FEATURE LOGISTICS SORTER INCREASES THROUGHPUT
Due to the volume of sales and predicted expansion an Axiomautomated sorting system has been installed as part of an integrated solution at Superdrug’s Northern Distribution Centre
shared our vision for the type of technology we wanted to deploy, making them a good fit for us and our customer.”
FUTUREPROOF SORTATION SYSTEM Superdrug’s e-commerce customers can select from a comprehensive collection of 16,000 products on the company’s website, ordering online for next day delivery. All of these orders are processed through the sortation facility. On the ground floor of the DC there are
Orders are directed to the correct despatch chute and a confirmation of destination sent to the Reflex WMS
S
uperdrug’s Northern Distribution Centre at Pontefract is home to the
company’s growing e-commerce operation. Due to the volume of sales and predicted expansion an automated sorting solution has been installed as part of an integrated solution from independent integrator Logistex. Designed and manufactured by Axiom
GB, a 10 destination series PR (pop-up roller) sorter has been supplied with the capacity to process 6,000 orders weighing up to 15kg an hour - an eightfold increase in throughput.
SELECTING THE PERFECT PARTNER Axiom was invited by Logistex to tender for the Superdrug sorter. “As an independent integrator it is our
job to source best in class products for each individual project,” explains Justin Saw, general manager integrated systems business development for Logistex and a member of the team which selected Axiom as a partner for the project. “As part of a detailed tender evaluation process, every response is scored against a set criteria. Each evaluation considers Logistex’s confidence that the supplier can deliver on time and in budget. We assess the level of risk with all sub- contractors as it is vital that we can achieve the performance criteria as defined in the contract. For this project there was a wide range of different carton sizes as well as jiffy bags which required sortation. Axiom was selected
S14 MAY/JUNE 2015 | MATERIALS HANDLING & LOGISTICS
because they have a proven ability in the sortation of both packets and parcels and understood our requirements really quickly. It helped that we could take our customer Superdrug to an Axiom site to observe the equipment in operation. “We were highly confident that the chosen sorter would be capable of reliable performance, handling orders weighing up to 15k at a rate of 6,000 per hour with a very low level of risk. “The Axiom staff are open and honest. They are good to work with, achieve what they say they are going to do and have the capability to meet any challenges along the way. For this project they
two main conveyor lines that feed the sorter. The first is a carton line where product is picked into cartons which are sent directly to the customer. The second line contains packet orders; these are merged onto the carton line with a degree of separation so that all of the orders can be fed into the sorter with a minimum 500mm gap. At this point Logistex’s LWS Reflex
The sorter has the capability to process 6,000 packets an hour which is an eightfold increase in throughput
Warehouse Management System links with Axiom’s ACS software, sending data for each package to the sorter. The orders travel up an incline conveyor onto the sorter where a final scan takes place. The packages are then directed into the appropriate despatch chute and a confirmation of destination response is sent to the Reflex WMS. “Our online retail sales have been doubling year on year and it reached a stage where our current operation wasn’t capable of fulfilling the volume forecast for the next five years,” explains Superdrug’s e-commerce general manager Peter Appleyard. “Therefore we needed new technology to support our future strategy. The Axiom sorter is simple to use and gives good reliable performance. It has the capability to process 6,000 packets an hour which is an eightfold increase in our throughput. “One of the major benefits of the new
system is that we are able to sort orders by delivery option. This has enabled us to extend our delivery time to the customer as we can pick over a longer period of time before the carrier arrives to collect the orders. Our customers can now order by 5pm and still receive their products the next day. We have a much more efficient operation.”
Axiom T: 01827 61212
www.axiomgb.com Enter 311
/ MATERIALSHANDLINGLOGISTICS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56