SECTOR REPORTS

WAREHOUSE UPDATE: AS/RS

Optimizing Your Warehouse with AS/RS

Making the case for automation becomes easier as the benefits become more apparent. By Maria Hoffman

utomated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) can help improve food and beverage warehousing companies by quickly moving high volumes of products and increasing visibility in the warehouse. The added benefit of energy efficiency, more strategic use of labor, and improved supply chain velocity are making the case for AS/RS even more compelling.

Streamlining operations
Industry experts have noticed a high turnover rate for employees, particularly in freezer applications. People dont want to work in frozen environments, says Bill Leber, business development, warehouse & distribution solutions, of Swisslog, headquartered in Paramus, New Jersey. They tend to be less accurate in frozen environments. Warehouse employees are also less likely to stay inside of a freezer environment in comparison to a regular warehouse environment due to employees needing to take periodic breaks in order to warm up. The concept of creating a blended warehouse with manual labor and AS/RS is also gaining traction, especially in the U.S. A blended approach can help food and beverage companies address issues that may be occurring in the warehouse while decreasing the initial cost of the automation equipment. At the same time, environmental initiatives for most companies are becoming more important as a way to mitigate energy consumption and trim costs. Automated systems are designed to streamline operational flow to optimize product movement in the warehouse, says Pete Hartman, president of Victor, New Yorkbased Retrotech. By reducing unnecessary product movement, it reduces the amount of energy used to move that product. Despite the upfront investment, AS/RS can generate various benefits for a range of food and beverage companies. 26
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Dematics HK3000RF AS/RS, which can be retrofitted to existing warehouses, has a rotating fork that picks from either side of a racking aisle.

Easy to integrate
Automated storage and retrieval systems have become more dependable and better integrated with warehouse management systems and warehouse control systems in recent years. They are also becoming more adaptable in traditional warehouses. And, AS/RS provides an immediate solution for food and beverage companies and warehouse operators who are looking to free up additional floor space. Using AS/RS saves a tremendous amount of floor space in a building, notes Sean OFarrell, market development director of

Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Dematic Corporation. Accuracy increases as well because once AS/RS takes a load away they will be assigned a position within the storage racks and theyll retrieve it without any errors, as long as it was labeled properly. Another advantage of utilizing AS/RS is to gain real time visibility into warehouse inventoryknowing what product is available and where its located. Increased visibility makes it possible to reduce the amount of days-onhand (DOH) inventory, which helps keep perishables from spoiling, in turn keeping costs in check and customers happy.

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If [managers] can turn the inventory quicker, they can reduce the days-on-hand [and] extend the shelf life of the product, says OFarrell.

Choosing the right equipment

There are various systems in the marketplace that can assist in creating a more efficient environment in the warehouse, but which is right for your company? If creating a greener warehouse environment while simultaneously moving food and beverage products in a timely manner is the goal, then York, Pennsylvania-based Westfalia has an AS/RS that deserves a look. Westfalias High-Density AS/RS, which has the ability to store 2 to 12 pallets (or containers) deep, has a low impact on the environment. The system can help save a food or beverage company up to 30 percent in energy costs associated with refrigerated warehouses. Their equipment also utilizes a first in/first out (FIFO) method, which is extremely beneficial for perishable products. Earlier this year, Germantown, Wisconsinbased Gehl Foods, Inc. expanded their order processing procedures with the use of West-

falias High-Density AS/RS, while remaining in their existing 22 high warehouse. Gehl Foods not only nearly tripled their storage space, but also had considerable operational savings. In addition, Charlotte, North Carolinabased Schaefer Systems International also

...it uses up to 40 percent less space to store the same amount of product as a nonautomated system.
offers various types of AS/RS equipment. Their specially-designed equipment can function in extreme conditions, such as deep-freezer applications as cold as minus 28 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 33.33 degrees Celsius). TGW Systems mini-load AS/RS twinmast stacker crane, Stratus, is one of TGWs fastest automated storage and retrieval systems, with a max travel speed of 13.1 ft/s (4

m/s) and a max lifting speed of 6.6 ft/s (2 m/s). We have consistently pushed the performance envelope of the industry from a throughput perspective, says Tom Swovick, integrated systems sales manager, TGW Systems, Spring Lake, Michigan. We achieve this very high performance as a result of our rigorous design and precise manufacturing methodologies. Dematics Multishuttle can handle many different carton sizes, which can be placed directly onto the rack or the shelf itself. According to Dematics OFarrell, this technology is much more flexible and faster in comparison to mini-load AS/RS technology and can also help sequence and sort the loads. Swisslogs Vectura AS/RS is customizable to a number of pallet configurations, such as single, double, triple or multi-deep stacking applications with a max travel speed of 13 ft/s (4 m/s) and a max lifting speed of 5 ft/s (1.5 m/s). The Vectura can also function efficiently in deep-freezer applications down to minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 30 degrees Celsius). Lakeland, Florida-based Publix Super Mar-

A well-designed warehouse storage optimization system always has room for dessert.
No matter how many SKUs there are in your product line, the design and engineering teams at Westfalia Technologies can customize warehouse solutions that maximize storage, optimize product flow, reduce costs and keep perishables rotating through your system. So whether youre moving fresh, frozen or extended shelf-life products, Westfalia has a solution that fits your needs. Contact Westfalia for your custom solution today, or visit us at www.WestfaliaUSA.com to read about our successes in the food industry or visit us at:

Booth# 6557

Booth# S-1057

Westfalia Technologies, Inc. 3655 Sandhurst Drive York, PA 17406 717-764-1115 www.WestfaliaUSA.com

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INNOVATION THAT DELIVERS

Learn how CooLift can help deliver:

A 50% increase in driver productivity A reduction in your fleet operating costs (less carbon footprint) An integrated warehouse automation solution A reduction in worker comp related injuries

With over 1,000 CooLift Systems implemented in the US, find out why more companies are turning to Magline to improve their supply chain performance.

Magline, Inc. Standish, MI 48658 1-800-624-5463

www.magliner.com

ket has plans to implement Swisslogs AS/RS equipment at their distribution center. This investment is consistent with our continuing strategy of improving systems and efficiencies that will ultimately reinforce the premier service our customers have grown to know and expect from us, states Publix vice president of distribution, Richard Schuler, in a press release. Publix plans to create an automated frozen food storage and distribution center in order to boost customer service and warehouse efficiency. For Retrotechs part, their equipment lineup includes their ACTIV High Density Storage System, which sorts units in an exact loading sequence. Due to its high-density characteristics, it uses up to 40 percent less space to store the same amount of product as a non-automated system, says Hartman. Fast movers are more accessible and slow movers are positioned out of the way, so loads can be staged and sequenced for trailer loading. The ACTIV System is expandable to support future business goals and it integrates seamlessly with other material handling systems. The ACTIV System assists food and beverage managers with proper inventory control
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in addition to lowering overall handling costs.

Developing trends
With growing concerns related to food quality and safety along with efforts to reduce spoiled product, industry experts expect to see an ongoing movement towards AS/RS in the U.S. Furthermore, the challenges with staffing a refrigerated warehouse are also pushing warehouse operators to become more

semi-automated or fully automated. According to Bryan Duncan, executive account manager in the automated systems division of Schaefer Systems International, another trend developing in the U.S. is the increasing popularity of rack support AS/RS buildings. Its been around for a while, but its becoming more accepted and more mainstream, he says.

SSI Schaefer offers high performance solutions with standardized automated processes from receiving to shipping.
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