Case Study: Midwest Express

Automotive companies that manufacture using just-in-time processes depend on their parts arriving when scheduled and ready for production. Any delays can cause significant problems that can ripple throughout the entire plant.

Midwest Express, an 3PL that serves automotive manufacturers, has a 213,000-square-foot distribution center in East Liberty, Ohio. It receives parts from suppliers all over the world and then feeds them to four assembly plants and two drivetrain facilities.

Midwest Express reached out to DMW&H, warehouse consulting and systems integration company, to find a solution to these key con-cerns. Midwest Express had worked with DMW&H previously on another project and had confidence in its solutions. After exploring a number of options, the Muratec FX Quad AS/RS was selected.

The results of the move to automation have been impressive. The AS/RS stores parts in 18,000 locations, yet occupies a footprint of only 10,600 square feet. In replacing the previous manual picking areas, the new system freed up 35,000 square feet of space in the building for other operations. As provided by DMW&H