Fully automatic exchanger
December 1st 2009

High praise from cosmetics retailer for automated pallet exchanger solution as Payne Pallet Inverters spearheads an automation revamp at Boots

Afully automated pallet exchanger from Payne Pallet Inverters is raising productivity and safety standards at Alliance Boots' Stores Service Centre (SSC) in Nottingham. Part of a three-year transformation of the Boots supply chain through the centralisation of its retail warehousing, the facility features two main warehouses which have been reconfigured through the installation of an extensive automated handling system.

Serving as the central supply source for some 2,600 Boots stores, the SSC is capable of holding up to 30,000 SKUs and can process up to 2.8 million picks, 5,200 inbound pallets, 98,000 outbound totes and over 4,500 outbound roller containers over a 20 hour operation. A small percentage of the fastest moving lines by volume are handled outside the automated solution and a number of vendor pallets have to be switched for system pallets to ensure compatibility with the automated handling equipment.

Anxious to avoid what could have been a time-consuming and manually intensive process, breaking down and then restacking pallets by hand, Boots turned to Payne, which has provided similar solutions for high profile and demanding clients such as Sainsburys,Wincanton and Premier Foods.

After site visits to confirm the client's specific needs, Payne proposed an automated pallet exchanger to eliminate manual handling during the transfer of loads between pallet types.

This would save time and manpower and reduce the risk of injury and the aches and strains associated with manual loading.

After being placed in the exchanger by fork lift or pallet truck, the load is supported from above and on both sides by tables which incorporate Payne's pressure sensing clamping technology. The 'old' pallet is then lowered to the ground for removal and replacement with the appropriate system pallet and the load returned to the start position.

The exchanger has automatic controls and has a pallet alignment function to keep loads centred, crucial when loading onto racking. The machine was supplied with 2000mm safety guards and a pedestrian light barrier to ensure compliance with Boots' strict health and safety requirements.

The machine was delivered and installed in 3 days, including commissioning and initial operator training. As Boots' Dominic Reilly says; "Without the exchanger, these pallets would have to be restacked by hand."

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