Hobart’s turnkey system streamlines its unloading process

Each morning, the returns department at Hobart’s Piqua, Ohio-based facility receives approximately 250 packages from UPS. In turn, the food equipment products manufacturer’s operations would have to shut down many other departments, so employees could help unload and sort all of the packages.

Unfortunately, this process was very time consuming and often chaotic. It not only entailed loading various-sized packages onto push carts and then manually moving the carts to open areas of the warehouse—but other operators would manually check the units in, too.

To help reduce the length of the process and improve its overall efficiency, Hobart decided to discuss it with industrial engineering and automated materials handling specialists, as it reviewed multiple options for accumulation and sortation. Based on the number of cartons it receives every day, along with the variety of box sizes, the manufacturer needed approximately 250 feet of conveyor to hold all of the cartons and returns of one day.

With this in mind, its objectives were simple. First, it wanted a streamlined process so one person could unload the truck. Second, it wanted its receiving person to work in one location as the packages flowed by them. And third, it desired to have all of its inspectors and packers in a set location, so they could easily process all incoming cartons, including returns from field service centers.

One complication arose: The requirement for egress, access to aisles, racking and offices. The final design fully used the space given, as it also enabled easy workflow and didn’t hinder any activities by other departments. To put the project back in line with its budget, Hobart also limited some of the functionality, while giving options for later growth.

Once the design and investment were approved and the system was ordered, a supplier continued to keep the manufacturer in the loop by sending status reports each week. In addition, the integrator’s project managers shared updates on delivery, along with installation expectations and reminders for any information they would need from Hobart.

The roughly four-day installation was relatively seamless, as the integrator’s technicians helped enable the manufacturer to continue its operations. Some fine tuning was necessary, but, overall, the system has met Hobart’s objectives.

Conveyor Solutions
(800) 678-9091