Completed WMS projects

Kasto Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG

Intelligent Stacking Cradle Systems offer utilization potentials for different applications - F. H. Brundle

Customers

F. H. Brundle

Completion

31.07.2002

Branch

• Metal- and plasticsworking industry

Description

Task description

In metal distribution, in the metal processing industry, in public service companies or in job shops, the responsible parties for material flow and production are recognizing the rationalization potentials that lie dormant in the area of internal material logistics. The process chain starts with the unloading of material, affects the economic space-saving storage and ends with the shipment of semi-finished or finished products. Most of the heavy and bulky bar stock, cut-pieces, remnants, sheet metals or other bulky goods have to be stored and moved in a way that they can be moved in and out at short notice and that they are available for on time shipment. Access to these goods has to be quick and easy without too much effort.

A common storage system for bar stock, flat or bulky goods - for small to medium access frequencies - is the storage in stacking cradles, where a large number of the previously mentioned items can be stored on a small footprint and commissioned. The so far used conventional systems only allowed a single lift, which means the restacking of one cradle layer, resulting in slow restacking cycles. Therefore, the system was only used where it made undisputed economic sense or where the stacking heights could be kept low.

To avoid these disadvantages, KASTO analyzed the stacking cradle storage some years ago and has worked out an new concept giving all companies with material flow problems when storing bar stock, flat and bulky goods an interesting alternative. The advantages of the patented intelligent Stacking Cradle System UNIBLOC are, besides others, the new possibility of multiple lifts and easy handling. To lift or deposit the cradles – either individual cradle layers or multiple layers at the same time - the locking and unlocking of the grippers is done by lowering or lifting the spreader beam . A large selection of spreader beams allows KASTO to find a solution for each application: For single or multiple lifts, combined with magnetic operation or as an automated system.

If different lengths need to be stored, telescopic spreader beams are available. For special applications, special versions can be easily designed. From the beginning, KASTO paid attention to the ability to automate the stacking cradle systems to make a solution for economic commissioning with automated material provision available.

Manual Stacking Cradle Systems in the Steel Distribution Industry
The English steel distributor F. H. Brundle, who mainly sells wire mesh, fencing, flooring and other special products for the construction industry, also went into the stockholding business in 2002 at a location in southern England in Southampton. With the available storage area of 2700 qm, the company ran out of space rather quickly. To optimize the storage, Brundle contacted KASTO project engineers and installed a KASTO Stacking Cradle System doubling the amount of steel on the same floor area. At the same time, F. H. Brundle was able to increase in the last 12 months the steel sales by 70 %. Two employees take care of this additional business segment. The investment in a KASTO UNIBLOC system with 394 cradles and a multiple lift spreader beam as well as a crane was relatively low. Other advantages, according to the F.H.Brundle Managers, are the higher delivery reliability and shorter delivery times, which enables them now to accept short-term orders. Deliveries within a 24 hours period from stock were increased from 60 % to 85 %. The additional storage capacity allowed an increased range of goods and F. H. Brundle is able to compete on the market with a more complete range. Before the introduction of the stacking cradle storage, F. H. Brundle stored their material conventionally in stanchions, where up to four different materials had to be stacked on top of each other in one stanchion. The KASTO-UNIBLOC system now stacks materials from 4 to 8 m up to a height of 3 m. The key for the clearly higher commissioning capacity is the use of the KASTO cradle spreader beam for multiple lifts. Using the KASTO cradle spreader beam with the patented locking mechanism allows to lift two or three cradles at the same time. Depending on material dimensions, cradles with different heights from 240 to 800 mm are used, but the width is standard with 770 mm.

Divider bolts allow to subdivide the cradles to be able to store several materials in one cradle. A remote control allows easy crane handling. The good visible displays at the cradle spreader beam have proven themselves, signaling the reliable function of the grippers on all four adaptor locations. Compared with the previous storage, F.H.Brundle has reached a time advantage of more than 75 %. Positive is also the lower accident risk by avoiding climbing and fastening loads within the stanchions. Due to the positive experience, F. H. Brundle has already invested in another KASTO-Stacking Cradle System for a new building at another location.

This examples shows that intelligent stacking cradle systems offer users in the steel distribution, distribution, supply companies, in industry and job shops improvement potentials by using only little space, having high access speeds and better handling. For each individual task the appropriate cradles or cradle fixtures as well as the appropriate transport spreader beams, are available. For an increased turnover requirement, a fully automatic computer controlled stacking cradle solution is available. It offers a further increase in productivity, is more economic and is a competition force. For a task-oriented stacking cradle system that is properly designed according to the required task, amortization is only a question of time: The quantifiable rationalization success -compared to conventional technology – is immediately obvious.

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