Storage and Sequencing for Automotive Suppliers
Strategically manage sorting, loading, storage and sequencing shipments of automotive seats
- Efficiently navigate the challenge of sorting inbound stacks of mixed empty pallets from the automotive assembly plant and delivering to 5 unique loading points.
- Create a solution to decouple supplier build schedule from customer’s fluctuating production rate.
- Provide a high speed ASRS to store and sequence seat sets Just in Time to the assembly plant.
- Seamlessly integrate seats manufactured offsite into storage and shipping systems during system ramp up.
- Engineer, fabricate, install and commission the complete system in 28 weeks while navigating supply chain issues following COVID.
Continuous seat production that adapts to changes
Prevent the impact of production issues at the automotive assembly plant.
ISD faced the complex task of creating an efficient system to manage both empty pallets and those loaded with completed seat assemblies, considering the intricacies of two distinct types of vehicle seats encompassing both front and rear seating arrangements. The challenge extended to storing enough empty pallets to sustain continuous production while ensuring accurate sorting based on the specific seat types.
The process also involved the meticulous identification and tracking of loaded pallets as they were dispatched to a storage area capable of accommodating 1,160 pallets of seats. To guarantee seamless operations, the system required tracking the precise positions of pallets thru production and in storage, facilitating their proper retrieval in the necessary order for shipment. Additionally, maintaining the correct sequence of pallets during delivery from storage up to the point of loading onto the shipping trailer was critical for the overall efficiency of the operation.
Empty pallet management
Received in stacks containing multiple pallet types, empty pallets undergo the process of being unstacked, identified, and sorted to ensure their proper allocation to the respective assembly lines.
Loaded pallet storage and shipment
The system must accommodate a transfer rate of up to 150 pallets per hour from production to storage and 140 pallets per hour from storage to shipping.
Implement automated system for efficient handling and storage of empty and loaded pallets
Solutions engineered for you
Collaborating with the customer, ISD defined system requirements, specifying empty and loaded pallet storage needs, material flow, assembly line interface, throughput, and shipment details. This comprehensive information guided the selection of necessary equipment to establish a reliable and robust system tailored for the customer’s specific needs.
Streamlined inbound receiving and inspection
A dedicated empty pallet receiving/storage conveyor was introduced to manage incoming pallet stacks. These stacks progressed to a robot station, where they underwent unstacking, identification by type, and placement on the 1st row, 2nd row truck, or 2nd row SUV pallet load conveyor. Once loaded, the pallets traveled through final inspection then to the ASRS for buffering inventory prior to shipment.
Smart sequencing for outbound loading and delivery
For outbound shipments, a broadcast was utilized to retrieve product from multiple ASRS aisles and delivered to the conveyor in the required shipping sequence. This sequence was tracked and verified thru merge points and labeling stations until the pallets were loaded into trailers destined for shipment to the automotive assembly plant.
Storage to meet demand
To meet the storage demands, a system with 1160 storage locations was designed, capable of handling an input of 150 pallets per hour and an output of 140 pallets per hour, totaling a throughput requirement of 290 pallets per hour plus 25% overspeed capability. Considering the available space for the storage rack, a three-lane Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) was designed.
Fast and efficient throughput
Each ISD UltraStore ASRS crane demonstrated a capability of 64 dual cycles per hour, resulting in a throughput of 128 pallets per hour (64 pallets in and 64 pallets out) within the required travel specifications. This design culminated in a highly efficient storage system with an impressive throughput of 384pallets per hour.
Real Results
290 pallets per hour
Input of 150 pallets per hour and an output of 140 pallets per hour resulted in an overall increase of storage throughput of 290 pallets per hour
384 pallets per hour
The ISD UltraStore ASRS crane demonstrated a capability of 64 dual cycles per hour, resulting in a throughput of 128 pallets per hour (64 pallets in and 64 pallets out) an impressive total throughput of 384pallets per hour.
1160 storage locations
A system with 1160 storage locations was designed including a three-lane Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) to handle the necessary throughput.
25% overspeed capability
Total throughput requirement of 290 pallets per hour was established plus 25% overspeed capability.
