On 1 March, MRG Logistics officially commissioned the new Rotapick order picking system at the (former) Blokker DC in Geldermalsen. Since the beginning of this year, the Rotapick has become part of the mechanised warehousing section and largely replaces the pick-to-light carts used until now. With this next 'smart warehousing' step, MRG Logistics is realising a more efficient and faster order picking system that will enable it to face the future with full confidence.
Rotapick, from German supplier PSB, is a compact storage and order picking system that allows more order lines to be picked in a shorter time. Previously, the order picker used to drive through the warehouse with 4 or 8 customer totes past various picking locations to take items from the racks and put them in the customer totes.With the Rotapick, which is specifically intended for the somewhat smaller, hard-running items, the process is reversed: the items arrive in totes via a conveyor belt to a workstation where the order picker is ready.
Shop and internet logistics
John Schollink, CEO of MRG Logistics: "We have been constantly on the move within our distribution centre in recent years, keeping up with the latest developments in automation, mechanisation and robotisation of goods flows. What sets us apart from other logistics providers with the Rotapick is the ability to combine shop and internet logistics for all size goods. This makes us an interesting party for retail chains to place their logistics, including e-com and warehousing, with us at a variable rate."
The system has two ways of adding products in totes: By removing the items from their boxes and putting them in totes, or by placing boxes of fast-moving goods with a unique sticker and placing them directly on the infeed conveyor. If goods in crates are not immediately needed for the order picking process, they are temporarily parked in the Rota buffer, which has space for 6,500 crates.
180 orders simultaneously
Order picking takes place at six Rotapicks, each operated by just one person. The order picker is immediately shown to which bin an offered product has to go. Once that is done, the next picking operation starts automatically. Each station processes 30 crates, divided into three discs, allowing the employee to fill three customer bins in one handling. This means that 180 customer bins can therefore be prepared at any given time. According to John Schollink, it does not take employees much effort to master the process. "Meanwhile, many people in the warehouse are eager to be allowed to do this work," he says.
For now, incidentally, not all pick-to-light carts will disappear immediately, as some will be kept in reserve to fall back on in case the Rotapick malfunctions. "Two years ago, we had an ambitious goal in mind: getting twice as much volume through the process and being less dependent on the human factor in the process. With the commissioning of the PSB Rotapick, this goal is certainly being achieved. We are therefore enormously proud of this new development within our DC with which we show that we can serve our current (and future) customers even better," Schollink said.
