Product category:
Memory Devices and Modules
News Release from: Flint
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 25 September 2001
Flint warehouse goes automatic
Flint has invested GBP 1 million in warehouse automation and new IT facilities.
Flint has invested GBP 1 million in warehouse automation and new IT facilities The investment will help bring its monthly error rate on full pack shipments from twelve to zero, reduce transaction costs, and enable new services for its customers
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 22 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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According to Flint Managing Director, Carl Barton, "We want to reinvest the time we spend picking and packing into providing higher quality to our customers.
Our warehouse is fully integrated with our IT system.
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Providing an order is received correctly from the customer, and our suppliers correctly label the goods they ship to us, it will be shipped correctly and billed correctly.
Our IT system has always integrated our purchasing, sales, stock control and accounting procedures, and this new investment has taken that system right out onto the warehouse floor".
One of the most important objectives for the investment programme is to further reduce the error rate, as errors add a great deal of cost to the transaction.
Flint's current error rate for full packs is just twelve per month, amongst the best in the industry, but the goal is to reduce this to zero.
On arrival at Flint, goods will be tagged using 2D barcode technology.
The manufacturer's bar code will then be scanned and the full details will be logged onto the tag.
Prior to shipment to the customer, the tag will be read a further three times, to ensure that the correct consignment is being shipped.
"Customers currently ask us to double check consignments - but we effectively quadruple check shipments to them already", commented Barton.
In addition to reducing errors, Flint will be using its 2D barcodes to provide customers with a vast amount of new information, and new services, to help reduce the cost of the transaction.
Flint can print the whole of its data record relating to a product onto the reel, including country of origin, complete history, special handling instructions and other information, for customers with appropriate readers to use.
New service enhancements to be added include the option of consolidated shipping and paperwork, where multiple orders are aggregated together for documentation purposes if required.
Other services will include instant goods receipt processing for customers, custom labelling, urgent items highlighted and tote shipping and collection.
The new infrastructure is sufficiently flexible to allow customers to maintain support for split reels, for example.
Automated warehouse The new 770m2 climate-controlled warehouse has a capacity for two billion components, and is fully compatible with Flint's move into displays, smart cards and other larger sized devices.
Based on the very latest Japanese automated warehouse technology from Daifuku, the warehouse has a picking capacity of 20,000 packs of components per hour.
The warehouse will have 16 workstations when it is fully operational, and takes an average of just 12s per pick.
To maximise the speed with which components are picked from the shelves, the Daifuku system 'learns' which products are selected the most often, and moves these to the front of the warehouse.
To further improve quality, the environment in the warehouse is maintained at 21C, 55% humidity.
Details of the conditions under which a pack has been stored can be included in the information presented on the label.
Currently, Flint has two of handling systems installed, side-by-side.
Its warehouse could potentially accommodate further systems, if required.
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