Spiral and sortation system
STIHL, appointed Conveyor Systems (CSL) to streamline their manual order picking operation from a two tier mezzanine floor area, involving a fork-lift truck to remove palletised orders and a reversal process to replenish stock.
The brief was to provide a semi-automated order picking and stock replenishment system over two floors, with fully reversible capability. It also had to stop product between floors for consolidation. CSL was to deliver a space efficient system, featuring a ‘bolt-on approach’ for future integration to the new WMS including Bar code reading, moving this forward to a fully automated system.
Due to the range of small items and spare parts being handled, all goods are transported in totes, providing uniformity to fit CSL’s standard tote conveyor systems and spiral elevator/lowerator.
CSL’s approach combined a space efficient product that required no additional guarding or complicated controls – incorporating two spirals, stacked on each other to operate as one solution. They provide an infeed and outfeed from the first floor and deliver to either the ground or second floor using the same common conveyors.
From the second floor, totes are conveyed down to the first floor via the top spiral lowerator. Here, a manual sort determines whether the tote requires removal for order consolidation or placing onto the next conveyor and spiral lowerator to be taken to ground level, where another manual sort takes place. On order completion, complete totes are conveyed to the end of line packing operation for despatch.
Stand 10K39
