Features/Benefits Provided: Eliminated substantial outside storage requirements Provided for 53,000+ pallets of frozen products Minimized forklift activity with dual-ended AS/RS Allowed for 110-ft. high warehouse adjacent to existing facility

One of the nation's premier ice cream and dairy products producers needed to reduce their third party warehousing costs and consolidate their distribution to a centralized location. Through double digit growth, this customer had outgrown their automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS); they had to resort to outside storage. Concerned with a continued trend, customer and supplier study teams were assembled to evaluate future needs. After multiple solutions and simulations, a two-phase solution was chosen.

Without disruption to existing operations, Phase I added 43 bays (193 ft.) and 6,192 pallet loads to the existing AS/RS. When completed, rack was installed into the existing freezer. Phase II required a new 7-aisle, double deep AS/RS of approximately 110 ft. high. The storage capacity of the 7 aisles is 35,428 pallet loads, bringing the total storage capacity of the facility to 53,420 loads.

A dual level conveyor was installed to move pallets in and out of the high rise. On a mezzanine level, product is palletized and stretch wrapped prior to induction to the high rise. Pallet output occurs at floor level in the original storage system feeding 16 accumulation lines that queue 8 pallet loads in front of the shipping docks.

Operating at -20° F, the system uses 7 storage and retrieval machines (SRMs). The shuttle mechanism reaches into a double deep rack that carries one load at a time. (The existing 4-aisle system carries 2 loads side by side. However, with new drive technology, it was determined that single shuttle machines could handle the increased throughput.) This automated system can ship enough ice cream each day to supply every Chicago family with their own ½ gallon carton!

is a Proud Member of the AS/RS Product Section of Material Handling Industry of America

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Milwaukee, WI 53201-1512
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