VLMs help warehouse keep up with precision machining job shop

A modern, state-of-the-art job shop, Gurecky Manufacturing Service produces precision machined parts in a range of materials for the oil and gas industry. As the job shop grew, warehousing the finished goods prior to distribution was quickly becoming a bottleneck. A new vertical lift module (VLM) improved inventory management, accuracy and productivity.

The facility in Rosenberg, Texas, produces parts to customer specification and keeps these parts in inventory until the customer requires them. In the past, workers would use paper pick tickets and ladders to access parts stored on shelving.

“Distribution was a slow, tedious and tiring task that didn’t work well with the cutting edge, automated job shop we were supporting,” says John Dorman, president and CEO. “We purchased the VLMs with a built-in growth plan, and there is still space to add inventory and continue to grow business.”

The two new 13-foot-tall shuttle VLMs (Kardex Remstar, kardexremstar.com) include inventory management software and pick-to-light technology. Occupying 320 square feet, the two units replaced 4,000 square feet of shelving. The new VLMs hold 10,000 SKUs of inventory compared to the 7,000 SKUs in the previous shelving.

Each storage location contains one part number with multiple lot numbers. Previously, the worker would locate the part and then have to look through multiple parts at that location for the correct lot number. Now, the VLM presents the operator with the exact part to pick, increasing pick accuracy to more than 99%.

The VLMs have provided a 92% floor space savings, 30% additional inventory capacity, a 42% increase in productivity and cut mispicks in half. Gurecky has gone from picking 10,000 parts a month to 17,000 parts a month and only had to increase staff by one part-time employee.