Order picking streamlined
December 1st 2011 Logistics director impressed by energy efficient
automated scheme, user friendly controls, increased
efficiency and an orderly flow of completed orders
Distributor of hand and powered
tools Toolbank prizes the wide
range of its stock profile and the
high levels of availability and customer
service.With increasing sales and a
determination to maintain its promise of
next day delivery, Toolbank appointed
Conveyor Systems Ltd (CSL) to
streamline the labour intensive order
picking process and flow of product
from stores located on three floor levels,
through to packaging and despatch from
its NDC at Halesowen.
After considering a number of options
that would provide versatility, flexibility
and future proofing, CSL presented its
system proposals using its latest 3D CAD
service that enables the customer to
evaluate design concepts in terms of
throughputs and product sortation.
The new system was designed and
manufactured to reduce manual handling,
improve efficiency and accuracy of order
picking. Increased productivity was
achieved by enabling staff to pick & place
products directly into tote boxes to be
conveyed to a central order consolidation
and packing area.
On the upper floor, slower moving
items are picked from storage and placed
into individual tote boxes. On completion
of an order, the tote is placed onto a heavy
duty powered roller conveyor that runs
along the end of each picking aisle in
order to enable the fastest and most
efficient batch picking process.
From the upper mezzanine, totes are
transported down an inclined belt
conveyor onto a powered roller conveyor
fitted to the outer edge of the middle
floor. This not only saves and optimises
on available space but enables totes from
both the upper and middle floors to use
the same conveyor.
Picked to order
Regular product lines are located on the
middle floor, picked to order from storage
into tote bins and placed at any point
along the whole length of the powered
roller conveyor, which runs alongside the
outer edge of the mezzanine. CSL
designed a specially strengthened
framework to support the mid-floor
conveyor above the length of a ground
floor corridor, while ensuring that a clear
access is maintained.
From ground floor storage areas, orders
are picked and located in totes to be
placed on a powered roller conveyor
feeding onto a 12m inclined belt conveyor
to eventually merge with the middle floor
conveyor.
Mezzanine installed
As part of the contract, CSL installed
offices and a separate mezzanine to create
a separate order consolidation and
packing area. The two conveyor lanes
carrying completed orders from the three
floors are merged into one automatic zero
pressure accumulation conveyor, located
on the new mezzanine at the same height
as the existing middle floor.
Using a drive concept involving 24V
motorised rollers with zone sensors to
construct the conveyor modules, this
provides for a compact, low profile design
that is extremely energy-efficient. The
individual conveyor zones, which ensure
product gapping and easy removal of the
tote bins, are automatically fed and only
run when there are containers present on
the line.
Located on the new mezzanine, the
single conveyor lane is flanked by packing
tables that can be manned by as many as
16 personnel. Once a tote bin has been
removed onto a packing bench, the empty
zone signals other totes upstream to index
down one position.
Once the order is consolidated and
packed, the tote is placed at any point on
a conveyor running around the perimeter
of the mezzanine to be transported down
a compact 3.5 metre high spiral elevator
to accumulate at ground floor level for
marshalling in the despatch area and resorted
by van route.
Conveyor Systems worked closely with
Toolbank to agree a programme of
specific dates/times to schedule
installation and commissioning of the
system, thereby keeping disruption to
ongoing operations to a minimum.
Phil Corby, logistics director for
Toolbank said: "In responding to our
enquiry, CSL made an excellent three
dimensional presentation of the proposed
installation that quickly assured and
confirmed that they understood our
needs. They met our project criteria to the
full, overcoming the possible difficulties of
operating on three floor levels. CSL
provided an energy efficient scheme
including software and user friendly
controls that runs and monitors the
system to provide increased efficiency and
an orderly flow of completed orders.
Flexiblity in design enables the system to
be evolved to cater for future extensions
or to include automated sortation. This
system has been totally reliable and
continues to be a proven success at
Toolbank. Following the system success at
our Halesowen NDC, we are now looking
to install a similar system in one of our
other major operations around the
country." More articles from Conveyor Systems Limited: | 
