Build stable mixed stacks

A central element of the solution is the Automated Case Stacker (ACS Stacker) that is able to quickly stack a wide variety of different load carrier types in a store-friendly manner to create mixed-SKU stable handling units. It is particularly suited to the fresh food / fruit and vegetable sector. The tote stack height is individually adapted to the respective customer order.

The ACS stacker is characterised by high flexibility. It stacks single-item or mixed load carriers of different materials with standard sizes 600 x 400 mm or 300 x 400 mm, as well as load carriers that deviate from the standard sizes in defined tolerance ranges. As an example, the ACS Stacker can handle the frequently used so-called “banana boxes” in the fruit & vegetable area that do not correspond to standard sizes. The ACS Stacker is able to stack these boxes with other totes in a flexible manner. For this reason, particular focus was put on development.

The required minimum height of the load carriers amounts to 60mm. Dimension tolerances will thereby be compensated by the clamping unit. The order picking clamp of the ACS lifts a net load of up to 30kg, which enables not only the clamping of individual elements, but also the parallel “stacking” of crate stacks as well as of two smaller units (e.g 400 x 300mm totes) with only one stacking movement.

Depending on the order configuration and the material loaded, the stacking performance amounts to 800-1,200 stacking movements per hour. With regards to availability, the ACS is designed for a permanent operation of seven days a week / 24 hours a day.

The new ACS element allows food retailers and operators of fresh food branches to store and pick nearly their entire product range in temperature-controlled areas without any problem in a cost-efficient manner – without the use of personnel, error-free, and ergonomic.  

The ACS Stacker developed by Witron and produced at its subsidiary FAS, is the central element in an efficient material flow. The received single-item pallets with fresh food are first stored in a high bay warehouse. Witron’s warehouse management system controls the demand-related automated outbound, foil removal, depalletising, separation, as well as the placement onto the plastic trays that will then be buffered in an automated tray AS/RS.

Depending on the size and height of the load carrier, the tray can carry up to four units – also in the form of a stack. Once the trays are ready for picking, they are provided to the ACS Stacker in a predefined sequence. The stacker lifts the load carriers from the tray in a product-gentle manner and places them piece by piece onto a lifting device, which compensates the height independently. The tray itself is returned to the logistics loop. The completed stacks are placed onto the pallet in a mechanised manner, stretch-wrapped, and provided to the dispatch area.