AS/RS improves the timeliness of parts access

Fast and flexible order picking is crucial for the success of Schrauwen, a Belgian wholesaler for sanitary and heating supplies. After all, the company currently offers 24-hour service, along with overnight delivery of equipment and spare parts, to installing companies, private customers and 11 of its own shops.

Due to its sustained growth and its move to overnight delivery, Schrauwen has required a more flexible and efficient order picking solution—one that provides more reliable delivery to customers than its static shelving offered. Not to mention, the company’s 15,000 SKUs, which vary in size and weight, also needed more suitable types of storage systems.

In response, since 2015, Schrauwen has used an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS), which ensures fast access to small parts. In that time, six horizontal carousels have provided an adequate storage and retrieval solution to approximately 5,000 small parts in bins and cartons.

Pick-to-light and put-to-light systems, combined with batch picking operations, allow 20 orders to be picked at the same time by one operator. In general, at Schrauwen, two operators work on the orders; however, in peak times the number can be increased up to six with their warehouse management system (WMS) software.

At Schrauwen, the goods-to-person principle, along with significantly reduced travel time, has resulted in a substantial increase in picking speed. The WMS is linked to the customer’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, where the receipt of goods is processed and customer orders are created. The software then assigns SKUs in the horizontal carousel (along with all other storage locations), reports all actions back to the ERP system and keeps track of storage levels, ensuring full stock control.

With this system, Schrauwen can process 2,000 order lines daily and prepare customer orders for around 100 deliveries per day (including special night delivery), which are currently performed by nine company trucks.

Kardex Remstar
800-639-5805