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Case Study Conveyors & Automation


Cereal processor T


he Weetabix Food Company has been creating delicious breakfast cereals since 1932. The busi- ness has expanded significantly


Magill, chief engineer. “So the business had engaged with a number of OEMs to propose with us what a good operating solution would be for a long-term plan. Now


“We’ve not had to build another building to accommo- date the project - we have integrated it into the existing operation, which has been a challenge, but a very rewarding experience”


since its creation, and the company now employs over 2,000 people around the world. Weetabix’s unique range of break- fast cereals isn’t just popular in the UK – it exports to over 80 countries, from the Middle East and South America to Europe and South East Asia. To free-up space within the existing warehouse complex at its Burton Latimer headquarters and to reduce the number of pallets currently held in off-site storage, the company decided to invest in an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS). TGW Limited has designed and integrated the new automated warehouse solu- tion into the existing operation.


THE TGW SOLUTION


“If I ask myself why did we do this project – the busi- ness undertook a strategic review of its operations and one of the work streams came up with warehouses as a significant bottleneck going forward, given our growth plan,” says Damian


32 May 2012 Storage Handling Distribution www.shdlogistics.com


To enable further expansion, The Weetabix Food Company invested in a state-of-the- art pallet warehouse at its Northamptonshire site. TGW was awarded the design and integration of this warehouse solution.


we can see the end result of that project.” TGW designed a cost-effective solu- tion for Weetabix, where the pallets are conveyed and handled two pallets high, to optimise throughput and space. There are 22,000 pallet locations in the warehouse, serviced by three highly dynamic fully automatic TGW Magnus pallet handling cranes, supplying multiple pallet deep storage tubes with the TGW Muli satellite vehicles. This new solution allows for a performance of storing and retrieving approxi- mately 200 loads per hour. “The key advantages of adopting an AS/RS system for Weetabix has been pretty significant for us,” contin- ues Damian Magill. “First, TGW was able to maximise our footprint by the use of the intelligent Muli system, which minimised the amount of monorail-crane systems in the installation. We will operate with three, whereas traditionally the systems have as many as five or six. We have taken the available pallet storage from circa 12,000 pallets to 22,000 pallets within the same footprint, a very significant increase.”


SAFETY FIRST


TGW deployed a load recovery access system, which allows safe access for this type of applica- tion, for qualified operators to enter the storage tubes to recover a failed or damaged load. The access system is also used in support of the maintenance and


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