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Retailer kits out high-bay

27 February 2024

Swisslog installed a new automated warehousing solution at Jaycar’s new 25.5m high DC in Eastern Creek, Sydney.

THE IMPRESSIVE structure measures 21,595 sq m and greatly increases Jaycar’s storage and output within the same footprint as the previous warehouse. Jaycar Electronics Group is a leading Australian and New Zealand retailer of electronics, leisure, and related products.

With industrial land prices continuing to rise in Sydney, like most major cities, Jaycar tasked Swisslog with creating a solution that delivered greater output within the same warehouse floor space. Swisslog was chosen for this project because it was able to provide a complete end-to-end solution that was tailored to Jaycar’s needs. One of the challenges was the ability to expand in line with the planned second phase of expansion in the years ahead. Jaycar has ambitious plans to significantly grow its physical and digital networks within the next five years, and plans further growth over the next 20 years.

Despite its complexity and scale, the project experienced no delays. The firm has an on-site System Operations team at Jaycar, so it can continually optimise operations, and respond swiftly to any service or maintenance needs.

Jaycar’s new automated warehouse solution is designed with optimum safety and ergonomics in mind. It was important that the solution came with ergonomic workstations, because the comfort, health, and safety of employees is paramount. With an automated warehouse there are fewer manual interactions between machines and people, which also reduces risks of injuries and other safety hazards.

The new Swisslog automated warehouse includes a 20,000 pallet capacity multi-deep automated pallet store, with a fully automated 24,000 tote and carton goods-to-person picking system, with the capacity to facilitate future expansion.

The warehouse is run on behalf of Jaycar by Electus Distribution. Its chief supply chain officer, Justin Mackedie, says: “The warehouse is performing exceptionally well, and Jaycar is achieving 99.7% DIFOT (Delivered In Full On Time) on orders. The system performance exceeds 99.5% uptime, with the flexibility of the onsite Swisslog team driving operational access and continuous improvement.

“Swisslog was integrally involved in the DC design, which meant it was designed with a view to further increases in throughput and storage as Jaycar continues to expand its operations.”

The newly automated site has had a significant impact on speed to market, with 99.9% of orders fulfilled same or next day. This efficiency has positively impacted online order fulfillment and despatch planning. Swisslog’s automation solution has fundamentally impacted operations, giving Jaycar an industry leading advantage and speed-to-market in its B2B operations.

The high-speed and reliable CycloneCarrier shuttle solution has provided Jaycar with substantial throughput increases, while being flexible enough to expand with the businesses’ future growth projections. The flexibility of the solution is further highlighted in the shuttle’s ability to handle a wide range of loads. The innovative load handling device has the ability to pick damaged or inclined cartons to reduce any system downtime and fulfill the throughput requirements that the business demands.

Swisslog is also responsible for service and maintenance of all the mechanical equipment, as well as the SynQ software that provides a WMS to control the automation.

“SynQ’s ability to provide real-time monitoring and visualisation gives us useful data that can help shape smart strategic decisions,” says Mackedie. “What really sets SynQ apart from other software is its ability to ‘click and solve’ directly from the 3D visualisation. An operator can access any pallet within the automated warehouse, and can make changes to that pallet directly – such as sending it to the reject station to be checked if something doesn’t look right.”

For more information, visit www.swisslog.com

 
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