This development also allows companies to modernise processes without going through a costly and logistically challenging relocation
Product importers, in particular, handle huge quantities of stock manually
because its materials handling systems are outdated.
Managing Director of ICA, Mr Don Erskine, says ICA designers and engineers handle tricky tasks in what are often regarded as a fairly unique set of circumstances.
“Many materials handling solutions involve plants with processing systems for one, two or a few different items en masse,” said Mr Erskine.
“But some businesses not only handle a huge number of items, they can also identify thousands of stock keeping units (SKUs) which give us a greater logistics challenge," said Mr Erskine.
“In some cases where we were called in for consultation, every single item was being handled six times before it was ready for dispatch under the existing set-up.
“Clearly, productivity improvement was a critically important issue along with the urgent need for a complete modernisation of the materials handling system.
“This type of multi handling always costs the operator a lot of money and
keeps efficiency very low, so a complete revamp is expected to turn an
operation from a low efficiency sorting plant into a high efficiency operation.”
One of the more common challenges is for Industrial Conveying to be told that the client wants to remain at the existing location, so the project itself has to be completed as quickly as possible with minimum interruption to business.
When dealing with a limited floor space, ICA is able to configure the new set-up to provide even more space than was previously used by mounting all the materials handling system in the ceiling space and obviating the need to build a new factory.
This greatly reduces the level of equipment occupying floor space which makes a plant far more spacious and dramatically reduces the amount of obstacles on the floor to ensure it is then a much safer environment for employees.
Ideally, the client gains a system to remain in the same location without any disruption whatsoever.
Overall, a solution uses a combination of conveyor systems, carousel sorting technology, labelling and RFID technology.
“Like most of our materials handling projects, this type of solution is an
Industrial Conveying concept from start to finish,” said Mr Erskine.
Our engineers are able to work very closely with the company’s management and therefore design, commission and complete the job as a turnkey in very quick time," said Mr Erskine.
“This is evidence that companies do not have to spend a fortune in time and money looking for, or building, new premises just because they want to update their sorting systems or expand their production lines.
"On an existing site, we have been able to configure and optimise a solution which is quickly implemented without disrupting operations, and in reality it has brought an aging assembly plant into a new, modern and highly efficient existence."
