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Blue Bell Ice Cream
AS/RS and Savanna.NET® WMS Case Study
Westfalia Technologies, Inc. recently completed the installation of an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS) and Savanna.NET® Warehouse Management System (WMS) for Blue Bell Creameries. Their facility in Sylacauga, Alabama has streamlined its deep freeze storage area, operating at approximately -30° F.
Blue Bell Creameries, established in 1907 in Brenham, Texas, is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a producer of ice cream and frozen snacks. Its offerings include around 50 ice cream flavors, frozen yogurt, sherbet, frozen snacks and no sugar ice cream products. Sold throughout the south and mid-west, Blue Bell is ranked as one of the top three best selling ice creams in the country.
To streamline Blue Bell’s production and storage faclilty at Sylacauga, Westfalia has installed an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS) consisting of two Storage Retrieval Machines (SRM), operating in one aisle. This design provides redundancy should an SRM require maintenance. For this particular operation, the individual SRM holds 2 pallets, and is designated its own “working area”, with a safety zone mid aisle to prevent collision.
The storage racking structure is divided into two sections, each with 45 rows and 9 levels. This multiple deep AS/RS utilizes Westfalia’s patented Satellite® load transportation vehicle designed to store pallets 8 or 10 deep in the racks. This configuration allows Blue Bell Creameries a total of 7,000 storage positions. A conveyor system is also part of the logistics system provided, consisting of 13 chain conveyors, a CDLR conveyor and two turntables. A special feature of this system is the interaction of 2 pallets coming from an SRM into the conveyor system.
System Features:
- 2 Storage Retrieval Machines (SRM) that operate in one aisle.
- Each SRM will be able to hold up to two Blue Bell pallets at a time
- For this particular operation, the individual SRM will be designated its own “working area”, with a safety zone mid aisle to prevent collision
- Racking structure will contain two sections, each with 45 rows and 9 levels
- Utilizes a satellite system designed to store 8 or 10 pallets deep, totaling 7,000 storage positions.
Westfalia’s Savanna.NET Warehouse Management Software controls, tracks and records the product movement from its entry to exit of the system. Savanna.NET is a modular WMS consisting of a central “base” of logistics functions, which can be added and adapted to specific customer needs by adding modules, such as order picking. Additionally, Savanna.NET may be used to automatically rewarehouse products in order to optimize storage capacity.
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