Major Brewing Company uses Vertical Carousels for Increased Productivity and Storage
Major Brewing Company uses Vertical Carousels for Increased Productivity and Storage
Challenge
Challenge
A major American brewing company located in St. Louis, Missouri was designing one of the most technologically advanced breweries in the world. With over 3,746 small items to be stored where 600 technicians that needed to have access, the company wanted an automated storage and retrieval system that centralized and streamlined its manufacturing processes.
Solution
Solution
When this brewing company was designing its technologically advanced brewery, they selected White’s 2400 series vertical carousels for their store room.
Three 42-pan vertical carousels, holding over 3,746 small items such as electrical fixtures, pipe and hose fittings, and other maintenance materials valued at over $1.0 million, were installed to service the plant’s brewery machinery and minimize equipment downtime. To increase efficiency, the staff is empowered to pick their own parts. This “open store room” policy eliminates full time pickers and allows personnel to see the parts they’ve requested and instantly revise their selection if not satisfied.
With the vertical carousels in place, 600 technicians within the facility would be able to have access to the carousels as needed. The three vertical carousels were equipped with computer terminals which were linked throughout the facility, further centralizing operations. A phone was also mounted to each unit to allow instant communications. These features helped to minimize potential confusion and promote productivity and efficiency. Inventory levels were also recorded through the facilities computer system making the data accessible at any terminal and were replenished on a 24 hour basis.
The company’s fire suppression system and its high standards of safety also led to the installation of a CO2 fire suppression unit on each vertical carousel. CO2 was selected over Halon because of the company’s dedication to environmental conversation and protection of the ozone layer.
Multiple heat sensors are installed within the units, plus external lights and sirens. If manually or automatically activated, CO2 would be pumped into the vertical carousel from multiple levels until the fire was smothered. The control in front indicates readiness and will transfer to battery backup in case of an AC power failure.
Results
Results
“This 7.4 million barrel brewery will set corporate bench mark standards,” said the Purchasing Storeroom Area Manager. He continued, “The vertical carousels require very little training…simply push a few buttons. Other systems are far more complex and require extensive training to achieve comparable efficiency and safety levels.”
When compared to other vertical carousels he exclaimed, “the quality of the White unit, from the seams up, impressed me. In fact, the servicing of the units has been better than promised. The emphasis placed on correcting even the slightest problem fast is impressive.” He goes on to say, “We picked the White units because the company furnished what we needed, there is simply not a substitute.”
