February - Modern Materials Handling

tor can scan up to eight totes in a workstation,so eight orders can be pickedsimultaneously.When the operator indicates, theVLMs 3 deliver the product to theoperator, and a customer-specified barcode part label is printed. The lightswill light on the VLMs directing theoperator to the pick location and howmany pieces to pick. The operator thenpicks the product as directed by theVLM, attaches the printed bar codelabel to the product, and turns aroundto place it into the correct tote or orderas directed by the lights on the batchstation. The operator then picks thenext part presented by the VLM. Thisis repeated until the order has all partsrequired from that zone.When an order is complete, the lightsdirect the operator to push the tote backonto the conveyor 2 , where it either getsrouted to one of three pack lanes 9 , or itgoes into another workstation 7 downstreamfor further fulfillment.Large parts are separately deliveredto the roll-out table in the oversizedVLM 4 and are then moved to thepacking area 9 by overhead crane.Meanwhile, heavy parts stored in thepallet rack 6 are pulled after scanningthe pick label when the order is enteredinto the system. The stacker crane 5retrieves the pallet and delivers it toone of the two pickup stations 8 . Partsthat can be handled by a packer arepicked up at one end of the crane. Partsthat require a lift truck are picked up atthe other end of the crane.Packing: Once all the items for anorder have been picked, the tote is automaticallyrouted by conveyor 2 to a packingarea 9 . Red totes are used for priorityorders that are taken immediately forcustomer pick up or door-to-door shipping.Once at the pack stations, sensorson the conveyors route the tote to theleast full lane so as to not back up theorders in the pack line. Shipping informationis automatically forwarded to thepack area, as well as to overnight shippingcarriers to speed package pick upand delivery. Underneath the conveyor isanother conveyor system for empty totereturns, cycling the totes back to the frontof the system, making for a very efficientoperation.Shipping: Mazak’s has integratedparcel shipping systems 10 from UPSand FedEx with its warehouse managementsystem. Once a part is packed, apackage is placed on a scale and the barWhile others play around withcubing technology, Quantronix hasmastered the development of conveyorizedand static dimensioningsystems. Whether you need to findmore space in your warehouseor are looking to eliminate“charge-backs” andcode label on a pick slip is scanned.Data from the scale and Mazak’s inventorymanagement system populate thelabel. As the label is printed, the carriersends an e-mail notification to the customerand sends shipping informationback to Mazak’s inventory managementsystem to close out the order.Cubing was new to us, too. Once.manifest more accurately,CubiScans set the standard foraccuracy, durability and functionality.Truth is, we inventedautomated cubing more thantwo decades ago. For us, solvingyour cubing problemsis not child’s play.1-800-488-CUBE · www.cubiscan.com · Quantronix, Inc. · 380 South 200 West · P.O. Box 929Farmington, Utah 84025 USA · (801) 451-7000 · Fax: (801) 451-0502mmh.com MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING / FEBRUARY 2009 23