Case Studies > Westfalia Technologies, Inc. Automated Pepsi Bottling Group

Westfalia Technologies, Inc. Automated Pepsi Bottling Group

Company Size
1,000+
Region
  • America
Country
  • United States
Product
  • Savanna.NET® WMS
  • KUKA Robots
  • Westfalia TC1500 Single Transfer Car
Tech Stack
  • Warehouse Management System (WMS)
  • Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS)
  • Robotic Layer Grippers
Implementation Scale
  • Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
  • Cost Savings
  • Environmental Impact Reduction
  • Productivity Improvements
  • Waste Reduction
Technology Category
  • Automation & Control - Automation & Process Control Systems
  • Functional Applications - Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
  • Robots - Robot Application & Programming Software
Applicable Industries
  • Consumer Goods
  • Food & Beverage
Applicable Functions
  • Logistics & Transportation
  • Warehouse & Inventory Management
Use Cases
  • Inventory Management
  • Predictive Maintenance
  • Warehouse Automation
Services
  • Software Design & Engineering Services
  • System Integration
About The Customer
The Pepsi Bottling Group is the largest manufacturer, seller, and distributor of Pepsi beverages, with over 100 plants worldwide and 545 distribution centers. Among the brands they handle are Pepsi, Aquafina, Aqua Minerale, Tropicana, Lipton Iced Tea, Starbucks Frappuccino, Dole juices, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, and the SoBe line of beverages. The company is known for its extensive product range and significant market presence, making it a key player in the beverage industry. Their operations span globally, ensuring that their products reach a wide audience, and they are committed to maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency in their production and distribution processes.
The Challenge
The Pepsi Bottling Group needed a warehousing solution that would maximize their storage space and increase efficiency at peak times. Without this, production wouldn’t be quick enough to keep up with the increasing demand of their products. Turning to automation would allow the company to keep up with their customer needs and maintain their title as one of the most successful Pepsi Beverage Groups.
The Solution
PBG selected a flexible, high-density AS/RS for their Tampa facility to meet their need for maximum storage, high throughput, buffers for handling peak production from their bottling plant, and aids in preparing various types of pallets to ship to customers. It was decided that a multiple deep system made the most sense, along with Westfalia’s other beverage manufacturing customers. Westfalia’s Savanna.NET WCS manages and controls all product flows throughout the facility from receiving to order fulfillment. It is a complex system as PBG requires full layer and mixed layer palletizing in order to have ‘store ready’ pallets loaded onto their straight and bay trucks. The company needed the system for product arriving from their own facility as well as outside bottling operations. Among the technologies controlled via Savanna.NET® WCS are the two Storage/Retrieval Machines (SRMs) of the AS/RS, conveying systems for pallets and cases, five KUKA robots for layer picking/palletizing, pallet squaring stations, stretch-wrapping, and print & apply labeling. S/RM Satellite technology allows each S/RM to handle 2 pallets at a time, which makes for lower energy consumption and lower system maintenance for the company.
Operational Impact
  • Increased productivity: The implementation of the high-density AS/RS and Savanna.NET® WMS has significantly boosted the efficiency of the Pepsi Bottling Group's operations, allowing them to handle peak production times more effectively.
  • Decreased human labor: Automation has reduced the need for manual labor, leading to fewer errors and a more streamlined process.
  • Decreased the number of errors: The advanced technology and precise control systems have minimized the occurrence of errors in the warehousing and distribution processes.
  • Decreased costs and building maintenance: The compact design of the new warehouse has led to lower construction and maintenance costs, as well as reduced energy consumption.
  • Become more eco-friendly: The high-density AS/RS design has a smaller environmental footprint, aligning with Pepsi's commitment to sustainability and waste reduction principles.
Quantitative Benefit
  • The new compact warehouse uses only 30% of the footprint of a conventional facility.
  • The High Speed Later Pick (HSLP) system can pick single SKU layers at the rate of 3,000 cases per hour.

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