Conveyor Systems
Full Case and Less Than Case Order Picking, Inspection and Packaging System
Full Case and Less Than Case Order Picking, Order Inspection and Packaging System. The System Substantially Reduces The Associate Walking and Lifting Requirements As Well As Increases Order Throughput Rates and Picking Accuracy. The System Starts With An Over/Under High Density Pallet Storage System With Push Back Staging Of Loads On The Upper Two Rack Levels And Gravity Flow Lanes For Full Case Picking To Powered Take Away Conveyors On The Lower Level. The System Then Passes Through A Broken Case Picking Area for Small Items To Be Picked From Shelf Levels In A Rack Supported Mezzanine Configuration. Finally All Orders Go To A Sortation Station Where The System Automatically Segregates Full Case Orders And Bypasses Them Around The Manual Inspection Process. All Other Orders Pass Through a 100% Inspection And Pack Out Process.
Work In Process KanBan Cell for Product Assembly Lines
A Lean Manufacturing Product Delivery System For Handling Work In Process Totes On Powered Conveyors and Specialized Carts Between Manufacturing Processes. The Picture Shows Four Of The Eight Identical Conveyor Cells Within A Master Powered Roller Conveyor System. Each Shown Conveyor Configuration Was Designed To Stage 2-3 Hours Of Production So The Neighboring Processes Were Decoupled From Each Other. The Four Powered Conveyor Cells Shown Are Used To Accumulate And Deliver WIP Component Materials Into A Subassembly Process (Right Hand Cell) And Then To A Final Assembly Process (Two Upper Left Hand Cells). Emptied Totes Are Removed From The Assembly Processes By These Conveyor Cells As Well. The Conveyors Interface To Custom Towed Transfer Carts Along A Common Aisle Between The Two Shown Cells. The Spatially Tight Environment Forced The Conveyor Flow Patterns To Fit Between And Around Other Manufacturing Processes And Minimize The Required Square Footage.
Finished Truck Shipment Accumulation Cell w/ Reverse Order Sorting and Dispensing Controls
Each Pair Of Parallel Powered Conveyors Work As A Pallet Accumulation Buffer And Sortation Carousel For Outbound Shipments. Shippable Finished Loads Come From Multiple Upstream Manufacturing Lines. Each Load Is Scanned Into Place As It Is Delivered To The Selected Buffer’s Infeed Roller Conveyor. A PC Tracks Each Truckload’s Inventory Against A Master Shipping List And When The Load Is Completed The PC Alerts The Selected Carrier To Come Pick Up The Load. When The Delivery Truck Arrives At A Dock The Selected Accumulation Buffer Conveyor Circulates The Loads Past The Discharge Station And Dispenses The Accumulated Loads To The Forklift Operator In The Proper Loading Pattern.
Pallet Jack Loaded & Unloaded Case Pick & Wrap System – Generation 1
The Customer Wanted To Reduce The Time Allocated For Stretch Wrapping Manually Picked Loads In A High Velocity Distribution Center. The Solution Allowed The Pickers To Deliver Two Picked Pallets At A Time To A Low Elevation Powered Roller Conveyor, Push A Start Button And Go Back To Picking. Once The Process Starts The Loads Are Singulated To A High Speed Wrapper That Processes A Load Per Minute And Then The Finished Loads Are Released Downstream for Pick Up By Another Pallet Jack. Prior Wait Times Per Load Wrapped Was 150 Seconds (2 Minutes 30 Seconds) New Wait Times Per Load Wrapped Became 15 Seconds, A 90% Reduction In Wait Time That Became Immediately Available For Picking Improvement.
Pallet Jack Loaded Case Pick & Wrap System – Generation 2
The Customer Wanted To Reduce The Time Allocated For Stretch Wrapping Manually Picked Loads In A High Velocity Distribution Center. The Solution Allowed The Pickers To Deliver Two Picked Pallets At A Time To A Low Elevation Powered Roller Conveyor, Push A Start Button And Go Back To Picking. Once The Process Starts The Loads Are Singulated To A High Speed Wrapper That Processes Approximately One Load Per Minute And Then The Finished Loads Are Released Downstream for Pick Up By A Forklift Truck At The Shipping Dock. Prior Wait Times Per Load Wrapped Was 150 Seconds (2 Minutes 30 Seconds) New Wait Times Per Load Wrapped Became 15 Seconds, A 90% Reduction In Wait Time That Became Immediately Available For Picking Improvement.
Large Product Overhead and Conveyorized Packaging System
The Integrated Crate Assembly and Crane Based Lifting System Is Used To Fabricate A Variety Of Shipping Crates Plus Load Heavy, Large And Bulky Product Into Those Crates As They Flow Down The Floor Mounted Gravity Conveyor Rails On A Just In Time Basis For Outbound Shipment. Each Station Along The Flow Rails Utilizes Lift Assist Tools To Ergonomically Handle The Progression Of Items Needed To Be Loaded Into Each Crate.
Heavy Component Assembly and Packaging Cell
A Flexible Conveyor Based Assembly System For Heavy Automotive Drive Line Components With Multiple Work Stations Assembling The Units In A Single Piece Flow Process. A Secondary Line, To The Right Of The Assembly Line, Kits The Custom Units Into Retail Packaging For Shipment. The System Provides Better Associate Ergonomics With Reduced Lifting Requirements Subsequently Resulting In Higher Productivity Per Associate. Equipment Designed, Provided & Installed Includes: ZeroPressure Accumulating Conveyors, Gravity Conveyors, Assembly Work Stations, Gorbel Light Bridge Cranes And Monorails, Purchased Part Shelving per Assembly Station.
Multi Level Work In Process KanBan Buffer for High Volume Production Process
The Manufacturing Cells (Not Shown) Adjacent To The Kanban Conveyors Produce The Components That Are Buffered In The Kanban Configuration. There Are Various Volume Levels Per Kanban Structure Based On The Work In Process Product Being Stored And Its Respective Container Types. Each Container Has A Substantial Gross Weight So The Heavier Loads Convey Directly To The Transportation Cart. Other Loads Transition to A Conveyorized Stacker Truck That Then Transfers To The Transportation Cart. Mechanical Singulation Of The Loads Onto The Transfer Cart Were Critical To The Operation Due To The Back Pressure On The Line When Multiple Containers Were Staged.
Flexible Product Assembly Cell With Common Base for Quick Cell Reconfiguration
One of Two Flexible Just In Time Lean Assembly Systems Consisting Of Multiple Lanes Of Stacked Raw Component Totes Ergonomically Presented To The Integral Assembly Line And Conveyorized Overhead Removal Of Empty Totes. The System Is Supported On A Common Transportable Frame That Supports Inbound Gravity Conveyors With Pneumatic Singulators, Customized Scissor Lifts For Multi Level Product Tray Presentation And Upper Level Empty Container Return Conveyors. The System Resulted In Reduced Finished Product Takt Times, Improved Associate Ergonomics And Direct and Indirect Cost Reductions Per Finished Part Produced.
Small Parts Order Picking and Samples Packaging & Shipping Cell
The New Powered Conveyor System Updated And Centralized The Picking And Processing Of Orders Within The Existing Less Than Case Picking Area. The System Also Provided a Dedicated “Samples” Picking Operation Along The Same Conveyor Path. Implementing The New Powered Roller Conveyor And Control System Provides A Consistent Stream Of Packages To The Inspection and Pack Out Process. It Also Flows Those Ready For Shipment Packages Through A Sorting Station To Peal Off The Packages Going To LTL Trailers Prior To Delivering The Balance Of The Packages To A Dedicated Outbound UPS Trailer.
