customers, however, are now processed on site, which
eliminates the need for double handling.
Del Monte’s labor-saving initiatives have gone well
beyond simply eliminating double handling. Last
October, the company replaced the 20 or so lift trucks
it used during the facility’s first year of operation with
laser-guided vehicles (LGVs) supplied by Elettric 80, an
automated equipment specialist based in Viano, Italy.
Moving to driverless vehicles would allow Del Monte
to reallocate a substantial amount of labor—some 50
lift truck drivers over three shifts—to other parts of the
operation.
The LGVs come equipped with a navigation system
that emits laser beams as the vehicles move through the
facility. Using the signals it receives when the lasers hit
reflectors mounted at various spots, the system calculates
distances and “steers” the LGVs along a course within
extremely precise tolerances. There’s no need for wires
embedded in the floor, as there would be with wire-guid-ed systems, which means the vehicles can be easily routed anywhere within the building.
The moves are coordinated by Elettric 80’s management software working in tandem with Del Monte’s
EXE (now Infor) warehouse management system
(WMS). In addition to dispatching the LGVs, the systems work together to manage inventory. Arntson
reports that the software has performed flawlessly in
that regard. “Inventory accuracy is … spot on,” he says.
Well trained
Today, 39 LGVs are in use at the Topeka distribution
center. Thirty-five of those LGVs are single-position
vehicles that carry one pallet at a time. These units
resemble large stand-up forklifts, but of course without the operators. The remaining four LGVs are configured as four-pallet-position “barges” that can transport multiple pallet loads.
“They are like a conveyor on wheels,” says Arntson.
The barges are used to transport loads from the
plant to the distribution center, which are connected
by a corridor. Once they arrive at the DC, the barges
discharge the pallets onto a staging conveyor.
A single-position LGV with forks is next summoned
to pick up the load from the conveyor. If the pallet is
needed right away for an order, the LGV takes it directly to a staging area near shipping. Otherwise, it trans-
ports the pallet to storage. Pallets are stored either at
floor locations, where they’re stacked up to four high,
or in five- or six-level drive-in racks. In all, the facility
boasts 35,000 pallet positions.
In the storage areas, the LGVs rely on reflectors with-
in the racks to guide pallet placement. “They are incred-
ibly precise,” notes Arntson. “These LGVs stack at the
same point every single time. You can look down the
line from the first pallet, and every single pallet in the
row is perfectly in line.”
When a pallet is needed from storage, the WMS dis-
patches an LGV to retrieve it. The LGV pulls the pallet
from the rack or floor position using its forks and fer-
ries it to staging.
Consistent performers
Although they’re designed for round-the-clock operation, the LGVs do require occasional attention. Like
conventional lift trucks, they need battery changes
every eight to 10 hours. But with LGVs, it’s a relatively
hassle-free operation. When their power runs low, the
LGVs automatically head to a battery station, where
their batteries can be changed out in minutes. The vehicles also direct themselves to a technician station whenever they’re due for preventive maintenance.
As for how the LGVs are working out to date, the
reviews are positive. “These vehicles have been very
impressive,” says Arntson. “They provide us with huge
labor savings, allowing us to operate this facility with
half of the labor of a traditional site.”
There are other benefits as well. Because of their pre-
cision driving and handling, the LGVs have cut prod-
uct damage to 10 percent of the typical damage rate for
a DC using conventional lift trucks. In a food handling
operation, that translates to more than just cost sav-
ings. A reduction in product damage means a cleaner
facility, which in turn leads to better pest control.
The LGV system is also highly scalable. Vehicles can
be easily added as volume grows. The vehicles operate
the same way, day in and day out, which will make it
simple for Del Monte to predict its vehicle needs based
on product throughput projections.
“This LGV system adds consistency to our business,”
says Arntson. “It is easy for us to calculate the capacities
we need. It has really streamlined and smoothed the
operation.” ;
