A sophisticated conveyor system with a high degree of computer-based automation and control has been designed and installed by European Conveyor Systems to serve the order-picking function in a new distribution centre opened by a leading manufacturer of navigation and communications products.
The system was required to respond to rapidly expanding sales, reduce the amount of manual handling and walking in the warehouse and to improve on pick accuracy. Altogether, 850 metres of conveyor link 16 zones in the picking area with the despatch area. Some 500 orders a week are completed for distributors and subsidiaries, and a further 900 items a week go to individual customers who have ordered via the internet.
The products are stored in 12,000m2 of warehousing space equipped with 5000 pallet locations, 1500 bulk pick locations and 900 small pick locations. At order start an order is associated to a specific tote by scanning the bar-code with a hand-held data logic scanner linked to the conveyor control system. The tote, which then holds its picking zone destinations and despatch destination information, is conveyed around the system to fulfil its order request.
At the pick stations staff use RF wrist scanners to confirm correct product pick and quantity and provide live inventory control to the warehouse management system. If a tote becomes full, staff at a pick station can add another via the conveyor control system. Completed orders are conveyed automatically to one of six despatch lanes where they are checked and packed.
The conveyor control system has a complete SCADA over-view of every section of the conveyor, which gives management real-time information about the order-picking situation, so that staff can be deployed in the most efficient way. The SCADA system also allows precise identification of faults or problems for maintenance and repair.
At present all the picking zones are on the ground floor, but the conveyor system has been designed so that a first-floor mezzanine can be used as a secondary picking area relatively easily in the future as sales increase.
European Conveyor Systems Ltd
Tel: 0115 987 4363
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