VELOCITY VIDEO CASE HISTORY
Auto-mated parts delivery
AUTOMOTIVE COMPANIES THAT MANufacture using just-in-time processes depend
on their parts arriving when scheduled and ready for
production. Any delays can cause significant problems that
can ripple throughout the entire plant.
That’s why most automotive companies rely on third-party
providers (3PLs) to receive, store, and sequence parts for deliv-
ery directly to lineside assembly operations. Such is the role of
Midwest Express, a 3PL that serves an automo-
tive manufacturer in Ohio.
Midwest Express has a 213,000-square-foot distribution center in East Liberty, Ohio, that receives
parts from suppliers all over the world and then
feeds them to four assembly plants and two drive-train facilities. It also ships a limited number of parts
to other assembly plants overseas.
“We do import parts, export parts, and sequenc-
ing of parts directly lineside for our customer,”
explains Stephen Sparks, assistant manager of engi-
neering at Midwest Express. “We also do a little bit
of subassembly and tire and wheel assembly as well.”
To meet its client obligations, Midwest Express installed a Muratec FX
Quad automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) in East Liberty
to house and sequence parts. The three-aisle system is served by three
storage and retrieval cranes, each capable of handling a mix of four
cartons or totes at the same time. The parts are stored in double-deep
locations, where they remain anywhere from one hour to two weeks,
with an average dwell time of seven to 10 days. When needed, they are
delivered in sequence to output stations, where they are palletized and
then delivered to the production plants.
SQUEEZED ON TWO FRONTS
In making the move to its automated systems, Midwest Express was
driven by a pair of critical factors that were limiting the productivity the
company desired with its manual picking.
“We struggle with space and manpower in this building. Those were
the two main drivers,” says Sparks. “With a low level of unemployment
in our area, there’s not a whole lot of manpower and work force out
there. As well as in the logistics industry, space is always at a premium.”
Midwest Express reached out to DMW&H, a warehouse consulting
and systems integration company, to find a solution to these key con-
cerns. Midwest Express had worked with DMW&H previously on another
project and had confidence in its solutions. After exploring a number of
options, the Muratec FX Quad AS/RS was selected.
“We were impressed that it has the ability to handle a variety of
cartons, meet our throughput needs, and store double-deep. Other
companies were not able to meet that,” says Sparks.
DMW&H provided design and integration expertise on the project, as well as supplied conveyors,
controls, and scanning systems.
The FX Quad system provides fast retrieval of
parts, with the capability of handling 450 cases
in and 450 cases out per hour (900 total moves
hourly). That substantial volume from a system
containing only three aisles is achieved through
the quad-handling capabilities of each storage
and retrieval crane. The system also continuously
re-slots products in the storage positions, making
certain that faster-moving products and those needed for upcoming
orders are placed closer to the input/output stations to reduce crane
travel distance and time.
The results of the move to automation have been impressive. The
AS/RS stores parts in 18,000 locations, yet occupies a footprint of only
10,600 square feet. In replacing the previous manual picking areas, the
new system freed up 35,000 square feet of space in the building for
other operations. On the labor front, the new systems use 23 fewer
workers than were required with manual picking. Those workers have
been reassigned to other duties in the building.
Inventory is also controlled better, as there is real-time knowledge of
every one of the more than 2,000 different part SKUs held in the system.
Processing accuracy is nearly perfect at better than 99.9 percent.
“We are very satisfied with it,” adds Sparks. “Productivity has been
good, and we have had no showstoppers since go-live. It’s doing its job.”
For more information on Muratec, visit www.muratec-usa.com.
For information on DMW&H, visit www.dmwandh.com.
SPONSORED CONTENT
To see a video of operations at the Midwest Express facility, including the AS/RS in action,
go to dcvtv.com and click on the Midwest Express video on Channel 2.
A DC VELOCITY SPEED CHALLENGE
An automated storage and retrieval system at Midwest Express provides efficient,
sequenced delivery of parts to Ohio automotive manufacturing plants.
