Mechanical Technology November-December 2016

⎪ Materials handling and minerals processing ⎪

Africa’s leading warehouse storage solutions company, APC Storage Solutions SA, recently completed the installation of a turnkey system for Customs Franchised Container Freight Station Company, Intermodal Cargo Solutions. Ettienne Meyburgh, GM for the company’s KZN region and automation, highlights the systems advantages. Turnkey storage solution for Intermodal Cargo

T he contract to supply a pallet shuttle system for the global container transport and logistics giant, Intermodal Cargo Solu- tions, was awarded to APC against a number of competitors due to its numer- ous benefits and a design to aid the client develop a final solution. This included a sprinkler system, for which one of APC Storage Solutions SA’s business partners was used. Intermodal Cargo Solutions had been in talks with one of APC Storage Solutions SA’s competitors and required an ad- ditional service provider to propose and quote on a similar solution. APC Storage Solutions SA was approached and took the time to understand all of the client’s needs, including facility layout, load units, pick rates and throughputs. The fact that Intermodal was dealing with various companies, each able to pro- vide only a part of the overall required solution, counted substantially in APC Storage Solutions SA’s favour, as it was in a position to manage the entire project. With this information at hand, the team submitted a design to meet the client’s requirements, which led to the contract being awarded. About 110 containers are received

by Intermodal fort- nightly and 5 500

pallets are dis- patched, resulting in total warehouse turnaround every two weeks. “Our proposed solution meant that we needed to take the standard operating

Above: The ware- house handles approximately 5 500 pallets, with total warehouse turnaround achieved fortnightly. Left:

The pallet shuttle conveys pallets up to 1 500 kg at 1.3 m/s to desig- nated storage bays within the racking lanes. receive and dispatch operations. It also boosts pallet load and unload rates and, therefore, throughput rates. The pallet shuttles move along special rails attached to the racking, eliminating the need for aisles as storing and extracting pallets is achieved via remote control using wifi- enabled tablets. As the pallet shuttle has its own ‘intel- ligence’ and electrical supply system, it is able to stock pallets deep inside storage tunnels, then retrieve and convey them to the front of the tunnel. Its deep lane storage and retrieval, with the ability to transport various pallet sizes with weight loads of up to 1 500 kg, and at speeds reaching 1.3 m/s, adds to increased productivity and enhances product safety. Operator time is reduced by half, in/out flow efficiency is retained and available storage capacity is maximised. In addition, overall efficiency improve- ments are gained by safer pallet handling (a 10 mm accuracy rate), electronic pal- let length checks for optimal density stor- age, and the fact that operators remain outside of the tunnels. The pallet shuttles have several safety and control systems in place, which in- clude incorporated electrical components that allow autonomous displacements, radio frequency commands transmitted to the shuttle’s PLCs, an incorporated emergency stop button, sensors to bring the shuttle to a halt in the event of a collision or if obstructions are detected

procedures, business rules and active target rate of receiving and dispatch into consideration, as well as receiving and dispatch door locations. This was necessary to allow the customer to op- timally plan for pick and replenishment waves without negatively impacting on the warehouse flows,” says Ettienne Meyburgh, general manager – KZN region and automation, APC Storage Solutions SA. APC provided the first block of 30 m wide, five levels high and 68 pallets deep; and another block of 10 m wide, four levels high and 20 pallets deep, coupled with a world-class wifi radio pallet shuttle system operating on the FIFO (first in, first out) principle. The installed pallet shuttle system is designed to prevent or minimise damage to racking units and to best control FIFO and batch

With rapid travel speeds of 1.3 m/s achieved with precise location accuracy, pallet shuttles maximise stor- age and retrieval efficiency and prevent damage to the racking structure.

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Mechanical Technology — November-December 2016