A solution from Kollmorgen
Smooth and synchronized teamwork is the best way for a worker and his lift truck to maximize productivity.
The traditional vehicle-based, order-picking process can include unproductive steps. By converting ordinary lift trucks into automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) in its central facility, Sweden’s Coop has increased productivity by 100%.
A traditional truck-based order picker spends as much time picking as he does picking up empty pallets or containers, delivering full pallets and driving around. As the second largest retailer in Sweden, Coop wanted to make sure the handling of 3,500 pallets per day and 65 million packages per year was as efficient as possible.
Using onboard hardware and software, the new vehicles automatically escort the picker and are always optimally positioned to minimize the distance and effort needed to pick and place products. The vehicles automatically lift the forks to the right height for easy stacking. The units communicate with a remote warehouse management system that plans efficient routes through the warehouse in coordination with other units. The system also integrates with Coop’s existing voice-guided picking technology, which ensures accuracy as productivity soars.
Productivity almost instantly doubled at the Coop distribution center, and workers reported decreases in stress and physical strain.
Tri-Phase Automation is a distributor of Kollmorgen products in Wisconsin. Contact Tri-Phase Automation Sales
Read the application report: Converting lift trucks to AGVs
Page layout as originally published in Modern Materials Handling October 2009 has been modified.