excellence in logistics Ardo l
pioneering decision to walk up the fully automated route was taken. Four automated solutions from four different suppliers were then drawn up and evaluated.
“We needed to identify a unified solution, to make concepts that fit to the goods flow,” says Eric Vandenbussche of Logflow on the selection of a partner to implement the plan. “Then we look at investment and operational costs, maintenance, risk, IT costs, etc and we scored all suppliers on these points. At that stage, we could eliminate one or two from the shortlist. Then we carried out visits to reference sites, at which point we could see if there was a ‘click’ between the customer and the supplier. After that process, we left it to Ardo to make the final decision.
“It was obvious to choose Savoye, as it had by far the best system for the project,” says Eric Vandenbussche. “There are no bad technologies, but you can choose the wrong one for your goods flow – then you have a problem.” Ignace Kint, of Ardo, says, “We made a decision in a group containing people who would be involved in the operation of the facility. It was based on facts and figures, and then the emotional decision came after that.”
Savoye was officially commissioned in April 2007, WMS selected in January 2008, and a contract signed to go ahead with the project in March 2008. Construction of the 36m-high warehouse began in February 2009 and the system was fully operational in September of that year, two months earlier than originally envisaged, thus avoiding any difficulties around peak
harvest season in October/November. To achieve this, the project team was able to shorten the testing period. Ignace Kint says, “We didn’t sign a contract until we had a permit to build the warehouse. It seems like a long process, start to finish, but the build and implementation was accelerated. We started filling the warehouse in September, and by the end of October it was fully operational.”
The warehouse has a depth of 72m, a width of 91m, and boasts 235m3
of net
storage in 31,400 Euro pallets. It has a maximum filling rate of 99%, although due to seasonal nature of the fruit and vegetable business, this runs at around 70%. The maximum pallet weight is 1,300kg, which is high thanks to the use of wooden totes.
The concrete slab on which the whole thing sits took a month to dry out after installation, and before freezing could begin. That freezing process is necessarily slow – the temperature is reduced by one degree Centigrade each day to eliminate the risk of the concrete slab cracking. To prevent the cold seeping into the slab, it is heated and insulated.
Within the warehouse, oxygen levels are reduced to 17%. Upon entering it, this lack of oxygen plus a sudden drop in temperature is striking. Climbing up 13 stories of stairs to reach the top of the facility and view it from above was, quite literally, a breath-taking venture, something akin to climbing a mountain, albeit one of a height of only 36 metres. This oxygen starvation eliminates a fire risk – a fire in the warehouse at the wrong time could wipe out a year’s
worth of stock of a certain vegetable. These hostile conditions mean that vermin are not a problem.
The Magmatic system designed and installed by Savoye features four chief components – Magmatic vehicles (VMs), ‘Levmatic’ lifts, Racking and Software. The VMs are radio-guided,
autonomous units that have access to every one of the single-deep pallet positions. Autonomy is important, as they can operate in a similar manner to a free forklift truck, rather than being restricted to certain predetermined zones or channels.
As they operate 24/7, the VMs auto- detect when a battery needs replacing and will do it without the need for human intervention. There are eight VMs in total, plus one spare, enabling maintenance to take place without affecting the operation of the facility. The electrics on the VMs have to operate in these harsh conditions without fail, so they are mounted in insulated, heated cabinets.
Levmatic is the name of the lifts, of which there are four (three operational and one extra). These bring the pallets and the VMs to any of the 13 levels levels, and are clever in that when they are transporting a VM they can charge it up in transit. Extra throughput can be added to the warehouse by increasing the number of VMs and lifts, thus future- proofing the facility.
The self-supporting racking was built by a third-party to Savoye’s specification, then tested and certified by Savoye after installation.
The warehouse management software – covering all aspects including battery management, security, visualisation of every movement and filling rate – was integrated with Savoye’s self-developed IT system. The ecological aspects of the project were key to the design and inception. “As a company, we work to a long-term green plan,” says Ignace Kint. “Our first concern is to use less energy. We think we have a low consumption of energy per pallet in this installation.” In terms of ROI, Hans de Sutter, Savoye’s Benelux sales director, says, “When you see the capacity and efficiency of this system and take into account the investment, the revenue it generates, and the costs it saves such as leasing alternative storage… we have payback after four months.” Ardo’s Ignace Kint concludes, “The warehouse will have a long future and is a tool that enables Ardo to grow and to reach a very high level of customer satisfaction.” ●
www.savoyelogistics.com 14 ShD August 2010
www.PressOnShD.com
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