NKK to Supply Pallet Sorter Warehousing System
NKK has received its first order for the "Pallet Sorter" (registered trademark), a newly developed automated warehousing system, which sorts goods by pallets and increases the efficiency of warehousing, from Mitsubishi Warehouse and Transportation Co. The system will be installed at Mitsubishi's Oi deep freeze/refrigerator warehouse in Tokyo, due to come into service this July. NKK's ¥100-million order is for engineering work related to a new pallet sorting system that will form part of the warehouse's sophisticated logistics system. The Pallet Sorter is designed to handle pallets loaded with goods, turning them 90 degrees and separating or merging flows of pallets, while maintaining their linear high speed on the conveyor. By incorporating rollers into the turntable on the conveyor, the Pallet Sorter makes it possible to omit the separating process, which used to mean stopping the conveyor, thereby improving the system's throughput from a conventional 200 pallets/hour to 500 pallets/hour. Also, eliminating the need for total picking, case sorter and other devices, the Pallet Sorter reduces installation/working space required for conventional warehousing systems. This minimizes the movement of forklifts and use of other equipment, and helps improve safety and working conditions. As the system enables direct picking, the number of pickings can be reduced, cutting the amount ofwork and the number of workers required. The Pallet Sorter can be installed in existing warehouses of any type, and can be used in combination with vertical transfer devices, temporary depots and transporter lines to enhance handling efficiency. For instance, in shipping centers for large-lot products such as beer, it is possible to achieve a high throughput of eight pallets per minute. NKK also plans to expand the application of the Pallet Sorter to distribution centers handling a wide range of small-lot products, including cosmetic, clothing, medical/pharmaceutical and miscellaneous goods. With the Pallet Sorter as a core product, NKK intends to step up marketing efforts for its versatile logistics and parking system products. |
