August 04 2016
AS/RS 'Absolutely Reduces' Bottle Damage for Spirits Supplier
While automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) are not yet common in bottling operations, if you walk into The Glenmore Distillery's new $45 million distribution center, you will find just that. This large-scale, one-of-a-kind AS/RS occupies about 60 percent of the 223,000 square-foot facility and is a big change from Glenmore's previous operations.
In the past, Glenmore relied on manual processes, did not have a warehouse management system, and only utilized basic software for location tracking. Now, together with Westfalia's Savanna.NET® Warehouse Execution System, the high-bay AS/RS allows Glenmore to store, retrieve, and manage pallets of finished goods with high efficiency, while also virtually eliminating handling-related product damage. "The AS/RS has absolutely reduced warehouse-created damage," says Craig Cunningham, distribution manager at The Glenmore Distillery. "Since pallets are conveyed from the moment they leave the palletizer equipment until they are loaded on a truck, product is damage free from forklifts and other incidental contact."
Glenmore's system also features a Cimcorp automated layer picking system to handle just-in-time order fulfillment and provide further system efficiency. "We're essentially four months into being fully operational in the new warehouse [and] we have transformed into one of the most state-of-the-art warehouses in the country," says Cunningham.