Vertical lift modules trim floor space and labor requirements by 85%

FlightSafety International is a leading manufacturer of full flight simulators, visual systems and displays. A new 375,000-square-foot manufacturing facility provided the capacity to produce up to 19 simulators at once. It also offered an opportunity to redesign the stockroom, where component parts and kits were previously stored in cardboard boxes on shelving. After installing four shuttle vertical lift modules (VLMs), the company improved inventory control, reduced labor and increased accuracy in 85% less floor space.

Component parts are picked on a daily basis and sent to kitting where the kits are stored until manufacturing is ready. “Before the new VLMs, order fulfillment was a time-consuming, labor-intensive process and inventory was susceptible to shrinkage,” says Mike Halsey, director of manufacturing and material management. With the shelving system, the area was not secure and inventory parts would often come up missing, creating an untraceable loss in inventory.

The installation of four, 36-foot-tall VLMs (Kardex Remstar, kardexremstar.com) reduced the footprint of the component and kitting areas in the new facility from roughly 6,454 square feet to 960 square feet, an 85% floor space savings. The VLMs are integrated with pick-to-light technology, inventory management software and two 10-position batch stations.

“Inventory is much more accurate,” Halsey says. “The VLM operators are given access to the machine, but each transaction is now monitored and recorded electronically in the inventory management software.”

The old shelving system required seven people in the components area and seven people in the kitting area. Since installing the shuttle VLMs, only one person is required in each area. Those two associates are also able to work on other tasks like inventory counts and replenishment orders.

“Time spent walking and searching for parts and kits has been eliminated, allowing our staff to spend time on other important tasks,” says Halsey, who also notes an improvement in pick accuracy from 95% to 99.9%. “When the wrong part made it to manufacturing, it used to cause a shutdown. With the VLMs, that doesn’t happen.”