Automated order picking win at Indianapolis warehouse

US distributor of industrial fasteners, Fastenal will double the size of the automated goods-to-person miniload order picking system from TGW at its Indianapolis distribution centre.

Fastenal will add 13 new miniload cranes as well as carton and tote conveyor from TGW. The addition will double the capacity of the AS/RS to over 250,000 tote locations.

"With over 400,000 unique SKUs in our product line, being able to quickly fill orders in a high density loading bays for 31 dock levellers.

These included 17 P Series parallelogram dock levellers and 14 X Series telescopic lip levellers.

Additional equipment included 31 doors, 14 WIS combination seals, seven foam dock pads, traffic lights, PE bumpers and composite control panels.

"The site is completely transformed," says Colin Robson of Waitrose. "We now have reliable, high-performance dock equipment which allows us to load and unload vehicles quickly and efficiently, without the levels of damage and spillages we were experiencing before." storage environment is a key component of our overall supply chain strategy," says Walter Tate, Fastenal's manager of distribution development. "TGW's mini-load Mustang AS/RS, combined with their carton and tote conveyor solution, will allow us to handle our growth in an efficient manner." The company has grown by expanding the number of products it offers by 175,000 SKUs.