healthcare products supplier, ProServ, operates in the Cologne area, serving hospitals and clinics with a wide range of products from artificial hip joints to catering menu cards. When ProServ redesigned operations at its 4000m2 warehouse at Pulheim-Brauweiler, the company opted for the OSR Shuttle™ solution from KNAPP.
As ProServ delivers to hospitals and larger health facilities, its orders can include up to 400 containers. These are delivered directly to the relevant departments or storage areas, so containers need to be consolidated in the warehouse in reverse order and supplied to dispatch in an exact sequence. With non-stop operation in the warehouse and order processing over two shifts, the order structure requires reliable replenishment to ensure smooth workflows. KNAPP supplied its multifunctional OSR Shuttle™ to handle all the central warehouse processes.
More than simply space-saving storage
The OSR Shuttle™ at ProServ features 17 shuttles to provide a total of 3,720 storage locations that span all four floors of the building. As these accommodate containers weighing up to 30 kg in three different dimensions, the various levels of the OSR Shuttle™ have different heights, with the control software KiSoft SRC assigning each container to a suitable storage location. KNAPP’s KiSoft WMS warehouse management software controls, monitors and manages numerous processes – from goods-in, consolidation and order picking to lot tracking, replenishment control, cross-docking and the handling of returns – while KiSoft i-POINT is used as visualization software. Each OSR Shuttle™ rack line has two independently operating lift units. With horizontal and vertical transport decoupled by the use of shuttles and lifts, optimal availability and throughput are guaranteed, making consistent throughput independent of order structure possible.
Automatic replenishment
The OSR Shuttle™ automatically replenishes the flow racks for manual picking as required and also provides storage for overstock. A total of 11 stations are available for manual picking, with RF terminals guiding staff from one storage location to the next to ensure efficient, paperless order processing and enhanced picking accuracy. Containers are transported to the OSR Shuttle™ store for dispatch buffering. Oversized products are stored in pallet flow racks, which are automatically replenished by a rail-guided transfer shuttle, with empty pallets being transported to a collection point and stacked automatically. Products are picked from the pallet flow racks using pick-to-belt and RF technologies, with goods transferred to containers at an automatic tray-loading station.
Dispatch sequencing
All containers are temporarily stored in the OSR Shuttle™ system. The desired sequence of containers is generated on the container loop upstream of the OSR Shuttle™. After sequencing, the containers are conveyed to the repack stations and loaded into the transport vehicle, having already received an address label at an automatic label insert station.
KNAPP
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