VELOCITY VIDEO CASE HISTORY
Fast film
FAST GROWTH IS USUALLY A GOOD THING FOR A MANUfacturer, but it can also put constraints on distribution. Next
Generation Films, a manufacturer of plastic film products, was
facing such a problem.
Headquartered in Lexington, Ohio, Next Generation boasts
four film production plants on its campus as well as a converting
facility that produces bags and printed materials. Many of its customers are food manufacturers that wrap their products in Next
Generation’s plastic films, allowing consumers to see the goods
while still offering product protection.
Until recently, Next Generation utilized an off-site warehouse for
distribution, but it was quickly
running out of space. The manual processes slowed distribution and were not able to keep
up with the demands of a growing company. Next Generation
wanted to automate, but it
needed to find the right solution
for handling its bulky products.
Jason Hildenbrand, director
of logistics, says his company produces a lot of diverse
products, which further complicates handling and distribution.
“Certainly, we have a lot of
different pallet sizes to meet customer expectations and to work
effectively in different applications. That’s often hard for automated
equipment to handle,” he explains.
HANDLING THE COMPLEXITY
To meet its needs, Next Generation turned to Interlake Mecalux to
design a new advanced distribution center that features a very large
automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS).
“Interlake Mecalux is an innovative company, and they came up
with the best solution of all the folks we talked with to help us deal
with our concerns and make this as seamless as possible,” recalls
Hildenbrand.
The AS/RS has brought speed and consistency to distribution.
Cranes working in the machine’s six aisles move pallets in and out
of the system’s 15,000 storage locations. The rugged system is able
to handle heavy loads of film in excess of 2,600 pounds. The combined operation of the six stacker cranes produces superior results
that more than satisfy the needs and forecasted growth of Next
Generation Films.
“So we can really turn a lot of material,” says Hildenbrand. “I think
if you do the math, that’s over a
couple of thousand pallets a day
if we are running full bore 24/7.
That well exceeds our needs for
our current demand and positions us for the future.”
SET FOR THE FUTURE
Since building this new facility,
Next Generation Films has been
able to distribute its products
more efficiently with less prod-
uct damage. It also knows that
it has room to grow. The auto-
mated system itself is designed
to be easily expandable simply by extending the length of the AS/
RS aisles and adding more racking.
“One nice thing about Interlake Mecalux is that they are very
present and they are very dedicated. They have been here with us
through the entire process,” adds Hildenbrand. “On any automation
project, there are going to be a few bumps in the road. But they’ve
really stood by the product and the installation, and done every-
thing that they could to help us get to a position where we are fully
self-sufficient and productive.”
SPONSORED CONTENT
To see a video of the AS/RS system in action at Next Generation Films’ new
distribution center in Lexington, Ohio, go to dcvtv.com and click on Channel 2.
A DC VELOCITY SPEED CHALLENGE
An automated storage and retrieval system keeps plastic wrapping
materials on the move at Next Generation Films.
