JBT Corporation and Swisslog enter into partnership for Automated Guided Vehicles

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Clear market leader for Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) solutions in hospitals

Buchs/Aarau and Chicago, 2 February 2012 – Swisslog and JBT Corporation have entered into a partnership agreement to develop and manufacture state-of-the-art AGVs for hospitals.

With this agreement, a new AGV product line will be jointly developed and marketed from 2013 onwards. The alliance further strengthens Swisslog’s reputation as a leading provider of logistics solutions for hospitals. JBT will supply all jointly developed AGVs and software products and benefit from Swisslog’s extensive sales and service network and its customer base.

“We are enthusiastic about this agreement as it will create the clear market leader for AGV solutions in hospitals,” notes Karl Pühringer, Head of Swisslog’s Healthcare Solutions division. “The strength of the partnership is the result of JBT being one of the largest AGV companies worldwide and Swisslog’s positioning as a leading provider of logistics solutions for hospitals.”

“The partnership will leverage the knowledge and expertise of both companies to produce a state-of-the-art AGV product for hospitals,” explains John Lee, Vice President of JBT AeroTech Division.“ This is a win-win scenario, with JBT supplying all of the jointly developed products and Swisslog leading the sales, project realization and customer support efforts for the hospital market worldwide.”

Swisslog’s latest innovation unfreezes operations

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Underlining its commitment to continuous innovation, Swisslog has launched FreezerPick, its latest industry-specific solution. Cumbersome picking is moved out of the freezer into chilled environments, resulting in highly efficient order fulfillment. The FreezerPick design concept offers a compelling ROI by addressing all aspects of operational cost savings and providing improved ergonomics.

In response to recurring labor, efficiency and quality issues in deep-freeze warehousing, Swisslog has developed a materials handling solution to meet both the current and future challenges arising in this particular environment. FreezerPick improves operations for companies such as retailers, F&B manufacturers, 3PLs as well as pharmaceutical companies which handle frozen products and deliver directly to stores.

 “Swisslog thoroughly understands the customer requirements regarding deep-freeze,” notes James Sharples, Swisslog’s Head of Sales in the UK and one of the driving forces behind FreezerPick, adding that “customers can rely on Swisslog’s unique experience as we have realized over 50 deep-freeze solutions, 30 of which in the past 10 years.”

Efficiency at the forefront

At the heart of FreezerPick is the ergonomically optimized goods-to-person picking located in the chilled environment. Cases are delivered in store shelf sequence to the picker. Straight after picking, order pallets are lowered back into the deep-freeze environment with orders ready to be dispatched. This ensures cases stay in chilled environments for a few minutes only, complying with all major regulations. Besides the significantly more efficient picking process, pickers are no longer exposed to the harsh deep-freeze environment.

Scalable and flexible solution

FreezerPick is based on four different systems: Pallet Storage, Miniload Buffer Storage, Case Picking and Layer Picking. The innovative solution is highly scalable and flexible in operation, allowing it to be tailored to each customer’s requirements. FreezerPick is designed for single case picking, automated layer-pallet building, and full pallet out-feed. A fully automated version is also available. FreezerPick is the latest addition to Swisslog’s string of technologies developed for automated materials handling systems, reinforcing its competence in the design, realization and maintenance of complete solutions over their entire life cycle.

A string of benefits

FreezerPick offers a wide range of benefits: tailored solutions, highly efficient picking, space savings due to high-bay warehouse storage, reduced energy consumption through optimized equipment and building size, higher accuracy of order fulfillment and last, but not least, lower fluctuation and health costs as a result of ergonomically-optimized workstations and a friendlier work environment. These benefits add up to a compelling ROI in both monetary and qualitative terms.

More detailed information about features and benefits of FreezerPick can be found on our homepage: www.swisslog.com/FreezerPick.

The Advantages of Camera Systems for the Data Acquisition in Intralogistics

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Summary or full Full report here 2011_04_whitepaper_advantages_camera_for_data_aquisition_intralogistics

In intralogistics, customer-related and object-related data of goods is acquired and processed at various locations. Laser scanners and camera systems are currently used for this purpose. While the former already are widely used, camera-based systems still play only a minor role on a global scale.

Camera systems provide significant advantages in comparison with conventional technology: they increase the degree of automation, accelerate processes, increase the efficiency and productivity in personnel placement and reduce the logistics costs per article.

Camera systems
acquire images and obtain more usable information therefrom,

register objects with a higher read rate (registered objects per total number of objects) and produce fewer non-readable objects (NoReads),

immediately display the read result and the image of the object and thusly allow an evaluation in real time,

make it possible to acquire additional data such as the volume and the weight of the object and to use this data for storage and logistics processes,

read more data types such as diverse 2D-codes and plain text (OCR),

allow read rates of 100% due to the utilization of video coding (supplementing missing information based on the evaluation of the images by employees),

are able to read several different code types at once

also register the smallest or damaged codes, codes under foil and on the underside of goods,

register colored and low-contrast codes (only when using white LED lighting),

make it possible to archive and purposefully evaluate the images for process optimizations,

produce documented evidence for customers in the form of images with all data for the archive.

The sum of all advantages of camera systems in intralogistics leads to sustained efficiency gains and cost reductions over the entire process chain, as well as to a faster amortization of investments.

Does choosing a cloud based WMS limit your opportunities to grow?

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Many suppliers have recently been promoting the advantages of cloud based Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), but is this a case of jumping on the bandwagon without considering all the implications?  Logistex’s Head of Sales and Solutions Derek Kay considers what cloud technology means for the industry.

“For a smaller business with a manual warehouse operation, cloud technology initially appears to makes sense in many respects, particularly when combined with a software as a service (SaaS) payment option.  Cloud systems benefit from a large scale IT infrastructure with applications running on virtual servers hosted remotely from the warehouse site.  The disaster recovery plan is already in place and the customer does not need to worry about maintaining servers on site.”

But what does it really save? 

“To get the real benefit of a WMS you need to be using RF terminals to ensure accuracy in receipt, storage, picking and despatch operations.  RF terminals require an RF infrastructure, the maintenance of which needs to be someone’s responsibility. It’s possible to outsource this support to your WMS provider or third party, but how long can you afford for the operation or at least part of it to be out of service while they respond with a site visit?  A cloud based WMS also needs a reliable internet connection and an internal IT infrastructure to connect local PCs and peripheral equipment.

So in reality someone on site needs to be responsible for internal IT support regardless.”

“These are not uncommon arguments against use of a cloud WMS.  However one key argument always seems to be overlooked.  Most businesses have aspirations to grow – and growth generally requires increased throughput and improved efficiency. So what happens when you realise that to get these improvements you need to move to some level of automation, no matter how simple?”

“The general opinion is that you need to have an on-site Warehouse Control System (WCS) to integrate and control the materials handling equipment (MHE).  So now you have a WMS hosted remotely and a WCS hosted locally, communicating over the internet, which can mean you’re paying for two systems, often from two suppliers.

Many WMS vendors specifically avoid any responsibility for WCS functionality, focussing only on non-automated operations.  However this can preclude their customers from receiving the benefits that come with efficient use of MHE.”

“Logistex’s LWS Reflex Warehouse Management System is different because it includes an inbuilt WCS capable of controlling and managing all of the typical MHE found in a modern warehouse.  LWS Reflex can be deployed initially as a cloud solution but when growth leads to automation the application can be directly transferred to local servers and immediately make use of its WCS capabilities.”

“The question that needs to be asked when considering a cloud based WMS should really be – ‘Do I want my business to grow and will this system limit that?’  LWS Reflex allows the user to pick and pay for any selection from a comprehensive suite of pre-installed features, as and when they need.  So as a business grows and changes, the inventory management and control process matches the client’s needs step-by-step.  The cost reflects actual usage of selected features, delivering fast pay back and ROI.”

“Designed to work with ERP, SAP and other Enterprise systems, LWS Reflex is ideal for warehousing, manufacturing and assembly environments – and its ability to handle single item applications makes it a highly effective tool for fast-growing E-tailing and catalogue operations.

This is not to say that cloud computing will not have a huge impact on how we share and manage data.  Hybrid cloud computing in which enterprises extend their

resources to public clouds may well be the trend of the future.”

“In addition to providing reliability and scalability of public clouds, hybrid cloud computing has the appeal of providing the most suitable environment for some applications, such as databases, that run better on a dedicated server than on a shared server.  What is important as with any new technology is to understand both its advantages and limitations and to ensure it fully integrates with established and proven systems”.

Future Material Handling – Getting on track to win

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Lord Digby Jones to be keynote speaker at AMHSA’s 2012 symposium The Automated Material Handling Systems Association (AMHSA) has revealed plans to hold another of its successful ‘symposium’ events in May 2012.

Taking place on Wednesday 2 May 2012 at Silverstone racetrack, the symposium – entitled ‘Future Material Handling – Getting on track to win’ – will bring together supply chain directors and senior management to discuss the likely developments in material handling over the next five years and the key role that automation and software will play. Heading up an impressive roll call of speakers will be Lord Digby Jones, formerly Director General of the CBI and Minister of UK Trade & Investment. Also taking the podium to share their invaluable experience will be Tom Hebbert, Supply Chain System and Development Director (UK and Ireland) at Tesco; Jason Keegan, Head of General Merchandise Logistics at Marks and Spencer; Brian McDill, Solutions and Operational Director at Norbert Dentressangle; Professor David Menachof of Hull University Business School; and Mike Vernon of AMHSA. Located at the home of British motorsport, near to Towcester, the venue for the symposium will be the brand-new Silverstone Wing, which features state-of-the-art conference facilities. The ‘early bird’ delegate rate of £85 includes refreshments and a buffet lunch, plus the chance to win a driving experience at the legendary race circuit. For more details or to book one of the limited number of delegate places, please visit www.amhsa.co.uk/symposium.

Heinz use Joloda to go green!

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Joloda have just completed another installation of an automatic loading dock for the famous Heinz company we all know and love.

The Heinz site in Wigan produces all the Beans, Spaghetti and Tomato soup we eat everyday and also stores the products there in their NDC for UK supermarket distribution.

By using a Joloda automatic loading system, it reduces the need for forklift trucks which reduces carbon emissions. Also, the automatic system moves the pallets to the very end of the trailer so all space is utilized, meaning less trailer trips needed.

Heinz have already been using 2 Slipchain automatic loading/unloading docks installed by Joloda nearly 12 years ago, one at the factory and 1 at their NDC.  However with the increase in product portfolio over the last few years of HP sauce, new flavours of beans and sauces and now also new packaging of beans to suit different lifestyles, their output from their factory has increased extensively that they needed another loading dock from Joloda in their network to increase capacity.

As well as the automatic dock systems, they have 4 slipchain shuttle trailers 16m long, which travel the distance of ½ mile, around 42 times per day.

The slipchain system they use handles up to 30 pallets per load and the trailers are loaded and unloaded in 2 minutes.  This dramatically speeds up the loading/unloading process of using forklifts which can take 30 minutes or more.

 

The Hydraroll Slip chain system incorporates pneumatically activated rise and fall chain and roller track giving high speed pallet accumulation and loading and unloading of full pallet loads. The pallets are automatically transferred from the dock into the trailers which are also fitted with a Hydraroll slipchain system. The slipchain system is used for short shuttles.

This system is used worldwide by many well known everyday brands, Princes, Nestle, Coors Brewers, Unilever, Proctor & Gamble, Pepsi-co to name a few.

They are saving several hours per day loading automatically instead of forklift loading, saving costs on forklifts and working a much safer and environmentally friendly loading process.

Logistex upgrade adds improved performance and new life to automated warehouse

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Logistex has recently completed an extensive modernisation and upgrade programme to a leading distribution company’s automated high bay installation in Oxfordshire.  Originally installed by Logistex 1995, the system had served the client well during a lengthy time of changing market conditions. However what were once state-of-the-art technologies were starting to become obsolete and the client identified specific areas for improvement to help maintain its growth and competitiveness in the market.

The former aging, single client WMS software has been replaced by Logistex’s own Logistex Warehouse Management System (LWS), which now provides the user with multi-client capability, as well as improved productivity, flexibility and response. The result of several decades of experience in developing software systems, LWS is a user-friendly, modular and fully configurable single solution for warehouse management.

 

Logistex has also replaced the original Siemens S5 PLC controllers – which have been phased out by the manufacturer – with the latest Simatic S7 PLC, specifically designed for automated systems and with Profibus capability. They provide a more powerful and improved real-time response and have a larger program and data memory.  With a range of expansion modules the LWS can easily be adapted to respond to further developments and changes in demand.

The project will provide a far more flexible, future-proof and reliable system for the next decade at least, able to handle the mix of clients and products needed to maintain maximum profitable utilisation of the 217,000ft² facility.

Completed at a fraction of the cost of a full replacement programme and without the inevitable disruption, the investment required will require a far shorter payback period and a more positive ROI – a strong argument in favour of upgrades in the present economic climate.

The temperature controlled facility holds some 42,500 pallets with 550 SKUs and is served by ten Maestro automated fixed aisle cranes. Orders ranging from full pallet loads to multi-part shipments are dispatched seven days a week to leading retailers, wholesalers and other key accounts.

Logistex continues to provide fast, effective on-site support, ensuring the maximum up-time availability and performance.  Replacing older components in the system will ensure long-term continued spare parts availability and system reliability.

In a significant extension to its services, Logistex is now providing the client with full Site Engineering and Facilities Maintenance support covering almost every aspect of the building and systems – including handling and storage equipment, heating and energy management, utilities and services, building fabric inspections, safety and environmental issues, legislation compliance and insurance.