SUMMARY OF MAJOR PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Below is a summary of some of out major project experience. We assist in the assessment of existing operations as well as the planning, design, re-engineering, process improvement, and implementation of projects for a very wide variety of industries.  

3PL (3rd Party Logistics Distribution Operation)

St. Charles, Illinois Distribution Center

Designed and project managed a integrated "Zone Routing" order selection and packing material handling system expansion for the St. Charles, Illinois distribution center. The system included order selection conveyors, barcode scanning, sortation, and integration with an existing AS400 computer system.

Columbus, Ohio Distribution Center

Designed and project managed an integrated order selection, packing, and shipping sortation material handling system expansion for a new distribution center. The system included order selection conveyors, barcode scanning, weigh in motion scale with data collection, shipping sortation system, and integration with an AS400 computer system.

Allentown, Pennsylvania Distribution Center

Designed and project managed an order selection, packing and shipping sortation material handling system expansion for the existing distribution center. The system included order selection conveyors, barcode scanning, weigh in motion scale with data collection, shipping sortation system, and integration with an existing AS400 computer system. Since this was an existing operation, the new work could not impede ongoing operations.

 

Dairy Operations

A newly purchased $15,000,000 integrated ASRS system was unable to achieve contractual throughput rates.  Conducted a design review to evaluate the system design, component selection, installation, and the overall operational performance metrics.  Identified problem areas and offered a comprehensive list of corrective actions and recommendations.

 

Telecommunications Manufacturer

Assisted in providing the logistical planning, re-layout of the existing facility facility, and final assembly process improvement to facilitate the transition from a traditional manufacturing operation to a "lean manufacturing" enterprise. 

Reduce inventory from a 12 week to  48 hour level 

Change assembly process from 4 dedicated lines to 2 multipurpose lines with out loss of throughput capacity 

 

Mail Order Computer and Peripherals Distribution Center

Designed an integrated order selection, checking, and shipping material handling system for the new Vernon Hills, Illinois distribution center. The system included order selection and shipping conveyors, empty carton distribution conveyors, weigh in motion order verification, automatic print and apply barcode labeling, carton sealers, and high speed sortation.

 

Aircraft Manufacturer

Design team member and project engineer for an integrated material handling system. The system was designed to be in operation 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The integrated material handling equipment was comprised of an 11,000 lineal foot tote handling conveyor system, 42 double decked carousels, 9 hybrid vehicles (56’ tall) operating in 24 pallet rack aisles 330 foot long. The project included a System Emulator to capture real time data to be used at a later time to develop a Warehouse Management Control System. Devised a test plan that ran the system at the design year rates to assure the client of system capacity and performance. This system was installed on time and under budget.

 

Garment Distribution Center

Determined the building size requirements for a new combined distribution facility. The second phase of the study determined the throughput velocity of product movement. Utilizing the facility size, the storage system layout, and the facility receiving, processing, storage, and shipping areas, and operating at the design year rates, calculated the anticipated number of vehicles and operators required during the minimum, average, and peak production seasons.

 

Automotive Parts Manufacturer  

Performed process flow and facility utilization evaluation for this JIT manufacturer to help determine the need to build a new facility or expand the present facility. Scope of the work included recommendations for improvements in computer tracking of the compounded rubber, in-process inventory, finished goods inventory, a barcode scanning system, computer monitoring of the injection molding presses and die usage. Changes to the cryogenic flash removal equipment and procedures, reduction in the quantities of components required for batch processing, and re-deployment of personnel for the 3 shifts were also recommended. Prepared a new facility and materials flow layout for the existing building with modifications and for the new facility for comparison purposes. Organized cost estimates for new construction and existing building expansion for the evaluation of the total project by the Company President and his staff.

 

Specialty Integrated Material Handling System Manufacturer 

Assumed project management responsibility at this vendors facility for an integrated automated material handling and storage system. This integrated system was installed in a new Class 1 clean room manufacturing facility. Steps were taken to reorganize the production, assembly, and testing procedures so that the original shipping date was met.

 

Computer Chip Manufacturer

Project #1  Assisted in the project implementation, installation, and performance acceptance testing effort of an integrated material handling and storage system to be installed in a new Class 1 clean room manufacturing facility.

Project #2  Assisted in the design effort of an integrated system for a new Class 1 clean room manufacturing facility material handling system for a new manufacturing facility.

 

Food Manufacturer

Determined warehouse storage capacity if floor stack method was eliminated and rack storage was to be used to store palletized loads. Offered alternative solution, which would permit the continued use of slipsheets for more efficient storage and provided a method to palletize loads immediately before shipment.

 

Computer Motherboard Manufacturing and Contract Assembly Operation

Project #1:

Prepared a distribution center evaluation and building layout study at this assembly and distribution facility. The plan included temporary storage plans and preliminary cost estimates for a building expansion project.

Project #2:

Evaluated existing assembly operation and inventory support functions. Prepared automated side port loading Miniload ASRS concept for operations’ staff review and evaluation.

 

Magazine Bindery  

Directed the redesign of an integrated material handling system for an over budget project for a bindery operation. The integrated system included unit load ASR system, automatic palletizers, bundling and pallet handling conveyors, fork truck and tandem load automated guided vehicles. The redesign utilized close coupling of palletizers with the bindery operation, localized operation of specific automated vehicles and modification to the building expansion program. Project costs were reduced by $3,300,000 without loss of throughput performance.

 

Sugar Refining  

Prepared a new facility layout utilizing narrow aisle turret vehicles and pallet flow rack to increase storage capacity. Utilized pallet handling conveyors to facilitate induction and output from manufacturing to storage and from storage to the shipment staging area. Incorporated barcode scanning techniques to identify product, determine where it was to be stored and later retrieved so as to maintain a first in, first out movement of inventory.

 

Prepared Food Manufacturing  

New facility layout to include more efficient conveyor transportation from manufacturing to hand palletizing area. The study also included recommendations for modifications to the rack layout to maximize facility storage capacity.

 

Bottling Operation 

Facility layout to include expansion onto adjacent site. Utilized a conveyor bridge to connect the existing manufacturing facility with the new storage and route truck filling operation. Prepared conveyor and palletizer general arrangement, bulk storage plans, and small order filling layout.

 

Exotic Metals Parts Fabrication

Designed a 4 Miniload ASR machine automated order selection system. The clients' host computer monitored world wide sales and inventory levels. As inventories at all locations were queried, the host system organized replenishment order selection criteria and directed the selection process. A conveyor system was utilized to take completed orders from the system to the packing area as well as convey materials from their reserve stock locations to the forward picking positions.

 

Breakfast Foods Manufacturer

Designed an integrated automated material handling system including carton conveyors from the case sealers, 12 robotic unitizers, and heavy duty live roller conveyors integrated with automated guided vehicles serving stretch wrapping machines.

 

Oil Refinery

Designed a new integrated 55 gallon drum handling system receiving, incorporating automated live storage and retrieval system, filling, and unit load assembly subsystems. The filling operation utilized drum rotation and barcode scanners to verify that the drum branding and drum fill contents were as specified by the label.