The pick of the bunch?
April 1st 2005 Layer picking is relatively unknown in the UK, yet with rapid pay back, massive efficiency benefits and floor space savings of up to 75 per cent, uptake in the technology is about to surge, according to Univeyor.
Univeyor has put considerable energies into the development of its Layer Picker, which is currently providing picking solutions for companies including Coca-Cola, Chivas Glenlivet and Netto. The company has developed its layer picking system to handle individual layers of almost any product, typically cases, trays, bottles, cans and shrink-wrapped goods. What is it? In a nutshell, layer picking is the automated handling of individual layers of various products, for order fulfilment in layers or individual cases. It is extremely versatile, with a broad spectrum of applications from order assembly to depalletising and reloading. Multi-product pallets can be assembled to specific customer orders without the costs, risks of inaccuracy or potential load damage associated with manual handling. Whole layers can be depalletised for resorting and storing or reloading onto slip sheets or other pallet types. How does it work? With the Layer Picker, order pallets can be built with layers of single or multiple stock keeping units (SKUs) and different height pallets are also achievable. Sandwich pallets can also be automatically inserted. The range of products that can be handled is comprehensive: all forms of cased products, as well as cartons, cans (whether on trays or not), glass and plastic bottles, liquid containers (one-, two- or three-litre) and bagged goods. It is also an exceptionally high-performance system, capable of up to 180 layers an hour, with double layers possible on many products. “The range of products that can be handled is comprehensive: all forms of cased products, cartons, cans (whether on trays or not), glass and plastic bottles, liquid containers (one-, two- or three-litre) and bagged goods.” The picker head works via a vacuum chamber created by a centrifugal fan inside the head. Side-skirts are gently pressed against each layer of product, efficiently sealing off the vacuum chamber and allowing the atmospheric pressure underneath to lift the layer by pushing it towards the suction plate. This principle makes it possible to lift almost any product that has a good flat surface area underneath, including bottles in trays and cartons with telescopic lids. The picker’s valve system means layers containing gaps can also be picked, as the valves close automatically when the air stream exceeds a set limit. The valves are set to the pallet’s layer pattern and the universal head is applied to each layer in turn, transferring it from the stock pallet to an order pallet or case separation system.
What are the benefits? Firstly, a dramatic reduction in labour costs, with a single machine replacing twelve pickers. With manual picking rates around 250 cases an hour, cost savings in a year can be as much as £200,000 on a single shift and £400,000 on a double shift.
Space utilisation is another area to benefit enormously. Impressive savings in floor space are achieved by the Layer Picker and, in very high bay locations, these savings can be as great as 75%.
Handling and efficiency are also improved: picking accuracy is increased, as is the quality of picked pallets. Paperless picking is an added advantage, making management control simpler and more precise. Servo control ensures the smooth, fast operation of the machinery itself and its integral safety measures include automatic side-skirt and bellows adjustment to ensure 100% safe load transfer. Significantly, the system’s lowmaintenance design results in long service intervals plus the simple and swift replacement of matrix mats and bellows when necessary. It is controlled by a standard Windows platform and graphic user interface, with touch screens for fast encoding of new pallet patterns and/or products. The PC control system has a 24- hour helpline and online remote support, with a graphical fault message system for fast fault correction. It will communicate easily and directly with existing warehouse management systems and provide highlevel statistics and reporting. Who’s using it? A typical application is in the distribution of fast-moving convenience goods, such as for Schuitema in Holland. The company had a requirement for a more streamlined picking system incorporating a paper-free service with automatic replenishment of stock.
With 250-300 picking operations per operator, per hour to match, the system needed the best possible ergonomics and a concentrated picking front. Univeyor installed a fully automatic Layer Picker and a line for descrambling layers to single cartons. Three manual depalletising stations supplement the automatic depalletising of 1400 cartons an hour and automatic slip-sheet removal. A flow of 2850 parcels to the picking front was achieved and stock is automatically replenished by crane.
Netto had a similar requirement at its central distribution centre. The company wanted to fully automate both its picking operation and its pallet handling and storage. 9000 parcels an hour needed to be sorted and batch picking (for 56 shops per batch) was an additional requirement, utilising a no-barcode, paper-free picking system. Three fully automatic Layer Picker stations were installed comprising an automatic pallet conveying and sorting system plus an automatic pallet store with 23 pallet cranes.
Award winning customers Another Univeyor customer, ACR Logistics, recently won an award (Best European Logistics Platform 2004) for the performance of its Veghel distribution centre in Holland, which handles goods for Unilever-Bestfoods and Masterfoods among others. It is the sixth Univeyor Layer Picking customer in the last four years to win an award for its logistics performance.
The 125,000m2 centre receives between 800 and 900 pallets a day, which had previously been handled manually.
However, because 40% of this volume was delivered as rainbow pallets in layers, there was potential to replace the labourintensive manual picking with a fully automated system. The Univeyor Layer Picker was chose, according to the company, because of its high capacity (up to 150 layers an hour) and flexible design.
Although the varied size and shape of the products could have been a problem, the Layer Picker’s patented vacuum chamber system means it has the ability to pick up to 90% of the products in layers.
ACR Logistics uses a WMS to provide picking instructions to the Layer Picker. It collects incoming orders in batches, decides which order lines can be picked as full layers and passes information to the Layer Picker about product type, dimensions, quantity and stacking sequences for each pallet. Pallets are then conveyed from the automated or manual storage areas to a sequence buffer for fast and accurate layer picking.
Each Layer Picker effectively does the job of 20 manual operators, dealing with 16 items per layer and 130 layers an hour.
With an operational cycle in the ACR warehouse of 20 hours per day this equates to a saving of 40 man years with the Layer Picker! Just four operators are needed in addition to the Layer Pickers, to deal with surveillance, replenishment and dispatch.
According to Univeyor, the Layer Pickers have been so effective that ACR is working with suppliers to increase the number of goods delivered in layers.
According to the company, the Layer Picking system has also resulted in improved ergonomics and reduced use of forklift trucks, as well as more precise tracking of orders.
The Veghel system is ACR’s second Layer Picking installation: Univeyor put Layer Pickers into its Raamsdonksveer centre a year ago in response to new logistics requirements from some of ACR’s biggest clients. ACR spokesman, Tim Beckmann says the solution is now paying dividends for both the company and its customers.
“Our product range is so diverse that it’s a huge bonus to have a Layer Picking system which can handle 90% of the products,” he says. “Our target is to increase picking efficiency by 20%, which will enable us to offer a 20% discount to clients who order in full layers.” Who should invest? With fundamental changes taking place in the way that high volume distribution centres have to pick and deliver customer orders, it is easy to see why layer picking is the fastest growing area in automated picking. The system is attracting interest from manufacturing and wholesale companies, high street retailers and third party distributors alike, who can all see the benefits of increased speed, efficiency and flexibility to their distribution operations.
“Each Layer Picker effectively does the job of 20 manual operators, dealing with 16 items per layer and 130 layers an hour. At ACR Logistics this equates to a saving of 40 man years with the Layer Picker”
“Our target is to increase picking efficiency by 20%, which will enable us to offer a 20% discount to clients who order in full layers”
“Each Layer Picker effectively does the job of 20 manual operators, dealing with 16 items per layer and 130 layers an hour. At ACR Logistics this equates to a saving of 40 man years with the Layer Picker” More articles from Univeyor A/S: | 
