System Report: Mazak uses same space for more parts
The dense storage provided by the VLMs allowed Mazak to keep the same footprint in the parts warehouse while increasing its storage capacity within that space by 95%.
By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large -- Modern Materials Handling, 2/1/2009
Mazak's aftermarket parts operation relies on staggered shifts to receive, pick and pack, and ship orders. A partial shift begins the day to handle receiving and cycle counting; a second crew works from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. to handle picking and packing; while the remainder of the crew takes care of loading and cleanup from noon until 9 p.m.
Receiving and putaway: When a part arrives at receiving, the system prints out a receiving ticket with an embedded bar code label. The receiver scans the label on the ticket and the label on a tote. The tote is routed by conveyor to one of the zones where parts are stored in vertical lift modules (VLMs) for putaway. The system automatically delivers a tray while lights direct the operator on where in the tray to put away the parts from a specific tote. In addition, Mazak stores large parts in an oversized VLM equipped with a roll-out table for easy access by an overhead crane. Parts that are too heavy to be handled by an operator are palletized and automatically put away by a stacker crane in a pallet rack area . Heavy parts are stored on pallets in a racking area serviced by an automatic stacker crane. Parts are delivered to one of two pickup zones , and the putaway location is entered into the system. The crane picks up the pallet and delivers it to the storage location.
Picking: Once an order is received and processed in Mazak's order processing system, the order is ready for picking. Each order is assigned to a tote with a fixed license plate, and is placed on a conveyor in the front end of the system. That tote is then routed to one of four pick workstations . Each pod is fed by the mainline conveyor with accumulation capability.
When a tote arrives at a workstation, the operator scans it and then scans a light on the batch station to associate the tote with the corresponding light in the software. The operator can scan up to eight totes in a workstation, so eight orders can be picked simultaneously.
When the operator indicates, the VLMs deliver the product to the operator, and a customer-specified bar code part label is printed. The lights will light on the VLMs directing the operator to the pick location and how many pieces to pick. The operator then picks the product as directed by the VLM, attaches the printed bar code label to the product, and turns around to place it into the correct tote or order as directed by the lights on the batch station. The operator then picks the next part presented by the VLM. This is repeated until the order has all parts required from that zone.
When an order is complete, the lights direct the operator to push the tote back onto the conveyor , where it either gets routed to one of three pack lanes , or it goes into another workstation downstream for further fulfillment.
Large parts are separately delivered to the roll-out table in the oversized VLM and are then moved to the packing area by overhead crane. Meanwhile, heavy parts stored in the pallet rack are pulled after scanning the pick label when the order is entered into the system. The stacker crane retrieves the pallet and delivers it to one of the two pickup stations . Parts that can be handled by a packer are picked up at one end of the crane. Parts that require a lift truck are picked up at the other end of the crane.
Packing: Once all the items for an order have been picked, the tote is automatically routed by conveyor to a packing area . Red totes are used for priority orders that are taken immediately for customer pick up or door-to-door shipping. Once at the pack stations, sensors on the conveyors route the tote to the least full lane so as to not back up the orders in the pack line. Shipping information is automatically forwarded to the pack area, as well as to overnight shipping carriers to speed package pick up and delivery. Underneath the conveyor is another conveyor system for empty tote returns, cycling the totes back to the front of the system, making for a very efficient operation.
Shipping: Mazak's has integrated parcel shipping systems from UPS and FedEx with its warehouse management system. Once a part is packed, a package is placed on a scale and the bar code label on a pick slip is scanned. Data from the scale and Mazak's inventory management system populate the label. As the label is printed, the carrier sends an e-mail notification to the customer and sends shipping information back to Mazak's inventory management system to close out the order.
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