Mechanical Technology November-December 2016

Mechanical Technology — November-December 2016

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Materials handling and minerals processing

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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

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.

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.

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.

Turnkey storage solution

for Intermodal Cargo

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

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

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