For almost 50 years, Timberland Co. has made rugged, dependable shoes and weather gear. To better serve its customers, the company built a 500,000 square foot distribution center in Ontario, Calif. Initially, the DC could send as many as 35,000 pairs of shoes a day to some 1,000 stores and wholesalers across North America.

But less than six months after the DC opened, Timberland was searching for ways to increase productivity and avoid difficulties in picking orders. Employees had to walk long distances to find a certain product, for example. In many cases, traffic jams resulted when several workers headed to the same aisle for the same product. Plus, employees had to replenish shelves, which slowed them even more.

A designer and manufacturer of advanced sortation systems was brought in to find a solution. A system was designed so it eliminated foot traffic congestion. In effect, it reversed the existing process so that orders are arranged and made ready to package before they reach a Timberland employee.

This system has a cross-belt sorter designed for items of 13 pounds or less. It is well suited to boxes of footwear.

Items inducted onto the sorter can be discharged to either side of the unit. Heavy items can be sent to one side, light items to the other for maximum protection against damage, for example.

Items move at 2 meters per second on the sorter, or at slightly more than 6 feet per second. They are discharged to one of 400 chutes.

Results with the new sorter have been "impressive," says Timberland president Jack Keating. After the sorter had been installed, the DC saw its daily productivity jump from 35,000 packages to 50,000 packages. In mid-summer, when stores are preparing for back-to-school sales, the DC can increase that total to 75,000 packages per day.

Crisplant, an FKI Logistex company
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