Efficient warehouse automation for leading lingerie manufacturer in south east europe
Starting position
The textile company can look back on over 60 years of history as a leading manufacturer of lingerie and swimwear in south-eastern europe. The lingerie manufacturer was a pioneer in the introduction of modern technologies back in the 1970s. Manual picking in the warehouse has now been converted to automated picking. Parts of the automation were successfully implemented by us.
The lingerie manufacturer's manually organized warehouse lacked space for additional goods. In addition, it was becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified staff for the picking activities. These bottlenecks led to long order turnaround times.
The task
Our task as automation experts was to develop and implement the control technology to transport the boxes from the small parts warehouse to the workstations with the desired speed and reliability.
The aim was to achieve the contractually required throughput figures per hour as well as the required overall availability (98%) of the system.
Overview of our services
As a subcontractor, we were responsible for the electrical design, delivery of the switchgear, programming, electrical installation and commissioning of the small parts conveyor technology. Together with the general contractor, who provided the material flow computer for this project, we designed and integrated the necessary decision points on the conveyor technology. As a result, the material flow computer is able to react dynamically to the requirements of the operating staff in order to provide the goods just in time at the picking station. This has created a modern, high-performance infrastructure for the customer, which considerably speeds up the material flow in the warehouse and thus significantly increases the throughput of goods with the same number of staff.
Prior to commissioning, the systems were extensively tested and optimized to ensure smooth operation. We also trained staff so that they could use the new systems safely and efficiently. Even after the project has been completed, we are available with a comprehensive range of services to ensure sustainable efficiency and smooth processes.
Results and benefits
Thanks to the automation of the warehouse, the space requirement was optimized and a higher storage density was achieved with the same space requirement. The goods-to-man principle increased throughput and significantly shortened order throughput times, allowing the company to serve its customers faster and more reliably.
