Sorter improves order fulfilment
August 1st 2006

An automated sortation system from SDI Greenstone has enabled Spanish childrenswear supplier, Millamed, to dramatically improve order fulfilment operations at its distribution warehouse in Malaga. The new system will handle in just one day what was previously taking Millamed a week to achieve.

To cope with growth, Millamed needed to speedup order processing at its new 12,000m2 centre.

Orders were being assembled manually for its 168 outlets in Spain, Portugal, the Middle East and South America, and the company was only able to complete two full picks each week.

The automated sorter from SDI Greenstone has solved the problem – not just for the present, but for the foreseeable future too, giving Millamed the capacity to cope with anticipated expansion over the next few years. The sortation system is now handling two full picking waves each day for the Charanga stores, as well as a single complete pick for the Factory Outlets.

The sorter comprises a 43m long carousel, installed on steel framework 3.5m above floor level. Travelling round inside the carousel are 118 sets of steel trays with hinged twin base flaps – 'bomb bays'. It is used to handle flat garments, packed in plastic bags, which comprise around 60% of the items despatched.

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