Automated pallet labelling at cold store
Lineage Logistics has transformed working conditions and boosted efficiency at a cold storage facility, after installing an automated pallet labelling solution to replace manual handling.
The 3PL said the collaboration with Manchester-based Industrial Labelling Systems (ILS) to integrate FlexWipe into the operating systems at its facility in Belgium, had revolutionised its pallet labelling process for food products that have to be kept in sub-zero conditions.
Lineage operates in an environment as cold as minus 25 degrees Celsius. The firm’s challenge was to find a partner that could supply an automated alternative for staff manually labelling up to 1000 pallets a day with delivery address details in these harsh conditions – an inefficient process that also had potential health and safety issues as forklift drivers had to keep getting on and off their trucks to label pallets.
The FlexWipe system labels pallets while they are being assembled, meaning that less resource was needed resulting in lower costs, increased productivity, reduced risk of accidents and improved quality for the end user.
Lineage has a global network of cold storage facilities and is installing more of the same equipment into its Bergen Op Zoom cold store in Holland as well as discussing with ILS future requirements for its facilities across Europe and the United States.
In addition to the equipment, Dave Mayne, Lineage’s Operations Manager UK, was also impressed with the support received from the ILS team, from initial testing in the freezer environment to aligning the FlexWipe pallet labeller with the Lineage operating system.
He said: “ILS were open and enthusiastic about working with us to find a solution. One of our core values is innovation, so finding a company that had the same value as us in approaching this challenge, to work together to find the answer, was a great match. I’d thoroughly recommend ILS – they’re a collaborative and professional team to work with.”
Saar Deburghgraeve, the Lineage site manager in Ieper, echoed those thoughts, adding: “I am very pleased with the results from start to finish. My operators, my shift leaders, my planners – everybody is delighted with the equipment.”
