In an effort to streamline its material handling operations and better accommodate increased product demand from its dealers, Zanders consolidated a number of its facilities into one location in 2010. It also implemented narrow aisles to increase its storage capacity, so the company needed to re-evaluate its lift truck fleet and how it moved products throughout the warehouse. With goals of shipping orders out faster, reducing product damage and decreasing the number of times products are handled, the company began working with Heubel Material Handling, Inc., an authorized Raymond Sales and Service Center.

Westfalia initially designed and built a 5,000 pallet position, eight storage level automated warehouse system incorporating pick tunnel operations. The 2 aisle system has a combination of seven- and five-deep storage lanes. Each aisle contains one S/RM capable of handling approximately 70 pallets per hour. All pallets are triple supported within the rack structure, thus eliminating pallet damage.\n\nAbout 5 years later, due to their growing demand, the system was expanded—aisle lengths were increased 50% and a 3rd level of pick lanes were added within the rack structure. At that time Westfalia’s Warehouse Management Software (WMS), Savanna.NET was installed too. With these additions Hershey Creamery has been able to deliver its products faster and more efficiently with higher throughput capabilities. Parameters were established for Westfalia’s AS/RS design, including the fact FIFO inventory management must be maintained. One SKU is stored in each storage lane, and the fastest moving SKU’s are placed in storage lanes as close to the input / output conveyors as possible. By storing the pallets in two different lane depths, the warehouse is able to meet the throughputs of the fast moving “A” products in the longer lanes, and the slower moving “B” products in the shorter lanes. This mix of lane depth increases rack utilization. Hershey Creamery’s picking operations require both full pallet and case picking.

Food safety is a critical priority at Beef Products, Inc. (BPI) and with manufacturing approaching 1,000,000 lbs per day, it was essential for BPI to automate the material handling and inventory control process. Through automation BPI would achieve maximum storage and optimize their warehouse logistics. BPI required the use of an area adjacent to the meat processing plant to store products and process orders. BPI needed storage capacity in excess of 20 million lbs of beef. In addition, the available land for the freezer was 400’ away from manufacturing with a railroad truck separating the building lots. BPI’s continuous manufacturing operation produces boxed beef, and while the product type is identified by a bar code label on each individual case, the product grade is not determined until the results of quality control testing are known. As a result, BPI needed a way to apply readable bar codes after production, on finished-palletized loads to allow scanning and identification within the new automated warehouse and at their customer’s dock. In addition, their food safety program prohibits shipment of all products until quality assurance testing results are proven. BPI needed the ability to quarantine all products and then to provide automatic release of palletized products as ready-to-ship inventory.

Due to their success and growth, Sigma determined the need for a new large distribution center, to support a number of smaller, second tier distribution centers. The new facility was partially under construction as a conventional operation, when it was determined by Sigma they desired to automate this facility. One parameter of the project was the need to use the already installed steel framing structure in the building – not to tear it and start over. Sigma Alimentos required the new cooler (40° F) distribution center to support full pallet storage, case picking, buffering of pre-picked items for future retrieval and truck loading, and the automation of the inventory management process to support all their warehousing operations. Sigma Alimentos pallets are 40” x 48” and weigh up to 3300 lbs. fully loaded. Westfalia’s Savanna.NET® WMS would need to interface with Sigma’s existing host software system. Westfalia designers worked closely with Sigma’s executives to define and meet specific requirements using both standard and customized system elements.

Operating since April 2000, the Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS) was upgraded in 2007 by Westfalia, to keep up with advances in technology. The improvements included upgrades to the facility’s Storage/ Retrieval Machine (S/RM), programmable logic code (PLC) and new drive and positioning technology. While the existing AS/RS performed as required, Tillamook’s sales growth was placing increasing demands on their system. Once they became aware that advances in technology could improve the AS/ RS operations, Tillamook decided to upgrade their automated warehouse. Upgrading the S/RM controls would make it work faster, and smoother. Updating the WMS would improve the speed, accuracy and reliability of the warehouse product flows. Tillamook’s automated warehouse is 12-levels, 66 ft. high and holds 15,040 pallet positions to hold 35 million lbs. of block cheese and finished products. A wall divides the facility into two sections, with 40 lbs. blocks stored on the north side, and finished products stored on the south side.

Premium Waters, Inc. of Minneapolis, MN, a leader in the private label bottled water industry, faced the challenge of meeting increasing demand and throughput. They needed a solution that could handle high throughput rates and provide efficient storage configuration. Initially considering a pallet flow system, they ultimately chose an Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) and Savanna.NET® Warehouse Management System (WMS) from Westfalia Technologies, Inc. The new system was installed at their Douglas, GA plant to convey products from palletizing, through high-density storage, to outbound staging lanes on the shipping dock. The AS/RS includes two Storage/Retrieval Machines (S/RMs) operating in one aisle, each capable of handling two pallets at a time, which is a key advantage of Westfalia’s flexible high-density warehouse designs.

Like many companies in the beverage industry, Breakthru Beverage Illinois was faced with the challenge of expansion to support increased demand. The challenge was the fact that they were working out of three warehouses, which was totally inefficient. With the growth of their business, they started to see limitations in their ability to service customers during high peak times. They needed a warehouse that would provide the efficiencies required to match their go-to-market strategies as they continued to grow. Breakthru Beverage decided to build a new facility in Cicero, IL, understanding that they needed to invest for long-term growth. This reinvestment included site re-development of the former Sportsman’s Park. The 35-acre site lot was chosen to fit the 604,907 sq. ft. building, which included 555,449 sq. ft. of warehouse, 106,409 sq. ft. of office space, and 25,000 sq. ft. of cooler.

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.

When RoboVault was founded in 2008, the Fort Lauderdale area’s escalating land prices, hurricane-prone location, strict zoning requirements, and short supply of urban land presented limited building options. RoboVault saw that an automated, multi-story facility would be both cost-effective and help the newly formed company achieve the highest level of security. From the start, RoboVault sought a partner that would be an expert in warehouse automation that could not only help design and build the facility but also implement and support the right blend of technology to provide maximum security for high-value objects.

Quad/Graphics, the largest privately held commercial printer in the world, faced a significant challenge in optimizing its storage and retrieval processes at its Lomira, Wisconsin facility. The facility needed to store three different styles of pallets—plastic USPS, plastic 9-block, and a wooden internal pallet—without the need for slave pallets. The existing storage system was not efficient enough to handle the high volume and variety of pallets, leading to delays and inefficiencies in production. The company required a solution that could streamline and expedite production by making work-in-process more readily accessible. Additionally, the solution needed to be scalable and flexible to meet the company's long-term needs.

FAGE has 3 state-of-the-art plants in Greece, which are substantially automated. The company philosophy incorporates automation as a means of competing efficiently, and maintaining product safety. Their experience with automation and its rewards, means they are well versed in the specific features they required from an AS/RS. Their requirements include the handling of buffer product from manufacturing, full pallet movement, case picking, and buffered pre-picked material back into the AS/RS for future retrieval for truck loading. FAGE USA handles individual orders, distribution center orders, and combinations of both. FAGE’s yogurt and cheese products come on trays and cases. Each pallet has either 240 or 180 trays, depending on the size of the product. The AS/RS handles pallets 40’w x 48’l x 78”h. Pallets are loaded into the AS/RS with a single SKU from manufacturing via the cooling tunnel, or via the docks where some cheese SKU’s arrive from Greece. Pallets must be loaded so the product on the bottom can handle the sustained weight, forcing shorter load heights in certain cases. And as future growth demands, the number of SKU’s and case sizes will grow and change.

TJ Waste undertook a research and development project to identify where the business could reduce paper-based systems and processes to improve operational efficiency. They also recognized the opportunity to harness technology to enhance the customer experience in a sector where uptake had been relatively slow compared to others. Originally, drivers would be allocated their worksheet (list of collections) the night before and they would handwrite tickets on 3-ply paperwork for each job as they completed the service. As a result, if a job needed to be changed or a new job added, the office would need to call the driver. This often resulted in a number of calls as the driver was not always available and if they were, then they would need to stop driving to note down the details. This paper-based system also made it very hard to react quickly to changes in schedule or customer requests. In addition, any requests for copy tickets would require the original to be found, scanned or copied, and posted or emailed back out to the customer, which often delayed the payment of invoices.

Historically, Returpack relied on 20 independent external transporters for planning and executing transport and collection activities. This approach led to a lack of visibility and control over day-to-day operations and transport costs. To increase efficiency and ensure high service levels, Returpack decided to take over transport planning themselves. They needed a solution that could handle daily operational planning, tactical development of master routes, and strategic perspectives. The solution also needed to collect and analyze data to optimize terminal locations and the collection process.

Meerlanden faced several challenges, including the need to work in an environmentally responsible manner, adapt to constantly changing demands, and improve their billing system. Their old billing system was slow, costly in terms of human resources, and prone to errors, leading to complaints and the need for credit invoices. These issues wasted valuable time for both Meerlanden and their clients. The primary driver for adopting a new solution was to eliminate errors and save time.

Ferrovial faced the challenge of optimizing their waste management process, which involved freeing vehicles from paperwork and manually managing around 80,000 route sheets per year. The goal was to reduce paper usage and manual data input while achieving real-time visibility of vehicle activities. Additionally, they needed a solution that was user-friendly for drivers and cost-effective for the company.

Reinis, a waste services company, faced the challenge of staying ahead in the evolving waste industry while focusing on customer needs. The company anticipated a shift towards collecting waste only when needed, which required a move away from static routes to dynamic collection. This change necessitated optimizing processes to increase customer focus and efficiency. Reinis needed to ensure that both clients and personnel were prioritized in addressing ICT-related questions. The company had been satisfied with AMCS back-office software for over 18 years and wanted to complement it with a solution that could handle dynamic collection and improve customer service.

The greatest challenge for Municipality Groningen was to centralize all branches of their service into a single system. Each service branch previously worked with its own software, which required significant effort to integrate into a centralized system. The goal was to streamline operations and improve efficiency across various activities such as cleaning, waste collection, and commercial business activities. The integration process involved automating numerous tasks and collecting data for analysis to optimize operations. The challenge was not only technical but also involved ensuring that the new system was user-friendly and could be seamlessly adopted by the workforce.

The growth of Amey’s waste business has resulted in the adoption of multiple systems. This made it hard to compare data or realise synergies through the centralisation of services. As a result, the decision was taken to implement a new IT system that would support the current business and also be capable of adapting to the fast-changing waste and technology markets. The new system needed to allow for significant modernisation in the way Amey managed its business, including the use of mobile applications and a dedicated web portal.

Route planning is extremely important for ALBA Group to streamline logistics processes, making them simpler, more transparent, and flexible. The company needed a solution to handle the increasingly complex demands of scheduling and to support dispatchers without replacing them.

Russell Reid & Mr. John faced the challenge of managing a large fleet of vehicles and equipment across multiple locations, servicing a wide range of industries including environmental services, construction, and special events. The company needed a solution to streamline their operations, improve efficiency, and enhance customer satisfaction. They were dealing with manual processes that were time-consuming and prone to errors, which hindered their ability to respond quickly to customer needs and manage their resources effectively. Additionally, they aimed to eliminate paper-based processes to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency.

Prior to the implementation of the AMCS Platform: Enterprise Management Solution, most of kmG Hauling’s office operations were manual processes. Billing was handled through QuickBooks, while routing was done using Excel and then manually updated when services changed. When there was a need for a work order to be generated, it was manually done, making it time-consuming and a challenge to track and manage efficiently. kmG Hauling needed a way to migrate all their data and consolidate it into one system to improve their operational efficiency and enhance their customer service. kmG Hauling recognized the need to find a solution that would replace the manual systems by finding a solution that would support their efforts and provide better operational efficiency.

Agile Content faced the challenge of expanding its AgileTV OTT service while ensuring robust security and maintaining control over its service offering and subscriber relations. The complexity of migrating to a cloud-based solution and upgrading their existing Verimatrix VCAS system posed significant concerns. Agile Content needed a solution that could provide reliable, business continuity and centrally hosted security without disrupting their operations.

Until 2012, OMEGA utilized 2D tools to support its entire development and manufacturing process, from design concept to production. However, to consistently maximize its capacity to produce 4,000 complete elevators annually, the elevator manufacturer decided to transition to 3D technology to accelerate and streamline elevator design, validation, and production, according to Managing Director Javier Azurmendi. The challenge was to accelerate and streamline elevator design, validation, and production by transitioning from a 2D to a 3D development platform.

Quality Tooling, Inc. faced increasing competition in the tooling market and needed to increase production and reduce design errors. The company identified that many of their mistakes were related to design changes impacting other components in an assembly. They required a CAD system that could handle diverse types of CAD data efficiently to improve productivity.

Sidel India Pvt. Ltd. faced the challenge of accelerating the development of complex bottling and packaging machines while improving quality and shortening time-to-market. The company needed to transition from AutoCAD 2D design tools to a more advanced 3D design software to handle large assemblies efficiently. The goal was to make design changes quickly and easily, reduce design errors, and improve overall productivity.

Accelerate scientific research system development and enhance design visualization to improve collaboration with astrophysical scientists and researchers.

AAA engineers routinely work with large assemblies of between 1,000 and 5,000 components. In 2004, the company decided to reevaluate its design platform, focusing on large-assembly design capabilities. They had previously used Autodesk Inventor but wanted to assess other options like SolidWorks, Solid Edge, and Pro/ENGINEER. The goal was to find a more intuitive and easier-to-use software that could also support assembly analysis. The company ran a benchmark project using both SolidWorks and Inventor to validate their assumptions.

Quality Tooling, Inc. faced increasing competition in the tooling market and needed to increase production and reduce design errors. The company identified that many of their mistakes were related to design changes impacting other components in an assembly. They required a CAD system that could handle diverse types of CAD data more efficiently to improve productivity.

Address high-cycle rates, precision requirements, and efficiency needs in the development of automated systems for manufacturing medical devices and diagnostic products.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) Company, a leading global pharmaceutical company, faced challenges in designing and building highly specialized, custom-designed equipment for their distinctive research needs. The Discovery Automation Group, responsible for creating equipment that could not be commercially bought, initially used 2D design software and later switched to a 3D parametric CAD package in the 1990s. However, they found the parametric 3D design system to be inefficient, difficult to learn, and costly. In 2000, the group initiated an evaluation of other 3D CAD systems to find a more suitable solution that would be easier to use, more intuitive, and affordable.