Warehouse equipment supplier Dematic has received an order for a ColbyRACK storage system purpose-built to deal with the forces generated by seismic events, together with a multi-level order picking module, conveyor sorting system and associated order fulfilment software from New Zealand’s largest grocery distributor, Foodstuffs South Island Ltd (FSSI), for its new 46,000m2 distribution centre (DC) in Christchurch.
While the new DC is essentially a greenfields project, it will be physically connected to FSSI’s existing 13,000m2 ambient DC at Hornby, which has provided centralised distribution to the co-operative’s members for the past five years.
The greenfields DC, which will also consolidate operations from FSSI Papanui DC in Christchurch, will have the capacity to store more than 40,000 pallets to a height of 10.7m, and is expected to begin distributing stock by the third quarter of 2014.
FSSI experience with seismic events
FSSI Hornby DC was one of more than 40 in Christchurch to suffer significant storage system damage during the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Christchurch on September 4, 2010.
“Having been through the experience of dealing with a major rack collapse, we never want to go through that again,” said FSSI logistics operations manager Kris Lancaster.
“The DC was a total mess and we were very fortunate that the earthquake occurred at 4.35 am and there was minimal staff on the warehouse floor at the time. We immediately began researching what we could do to ensure if another earthquake of such magnitude were to occur again, that our storage systems would stand up to it.”
Following the installation of the ColbyRACK, the Hornby DC continued to experience many aftershocks from the September 4, 2010 earthquake, however, the storage system’s first real test came when another major seismic event rocked Christchurch on February 22, 2011. The 6.3 magnitude earthquake caused even more significant damage to the city than the September 4, 2010 earthquake, resulting in the death of 185 people and an estimated 15 billion NZ dollars of damage to properties.
“When the February 22, 2011 earthquake struck at 12.51 pm, our DC was in full swing, with many of our people on the warehouse floor at the time. Obviously, this was a pretty scary experience for everyone given that they had all seen the result of the previous earthquake less than six months prior,” said Mr Lancaster.
Picking module
In addition to supplying the greenfields DC’s new storage systems, Dematic is also assisting FSSI with the implementation of a two-level split-case picking module incorporating integrated conveyors and voice-directed picking.
Controlled by Dematic’s PickDIRECTOR order fulfilment software, order totes will travel through the pick module by conveyor, diverting only into zones where picks are required. Operators equipped with voice computers will pick singles and inners from thousands of longspan shelving locations into the order totes, which will then be conveyed to despatch where a 10 lane Dematic conveyor sorting system will automatically sort them for despatch, with the reusable totes doubling as the shipping container for orders. (106)
