The Overview:
A global beverage manufacturer of beer, spirits, soft drink, and foods faced serious strain from increased demand. An inability to consolidate shipping cases and store products efficiently—plus heavy reliance on manual forklifts—created problems with labor and safety. Murata Machinery USA introduced automation to improve the order and shipping process substantially. With fewer employees. And fewer forklifts.
The Situation:
The beverage manufacturer was challenged when orders increased by more than 20,000 picks daily. Their equipment was unable to consolidate cases, store, pick, and ship at the higher levels, and the company struggled to find quality employees for peak days and seasonal shifts. They also had high worker injuries from using manual forklifts and inconsistent safety measures. Limited storage capacity in a warehouse with a low ceiling ruled out an AS/RS to maximize picking input and output.
The Solution:
Murata engineered, designed, and installed a custom AS/RS storage and retrieval system that includes a free-size Uni-Shuttle with 23 shuttles, integrated with a goods-to-person (G2P) picking system, with these advantages:
• Maximizes storage and efficiency with limited warehouse space and a formerly problematic low ceiling
• Handles multiple tote and case sizes: 17.7” high X 23.62” wide, 13.78” to 19.69” long
• Presents fast-moving items to picking operators, with slower moving items presented only as needed
• Tracks inventory and manages the G2P picking processes through customized software
The Result:
Muratec’s custom-designed AS/RS increased order and shipping process performance by 45%. The system had a 3,650-case per hour storage and retrieval throughput.
The Bottom Line:
The increased order and shipping performance and throughput resulted in a $500,000 annual reduction in logistics costs. The beverage factory could handle more SKUs with fewer employees and operated with fewer manual forklift operators.
By improving perfomance, the AS/RS eliminated unreliable inventory bottleneck and picking process, with less walking for employees, so their focus on picking increased.
Products Used:
