ASDA George partners with SDI

SDI Group has installed equipment to take care of both hanging garments and boxed product at ASDA George.

The site handles both hanging garments - 'goods on hangers' or GOH - and boxed product and each requires a dedicated handling system. Both were integrated so as to ensure a coherent flow from goods-in to the final assembly area for individual store orders.

SDI designed systems and wrote bespoke process control software that would allow over 1.4 million picks per week. RFID was selected as the most appropriate communications technology as it offered greater flexibility than bar coding.

The whole project has been one of continuous improvement. The ASDA George site now has an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) for boxed product and new high-speed 'hangsorters' for goods on hangers plus additional storage capacity.

2011 has seen the installation of new intake booms for both hanging and boxed goods as well as an extra accumulating replenishment line, which will hold boxed product until the required workstation is free. New strippers, used for separating individual hanging items, are being fitted, as are new parastackers for collecting empty jets. Even the jets - a new version using non-metal rollers to minimize wear and improve operation is being introduced - will be handled by a new split return line to ensure they return to intake points even more quickly.