Tall order from Wine Society

SSI Schaefer has provided The Wine Society with a high-bay storage solution and a picking, packing and sortation solution at its Stevenage distribution centre.

The installation comprises high-bay pallet racking, Live Carton Storage (KDR), shelving, integrated conveyor systems, case-picking, single item zone-picking and carton shipping sortation and has resulted in a 40% increase in productivity.

Warehouses two and four contain medium to fast moving products. SSI Schaefer has installed high-bay pallet racking and a picking, packing and sortation system, the latter of which is on two levels.

The company believes warehouse four to have the flattest warehouse floor in Europe and the highest VNA racking serviced by forklift trucks in Europe. The high bay pallet racking system has more than 12,000 pallet locations, stands at 15.3m tall with eight pallet levels inside the 20m high building.

VNA racking is serviced by Linde forklift trucks, which can handle up to 1250kg per pallet lift. Man-up trucks pick from levels one to six and forklifts bring down pallets from levels seven and eight.

Full case picking is effected from pallets in warehouse two.

These are put on conveyors, brought by lowerators to conveyors at ground level and merged with single item picks (in cases); single item picks are made in one area surrounded by KDR for the fastest movers, and shelving for the slower movers.

Cases enter a sortation system with 13 lanes, two routes per lane. The Wine Society can pick and sort 26 van routes in one pick wave.