DC Velocity - January 2010

stored in carousels, for instance, should be
placed in more than one pod so that if
one unit is out of service, the product can
still be picked from another one.

For the same reason, pick modules should be configured so that if conveyor in one section is out of commission, orders can be diverted to other zones. (Again, this requires that SKUs be slotted to more than one area of the module.)

Some experts recommend keeping a few
wheeled carts on hand to gather products
in the event of a conveyor shutdown. Other
low-cost backup options include non-
powered conveyors. “One sortation system
we put in had some non-powered, flexible
conveyor nearby that could be wheeled
into place to sort packages in an emer-
gency,” notes Marvin Logan, systems con-
sultant with Bastian Material Handling.
“That was a very inexpensive solution.”
In designing pack stations, the easiest way
to create resiliency is to simply plan more
lanes than are currently needed. Most facil-
ities will eventually grow into them.

Don’t forget maintenance

What companies don’t always realize is
that a big part of disaster planning is pre-
venting disruptions in the first place.
That’s where maintenance comes in.
Establishing and following a well-
designed preventative maintenance and
spare parts program is one of the best
ways to reduce the risk of equipment
breakdowns and the associated disrup-
tions, according to the experts. “We stress
that anything mechanical is going to
eventually break down,” explains Cerny of
Sedlak. “Good preventative maintenance
solves a lot of issues proactively.”
“While you look for reliability [when
choosing equipment], you still need to
repair equipment when it breaks. You
need to maintain a critical parts invento-
ry and an on-site repair crew or have con-
tracts with local companies to perform
maintenance quickly,” says Bob Frye, sen-
ior account executive with Peach State
Integrated Technologies.

“Break things out into critical spare parts and not-so-critical parts,” adds Carlos Ysasi, vice president at Vargo. “If you can get it within 24 hours, then you might not want to keep it on the shelf. But if it is

something like a cross-belt from Italy
that you cannot get quickly, you
might want a backup part on hand
and people trained to switch it out.”
Many integration specialists and
equipment suppliers offer remote
monitoring for the systems they
install. This helps head off problems,
or at the very least, alerts them
immediately when something does
go wrong.

Kai ;zen

The art of continuous
improvement and efficiency.

Want to master the art of competing in today’s global economy? Muratec’s automated storage, transportation and sorting systems keep you moving and changing as fast as worldwide market conditions do.

Our Total Warehouse Solutions give you complete GSRXVSP; SZIV; XLI; ¾S[; SJ; TVSHYGXW; ERH; MRJSVQEXMSR;; helping you run faster, with less overhead and KVIEXIV;TVS½XEFMPMX];XLER;XLI;GSQTIXMXMSR; That’s art. That’s business. That’s Muratec.