Page 16 November 1st 2<strong>01</strong>0Email: warehouse@flame1.com FORKTRUCK NEWSTel: <strong>01</strong>923 272960Dimension control fitted to the AGV forkschecks if the pallet coming from production isof the correct size and can therefore be storedin the racking.DRIVERLESS LIFT TRUCKS AUTOMATE SAMSONITE WAREHOUSEAutomated guided vehicle (AGV)specialist, E&K Automation, has convertedthree Linde K-Range VNA (verynarrow aisle) stacker trucks so that theymove without drivers around luggagemanufacturer, Samsonite's new warehousein Oudenaarde, Belgium. WorkingSTAND: 18N162alongside operator controlled lift trucks,the computer controlled AGVs havetransformed the efficiency of this busyEuropean storage and distributioncentre, as E&K's UK subsidiary explains.Moving along the narrow aisles followinginductive guide wires set into thefloor, the automated Linde trucks arefitted with an E&K laser-based navigationsystem so they can free-range off thewires into other areas of the warehouse.In this case, the trucks guide themselvesby triangulation using reflectorsmounted on the warehouse walls. DataThe AGVs travel automatically outside as well as inside the very narrow aisles.communication between AGVs and theE&K controller is via a wireless LAN.The trucks are also equipped with telescopicforks and pallet profile control,which checks that the dimensions of thepallets coming from production are correctand therefore that they can be storedin the automated warehouse.Germain Ghys, a Samsonite employeewith 28 years' experience and currentlylogistics manager at Oudenaarde, commented,"Our ever increasing range ofplastic suitcases and trolleys wasbecoming a logistical challenge."To cope with the multitude of products,we rented additional storage spacein the immediate vicinity some yearsago. However, this solution was not costeffective,was too slow and inflexible,and in any case had reached its capacity."Samsonite products are split into fastand slow moving products. Every itemcan be a slow or a fast mover accordingto season and promotional campaigns,increasing logistical complexity. So in2007, Samsonite decided that a new,dynamic bulk storage and order pickingarea was required for slow movers, primarilyto release capacity for handlingfast moving items.Initially, three alternatives for thedynamic storage area were considered:first, a solution with fully automaticcranes; second, manually operated VNAtrucks; and third, manually operatedreach trucks. All three ideas wererejected due to the large number oftrucks required and the high cost.The search for further alternatives ledGhys and his staff to several companies,including E&K Automation. The experienceand collaboration between E&KAutomation and Linde MaterialHandling, underpinned by the reliabilityof the K-Range trucks, was one of thedeciding factors behind Samsoniteopting for this solution.Additionally, the automated high bayVNA stacker trucks provide back-up in theevent of electronic failure, as they areequipped with an operator seat and can bemanually driven in an emergency. All ofthe other standard functions of the Lindelift trucks also remain. Simple maintenancewas a further reason for choosing this solution.Furthermore, the availability on theLinde K truck of an interface that E&KAutomation could readily use to access theelectronics of the high bay VNA stackersallowed the trucks to be automated.Construction began in the summer of2008 on a greenfield site and was completedin April 2009. Samsonite did notneed the support of a general contractor,because the company was able to use itsown automation expertise."Without our own experience, it wouldnot have been possible to carry out aproject like this so quickly ", stated Ghys.“All subcontractors, from the rackbuilder to the suppliers of conveyer systems,electrical networks and securitysystems as well as the automatic highbay stacker trucks were selected by us,while our in-house skills allowed us todevelop our own electronic solutions."Optimised material flowThe new storage area comprises rackingon five levels along 12 aisles up to 160metres long. In total there are 11,520 storagelocations and 1,100 picking locations for amaximum of one million individual items.The pallet racking is divided into six separatesections. Each consists of an orderpicking aisle and two narrow aisles forreplenishment, which are serviced by thethree AGVs. Every afternoon, ordersreceived by 12.00 noon are processed. TheWMS (warehouse management system)determines which products are alreadyavailable at a pick location and which goodsstill need to be replenished. On average, thetrucks rearrange around 20 per cent of thestored goods until every product can befound at an order picking storage location.Samsonite employees use a route-optimisedpick list to take the items from theorder picking locations, attach a barcodelabel and place them on a conveyer belt inthe middle of the pick aisle. From there,they are transported to a consolidationarea where they are grouped by destination.A manual electric fork lift truck loadsthe pallets into a lorry using a dock leveller.Around 27 lorries with an average of1,000 to 1,500 items each make their waydaily to retailers throughout Europe.Slow moving products are transportedfrom production to the warehouse onLinde electric counterbalance trucks.Each truck places the laden 1,400 x 1,400x 2,000 mm high special pallets into themarshalling area. After pallet profiling iscompleted, the load is transferred to theautomated storage area of the warehousevia cantilever pick and drop stations.AGV movement instructions are sentfrom the E&K system controller based onorder information from the WMS. Thetrucks automatically pick up the pallets ontheir telescopic forks and transport them tothe required rack location. When transferringpallets, the AGVs use an opticalsystem to ensure positional accuracy. Thereis a 150 mm safety clearance between thetrucks and the load in the racks.Since there is only 75 to 100 mm ofspace between pallet storage locations, apallet profiler mounted on the AGVforks confirms that the load can be storedin the rack and ensures that productshoused in two adjacent rack positions donot touch each other. If the dimensions ofa load exceed the standard pallet profile,the automated Linde narrow aisle truckis switched to manual operation.When the AGVs have no outstandingorders, they travel to a designated stationfor automatic charging. The 80V/775Ahlead-acid battery is charged through contactpads in the floor.Safety is paramountSamsonite placed strict safety requirementson the system, as AGVs,manually-driven fork lift trucks andpeople work in the warehouse. An innovativeand secure safety system preventscollisions and maximises work flow.The picking aisle is protected with anaccess control system for the order picker;AGVs are not allowed to operate in thisarea. The neighbouring truck aisles forreplenishment are located on either sideof the order picking aisle. AGVs operatehere, but staff can also enter. However,access management prevents the trucksoperating at the same time as the pickers,who can only enter the section when thearea is safe. AGVs are similarly prohibitedfrom entering if pickers are in the aisle.Access to the replenishment aisle isautomatically blocked for manuallyoperated trucks by a light barrier and aremote controlled emergency stop circuiton the rack entrance.Equipment protecting the operators isfitted to the AGV, making it intrinsicallysafe. Should a person approach a truck, itstops in a controlled manner and remainsstationary. This is essential, as the narrowaisles do not offer operators an escape routeand the trucks not only travel freely in theaisles but also in an additional storage area.After more than a year of operation,production manager Germain Ghys is verysatisfied with his innovative idea." Ouroperation is extremely efficient, providinga significant competitive advantage. Weare constantly advancing and look forwardto a successful future," he said.E&K Automation <strong>Ltd</strong>Peter Holdcroft, Managing DirectorTel: <strong>01</strong>256 880228peterhold.croft@ek-automation.comwww.ek-automation.comTHE HISTORY OF THE FORKLIFT TRUCKEPISODE 51: 1966 CONTINUED - MEN VERSUS MACHINES AT THE DOCKSWarehouse & Logistics News is proud tobring you the fiftyfirst instalment in ourexclusive series on the history of the forklift truck, the machine that over thedecades has revolutionised the face ofmaterials handling around the world. Ourseries has now reached its half-century interms of the episodes we’ve published sofar, so we’re celebrating reaching a majormilestone. And there’s still plenty of thestory to come.Our writer is James Brindley, anacknowledged authority on fork lift trucks.James’s distinguished career has involvedengineering and management roles with BTRolatruc and serving as a Director of theFork Lift Truck Association, before he set upthe National Fork Truck Heritage Centre in2004 as Britain’s first such collection opento the public.The Heritage Centre continues to needyour support in 2<strong>01</strong>0, and if you or yourcompany would like to help in any way, youcan contact James on the number below.Now sit back and enjoy the latest part ofthis fascinating series.EPISODE 51: 1966 CONTINUED -MEN VERSUS MACHINES AT THE DOCKSContinuing with 1966 and the theme offork lift trucks working on ships and docks,we come to a time when the mechanisationof work came into conflict between thedockers and indirectly the government. Ithad been muted for quite a number of yearsthat inefficiency and congestion at the dockswere prejudicing our export trade andincreasing our import costs. The root causewas recognised by many to be the fault ofoutdated and outmoded handling methods,and to a large extent this was true. Howeverthe problem of handling could not be tackledin isolation as at the time the relationshipbetween the dockers and the employers wasvery strained, to say the least.In an attempt to resolve this situation thegovernment of the day appointed Lord Devlinto make recommendations. The Devlin reportstressed that it was impossible to haveefficient mechanisation against a backgroundof casual labour. His main proposal therefore,which was greeted enthusiastically byGovernment, employers and trade unionsalike, was the decasualisation of dock labour.Although the report was accepted as a majorstep forward by the unions, it was seen as adanger by the dockers themselves, whosensed that this was a way for the employersto get more work out of them. As in the yearsgone by they saw little protection from theunions themselves and led by militant actiongroups were quite used to taking things intotheir own hands: Since 1960, of the 421strikes in the docks 410 were unofficial. Thefinal recommendation by Devlin thereforewas that the government should intervenedirectly to ensure that any agreed efficiencyplan would not be wrecked by a minority oftroublemakers. The suggestion here was tobreak any unofficial strikes by the interventionof the armed forces. Even so, with the labourelement put to one side, efficiency could stillonly be achieved if British industry as a wholealtered its presentation of packaged goods atthe ports. Likewise the country’s imports,where possible, would have to be shipped in asimilar manner. This would involve majoralterations to ship design so that palletizedunit loads could be handled by mechanicalmeans.The photo shows a forklift truck workingin a hold that has been designed with sideports for loading and discharging this typeof pallet. Some ships of the Fred Olsen Line,a pioneer in this type of handling, werealready able to handle such goods in mostmainland European ports but in most Britishports the dockers still manually loaded andunloaded packaged goods as individualitems using a load board and slings.In an attempt to bypass the delayscaused by manual loading, somemanufacturers opted for containerisation orroll-on, roll-off operations, but at this timethere were only a limited number of Britishports that could handle this type of freight.Although still behind most other countriesin modernizing, one of these facilities forroll-on, roll-off traffic was now available atHull docks. As for the use of mechanisation,a new wharf was now nearing completion atMillwall docks to handle palletised goodsthrough ship side ports. This new facilitywas being built by the Port of LondonAuthority for the sole use of the Olsen Line.In general, from this approximate time,most British ports were starting to follow thelead of the shipping Lines and increasing theirefforts to accommodate the new techniques.As a result new docking facilities were well onthe way to being built around the country. Fortheir part in modernisation the National DockLabour Board were now running fork lift andplatform truck training schools at London,Liverpool, Hull, Southampton Grangemouth,Bristol and Manchester Docks.To be continuedBy James Brindley, Director, National ForkTruck Heritage Centre.IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL FORK TRUCK HERITAGE CENTRE, PLEASE CALL JAMES BRINDLEY ON 0780 195 4167
IMHX 2<strong>01</strong>0 - 16th-19th November 2<strong>01</strong>0 Page 17Tel: <strong>01</strong>923 272960IMHX 2<strong>01</strong>0Email: warehouse@flame1.comCROWN LIFT TRUCKS AT IMHX 2<strong>01</strong>0SEE THE LATEST CROWN PRODUCTS, LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS OF INFOLINK AND HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE LOWEST TCO.As a leading supplier of high performancelift trucks, Crown will have manyexciting features on their stand at theforthcoming IMHX 2<strong>01</strong>0.Make sure you visit the stand to see anumber of first unveilings to the Europeanmarket, including Crown’s first ever ICengineCounterbalanceTruck, the C-5. Thisexciting new truck hasbeen designed to providesuperior value andlowest Total Cost ofOwnership (TCO).STAND: 19J90The DT 3000 Series Double Stacker Pallettruck will also be shown in Europe for thefirst time. This new truck is ideal for highdensity, heavy duty applications.Other important trucks that will be onshow include the WT 3000 Series RiderPallet Truck. This particular range of truckslaunched earlier this year, has quicklyearned an international reputation for beingextremely tough, yet easy to use. A fixedplatform rear-entry version of the WTSeries will be featured with Crown’s uniqueweight–adjustable FlexRide. This versionalso includes the patented Entry Bar SafetySwitch, which addresses the concern of anoperator travelling with a foot outside of thecompartment.Other highlights include the ESR 5000Cold Store Cabin Reach Truck. Building onthe class-leading reliability and performanceof the IF Gold Award winning ESR5000, the new Cold Store Cabin version hasbeen optimised for low temperature environments- down to minus 30°C.Each truck on the stand will be equippedwith InfoLink® - Crown’s unique fleet managementsystem. Live and interactivedemonstrations will enable visitors to seefirst-hand how Crown cansignificantly reduce runningcosts and offer thelowest TCO.Come and join us onstand 19J90Crownwww.crown.comLAMERHOLM ELECTRONICSTO LAUNCH FORKLIFT SAFETY DRIVE AT IMHXDamage deterrent specialistLamerholm Electronics is urgingbusinesses to harness new technologyto help prevent thehundreds of forklift truck accidentsthat are reported everyyear in the UK.In a bid to help reduce theshocking numbers of deaths, injuriesand damage to property and goodsthat result from forklift accidents,Lamerholm Electronics will presentits latest Impact Manager device atthe IMHX show in Birmingham from16th to 19th November.The Hertfordshire-based company,whose unique system isdesigned to monitor driver behaviourand control access to forklifttrucks, will appeal to delegates specialisingin storage, packaging,handling and distribution to takeaction to improve safety, efficiencyand working practices.The cost-effective Impact Managerfeatures an access key that ensuresonly correctly qualified drivers canactivate a truck, and a monitor thatdetects any impacts, logs themagainst the driver and wirelesslytransmits the details to a central softwaresuite, from which accuratereports and graphs can be generated.Existing users of the systeminclude Linpac, IKEA, Sarah Lee, AllPort :Packaging, Michelin Tyres,Procter & Gamble, Forth Ports,Cooper B-Line <strong>Ltd</strong> and Kerry Foods,as well as fork lift manufacturerssuch as Nissan.Derek Richardson, Group SalesDirector at Lamerholm Electronics’parent company IMC Group, said:“The system is designed to preventthe misuse of forklift trucks, a majorfactor in the surprisingly highnumber of deaths and serious injuriesthat occur each year. And that’s not tomention the huge financial cost ofdamage to trucks, warehouses, factoriesand goods, as well as the staffingimplications of employees taking timeoff due to injuries.”According to the latest statisticsfrom the Health and Safety Executive(HSE), forklift trucks are involved ina quarter of all workplace transportaccidents. Figures for the four-yearperiod from 20<strong>01</strong>/2002 to2005/2006 show that there were21,190 injuries involving forklifttrucks, 94 of which were fatal and15,338 of which resulted in staffbeing off for at least three days.LamerholmElectronics <strong>Ltd</strong>,part of the IMCGroup, is a worldleaderin thedesign and manufactureof damage STAND: 20B60deterrent equipment,from forklift truck (FLT) fleetmanagement to monitoring the conditionof goods throughout theshipping and handling process.Environmental parameters includetemperature and humidity to 360degrees, tilt and roll and many more.The ShockLog and ShockWatchrange offers technology to recordconditions for all heavy weight orsensitive goods. For more information,visit www.lamerholm.comWWW.WAREHOUSENEWS.CO.UK
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