DC Velocity - October 2019

44 DC VELOCITY OCTOBER 2019 www.dcvelocity.com applications

A look at how DCs are using equipment and services to rev up their operations

THE KROGER CO. IS NO STRANGER TO INNOVAtion. The Cincinnati-based grocery giant has made headlines over the past year for its investments in automated warehouse technology that streamlines and improves the fulfillment of online grocery orders. But Kroger is investing in its more traditional operations as well, implementing an automated warehouse system at its Mountain View Foods milk-processing plant in Denver that is helping the company deliver dairy products faster than ever before to stores throughout the region.

Kroger was careful to choose the right system to meet its needs, company leaders say. After researching best practices in manufacturing and warehouse automation in other countries, the retailer settled on an end-to-end system from material handling solutions provider Cimcorp that incorporates robotic technology to minimize labor, reduce time-to-market, and conserve energy. Up and running for about five years, the technology has delivered on all fronts. The

215,000-square-foot Mountain View Foods plant is able to function as an almost unstaffed, or “lights out,” operation that is increasing the shelf life of the packaged milk, cream, and juice it provides to 160 Kroger stores—all while keeping safety and sustainability as top priorities.

EFFICIENT BY DESIGN

At the core of the Denver facility’s operation is Cimcorp’s
MultiPick warehouse solution, a fully automated robotic
production, storage, handling, and order-processing sys-
tem that can hold up to 36,000 crates and pick 32,000 crates
per day. The solution includes a warehouse management
system (WMS), robotic gantries, software modules, and
plastic belt conveyors that together coordinate the stacking,
storing, picking, and movement of products throughout
the site. Cases and stacks are picked according to Kroger’s
specified sequence on one end of the facility and palletized
for loading onto delivery trucks at the other, leaving space
for storage buffering in between. The solution also includes
an inter-platform communication system, which inte-
grates Cimcorp’s WMS with all of Kroger’s
warehouse software systems to make sure
everything works in concert.

Cimcorp and Kroger also point to the innovative look of the system. Instead of using a traditional in-floor-mounted “drag chain”-style conveyor, MultiPick moves single and stacked plastic dairy cases on a series of knee-high plastic belt conveyors.

Case stackers, manual in-feed stations, and inbound and outbound conveyor systems complete the solution, which is directed and monitored via Cimcorp’s WMS. The WMS also controls order processing, gantry movements, stack transport, and storage facility data, while a programmable logic controller (PLC) manages the conveyors, stacking equipment, palletizer, and strapping system. In addition, Cimcorp’s software uses a picking algorithm that selects cases for shipping on a first-in/first-out (FIFO) basis, by date code, to maximize product shelf life.

All in all, the solution “precisely controls the entire material flow of the facility,” according to Cimcorp.

SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE

Cimcorp leaders say safety was a driving force behind Kroger’s automation project in Denver. Minimizing human involvement reduces the chance of accidents and injuries,

Kroger’s Mountain View Foods facility is delivering milk, cream, and juice to stores faster than ever thanks to robotic warehouse technology and 24/7 operation.