Walmart to automate milk processing

According to Walmart, the automated storage and retrieval solution (ASRS) will bolster the company’s capacity to meet consumer demand for milk. This is Walmart’s second milk processing facility. The company worked with Swisslog to open its first milk processing facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA in 2018. 

Designed by Swisslog’s automation experts, the ASRS brings together five Vectura pallet stacker cranes with KUKA palletising and de-palletising robots, a ProMove pallet conveyor system, as well as a conveyor system for small loads. The automation solution operates on synchronised intelligence from Swisslog’s SynQ software, which provides warehouse management, material flow and automation control system functionality in a single, modular platform.

The project also includes Swisslog’s IT Managed Services, which puts in place experts to proactively manage the IT systems and software required to keep the equipment running at peak performance. The higher-level 24/7 support allows Walmart to free up internal resources from routine IT system administration, while also enabling data-driven proactive maintenance that helps reduce unplanned downtime. 

SynQ management software not only optimises the flow of the equipment to increase efficiency and accuracy of the operation, it also orchestrates the operation of multiple sub-systems. It equips warehouse automation and IT systems with synchronized intelligence of people, processes and machines to boost the efficiency and productivity of warehouse processes and adapt to changing market requirements. SynQ provides sophisticated inventory management and material flow capabilities that enable real-time inventory tracking and management of items to ensure freshness, quality and transparency of the food supply chain. 

For more information, visit www.swisslog.com