Vertical Lift Modules Save Space, Increase Productivity for Bus Service and Repair Facility

In the nation’s capital, buses run night and day thanks to Atlantic Transportation (ATEL). The company is responsible for all of the maintenance and repair of over 29 new European-style Van Hool buses for the city of Washington, D.C.

Keeping buses on the road is what drives their business, and when their buses are out of commission ATEL pays, literally based on their pay for performance contract. To repair buses quickly ATEL stores over 100,000 parts at their 70,000 square foot service and repair facility in Landover, MD. When designing the new facility, an efficient parts and storage area was at the top of their list.

With a new building purchased and a corporate relocation pending ATEL had to fit their 12,000 square foot parts department into a 1,500 square foot area in the new building. Brian Connolly, president of ATEL summed up the options: “We had two choices: expand the existing building to accommodate the 12,000 square feet of parts or find a way to get all of the parts into only 12 percent of the space.”

ATEL turned to Remstar International Inc. “We initially turned to Remstar as a storage solution to prevent a building expansion. After learning more about the technology and the added efficiency and reduced staffing benefits we’d get in addition to the space savings it was a no-brainer; this is the direction we wanted to go,” said Connolly. With four Remstar Shuttle VLM’s came space savings, process improvements, productivity increases and labor savings.

Prior to purchasing the Shuttle VLM’s, parts were stored on shelving. “We had 12,000 square feet dedicated to our parts department in the old building,” said Connolly. “With the purchase of four Remstar Shuttle VLM’s we were able to fit the same number of parts in only 1,500 square feet.” That equates to a space savings of just over 88 percent. This space savings eliminated a costly building expansion and allowed more room for service bays in the new facility.

New and Improved Processes

When a technician or customer comes to the parts department the parts department employee enters the part number into the host ADP software. The software pulls up the cost, location and quantity of the parts on-hand. With a simple click of a mouse the ADP software communicates with FastPic Auto, the software that controls the Shuttle VLM’s, and the Shuttle VLM automatically retrieves delivers the part tray to the pick window.

By the time the employee walks from the computer terminal to the Shuttle VLM the part has been presented in the pick window at an ergonomic waist high level. “Parts are now exactly where they are supposed to be,” said Matt Lunney, parts manager. The employee then verifies the part ID and confirms removal of the part by pushing the “task complete” button on the machine keypad. The Shuttle VLM stores the tray and positions itself for the next transaction.

ATEL has four Shuttle VLM’s and two computer terminals so employees aren’t tripping over each other or waiting for parts. All four units can operate at the same time from either terminal.

Using the FastPic Auto software, minimum re-order inventory levels have also been set for each part. When inventory of a part drops below the inventory level re-order quantity, it is flagged on an inventory level report.

Eliminating the time spent walking and searching for parts, ATEL has been able to reduce their parts department counter staff from five employees to only three, reducing their labor needs by 40 percent.

Remstar International Inc.,

41 Eisenhower Drive, Westbrook, ME 04092

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