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f+h Intralogistics 5/2015

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f+h Intralogistics 5/2015

MATERIAL FLOW CNSS

MATERIAL FLOW CNSS successful with high-performance TGW logistics system 7.5 kilometres of conveyor equipment distributed on five levels ensure the shipping of up to 7,500 packages per hour. This performance is delivered by the new logistics centre of the Chinese eCommerce expert CNSS in Danyang. This project was implemented by TGW Logistics Group based in Wels. The high-performance conveyor systems of the Austrian systems provider create the necessary infrastructure for the fast distribution of all kinds of products. high operating efficiency, in particular A during peak times, was the decisive factor for the logistics service provider CNSS in the implementation of his distribution centre in Danyang, China. The operator‘s business model of temporarily renting the installation to different retailers calls for highest throughput rates. Convey big! Since 2012 the company CNSS has grown to become a real “logistics giant“ with plans for further expansion. It is just a small surface of the entire footprint of CNSS’s premises in Danyang that is covered by the distribution centre implemented by TGW. But the installation is one of the first automated logistics centres for logistics services provided in the Shanghai region. “As the first highly automated warehouse and distribution centre in China, we are excited to coop- erate with TGW, who support us with their international technologies. Together with TGW, we are aiming at guiding Chinese eCommerce companies into a new logistics era,“ says Jay Wang, CEO at CNSS. Think of a big retailer who wants to offer its customers an extensive range of products. Think of this retailer storing all its goods in the manual warehouse of CNSS in Danyang and imagine all the goods being shipped out of the warehouse to customers all over China within just a couple of days. This is exactly what CNSS is doing. “CNSS is not a classic 3PL“, adds Albert Fischlmayr, Project Manager at TGW. “The company has developed its own concept for the eCommerce business in China. There is not only one permanent customer storing its goods in the warehouse. It might be a different customer every few weeks. This is why the installation was designed to offer highest performance during peak times.” TGW accepted this challenge and implemented the new logistics centre, installing extensive conveyor equipment in the existing five-storey building including a manual warehouse. All available material flow processes work independently of each other and thus ensure short throughput times throughout the entire installation. The growth of the Chinese eCommerce business demands new ideas and concepts for the distributions of fast movers. By using TGW’s high-performance sorter and conveyor equipment, the operator is now able to increase the efficiency of his eCommerce processes. The combination of state-of-theart conveyor technologies with a customised warehouse management software creates capacities to handle an average of 1.5 million packages per day. During high season, it will be possible to handle two million units a day. Picking strategy for ideal throughput rates The manual warehouse in Danyang is operated by up to 500 employees. However, the goods need to be transported to the different storage areas distributed on five floors. Once the goods have been delivered on trucks, they are immediately forwarded to the new conveyor system to automatically reach their shelves, which are controlled by radio. “We connected all levels by our conveyor equipment and transport the goods on 7.5 kilometers of conveyors, three Channelisers as well as two TGW Natrix sorters”, 32 f+h Intralogistics 5/2015

Fischlmayr explains. “The customer is using his own radio controls, so we cared for the individual interface to make it work. You can describe the TGW-Gateway software as a translation software that knows about all processes in the installation.” As soon as a customer has placed an order online, the ordered goods are manually placed on the conveyor lines and transported down to the ground floor via the conveyor system. Scanners control the transported goods and prove the identity and the content of the totes. The totes arrive on the ground floor and are conveyed to a pick-towall picking system. There are shelves that are accessible from both sides. One picking employee puts the goods into a designated shelf by using a put-to-light system. On the other side of the shelf, a light signal shows the packing employee when an order is ready to be packed. The goods are packed into cartons and immediately sent onward on their journey towards the sorter. The longest TGW Natrix sliding shoe sorter (Image) has a length of 100 meters with 30 chutes. It takes care that every product is sent to the correct shipping line. The other sorter, equipped with four chutes, distributes the picked totes to the right pick-towall lines. At the end of each packing line, the packages are weighed and scanned once again to ensure the correctness of the order. “If something does not correspond to the information of the system, the package is sent to another line – the re-check line. There the cartons are checked manually and afterwards forwarded to the correct shipping line. This system allows the operator to send up to 7,500 packages per hour depending on the size of the cartons. Stand-by mode reduces energy consumption Due to the great number of conveyors and various conveyor areas, an intelligent energy management was inevitable. TGW solved this task with an automated standby mode. “If you have so many conveyor lines working simultaneously, you also need an option that enables you to shut down individual areas that are not required at the moment”, says Fischlmayr. This way, CNSS assures a lower energy use during offpeak times and operates its installation in a sustainable way. The entire installation’s performance was tested during an important festival in China, the Dragon Boat Festival. It is common to eat Zongzi, which are rice balls with meat covered with leaves. The warehouse was filled up with thousands of Zongzi for this special occasion to distribute them afterwards in record time. In the end, the tests showed an availability of 99.8 per cent. Photos: lead photo: TGW, Fotolia/processing: VFV Grafik, photo p. 33 TGW www.tgw-group.com About TGW TGW Logistics Group is a global leading systems provider of highly dynamic, automated and turn-key logistics solutions. Since 1969 the company has been successfully implementing different internal logistics solutions, from small material handling applications to complex logistics centres worldwide. With about 2,500 employees worldwide by now, the Group implements logistics solutions for leading companies in various industries, such as adidas, H&M, Esprit, Jack Wolfskin, Amazon or Kärcher for instance. In the business year 2014/15, the TGW Logistics Group generated sales revenues of € 475 million. Give your store the correct curve. smarter.storing.solutions Sliding shoe sorters ensure correct material flows Shelf systems High load shelf systems www.schulte-lagertechnik.de

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