Fixed path: Automation boosts capacity by 50% while reducing hours worked

Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) is the second-largest distributor of wine and spirits in the United States. When the company built a new 305,000-square-foot distribution center, it aimed to meet the requirements of its fast-growing customer and supplier base while accommodating long-term growth.

RNDC distributes more than three million cases of wine per year in Virginia. Located in the town of Ashland, Va., this facility processes one of the largest percentages of bottles (broken case and splits) relative to the other RNDC facilities.

To meet the desired throughput rates, RNDC deployed state-of-the-industry conveyors and sortation equipment, including zero-pressure accumulation conveyor and a sliding shoe sorter with “soft touch” divert. Several spiral conveyors were used to save space.

The design optimized the configuration of the forward pick areas to balance picking labor and minimize outside picks. The bottle room, where individual bottles are picked, has a unique express and local line approach with conveyor lines sized and routed accordingly. This balances production flow and eliminates unnecessary touches.

This facility uses voice picking and the collective bottle room team can exceed 600 bottles per hour, per person. An integrated carton erector and automatic print-and-apply system feeds the bottle room with empty and ready cases in the appropriate sequence.

The warehouse control system (WCS) integrates with RNDC’s warehouse management system (WMS) and slotting software, which directs real-time operations within the distribution center. The WCS maximizes system throughput and performance by optimizing wave picking through loading, including mis-pick detection for accurate loading and a state-of-the-art camera system for enhanced security.

The facility increased production capacity by 50%—to more than 3,000 cases per hour.

“We increased order completeness and accuracy while reducing breakage,” says Richard Gay, RNDC’s Virginia director of operations. “The system has effectively ended warehouse overtime, reducing hours worked by 20%. Accuracy has improved with scanner read rates consistently exceeding 99.5%. The system has a solid base upon which we can support future growth.”

W&H Systems
201-635-3493
whsystems.com