AUTOMATED CONVEYOR SYSTEM GIVES SPARKLING PERFORMANCE
European Conveyor Systems has completed the installation of an automated conveyor system for the order picking and despatch areas in anew 6000 mē distribution warehouse opened by Icon Live in West Sussex.
The company, a supplier of fashion and costume jewellery to over 2000 retailstores throughout the UK, had out-grown its previous warehouse, where staff picked orders into cartons that they moved around the building on trolleys. In order to keep pace with the increasing number of outlets selling its products, Icon Live decided to expand its storage capacity and automate the picking and despatch operations.
Carton flats for orders are assembled on the mezzanine floor of the DC and sent via a declined belt conveyor to the ground floor where they are placed into plastic trays with unique bar codes. The conveyor control system receives information from the clients WMS to route the trays by scanning the bar code label, to the required picking areas for that order. There are five conveyor loops on the ground floor each with three picking spurs giving 15 picking zones in total. After being scanned by bar code readers, the trays are diverted into the required loops via pivoting wheel transfers and into each picking spur by timing belt transfers. Should a loop or spur be busy, the tray will by-pass that position and visit the next free location. On completion it will revisit the missed zone later. Once an order pick has been completed the tray will be routed automatically to one of four packing/despatch lanes. An additional picking area for slow moving items is located on the mezzanine floor. The two levels are linked via vertical continuous elevators/lowerators sited at each end of the mezzanine floor.
ECS has used Gebhardt zero pressure accumulation conveyors extensively throughout the system to provide maximum buffering of trays whilst eliminating damage. A separate two tier allocation conveyor with inclined shelving has been provided which allows for new product launches to the retail stores.
ECS has designed the system for an initial throughput of 3200 cartons per day with additional in-built capacity for future business growth. The system has been designed on a modular basis to facilitate easy future expansion.
May 2007
For editorial information please contact Mark Pickering on 0114 266 4668
For sales inquiries contact European Conveyor Systems Ltd on 0115 987 4363
European Conveyor Systems has completed the installation of an automated conveyor system for the order picking and despatch areas in anew 6000 mē distribution warehouse opened by Icon Live in West Sussex.
The company, a supplier of fashion and costume jewellery to over 2000 retailstores throughout the UK, had out-grown its previous warehouse, where staff picked orders into cartons that they moved around the building on trolleys. In order to keep pace with the increasing number of outlets selling its products, Icon Live decided to expand its storage capacity and automate the picking and despatch operations.
Carton flats for orders are assembled on the mezzanine floor of the DC and sent via a declined belt conveyor to the ground floor where they are placed into plastic trays with unique bar codes. The conveyor control system receives information from the clients WMS to route the trays by scanning the bar code label, to the required picking areas for that order. There are five conveyor loops on the ground floor each with three picking spurs giving 15 picking zones in total. After being scanned by bar code readers, the trays are diverted into the required loops via pivoting wheel transfers and into each picking spur by timing belt transfers. Should a loop or spur be busy, the tray will by-pass that position and visit the next free location. On completion it will revisit the missed zone later. Once an order pick has been completed the tray will be routed automatically to one of four packing/despatch lanes. An additional picking area for slow moving items is located on the mezzanine floor. The two levels are linked via vertical continuous elevators/lowerators sited at each end of the mezzanine floor.
ECS has used Gebhardt zero pressure accumulation conveyors extensively throughout the system to provide maximum buffering of trays whilst eliminating damage. A separate two tier allocation conveyor with inclined shelving has been provided which allows for new product launches to the retail stores.
ECS has designed the system for an initial throughput of 3200 cartons per day with additional in-built capacity for future business growth. The system has been designed on a modular basis to facilitate easy future expansion.
For editorial information please contact Mark Pickering on 0114 266 4668
For sales inquiries contact European Conveyor Systems Ltd on 0115 987 4363