DON E. WILLIAMS CO. (DEWCO), Rock Island, IL

Dewco sought to reduce storage space and enhance the automation inherent in their RF technology for small parts. ATI determined after an extensive survey and Pro-File analysis of Dewco’s product line and order characteristics that horizontal carousel storage would work well for them. A single pod of three pre-owned and re-engineered horizontal White S& R carousels fit the requirement. Utilizing wider bins and a lift table to access the full ten-foot height of the carriers enables Dewco to store close to 11,000 individual items.

The theme of product placement by velocity picking resulted in several strategic zones: A product mix of the medium fast velocity and medium slow items on the carousels met the twin goals of faster throughput and greater storage for a wider range of items. The fastest items were placed on more accessible shelving so that more pickers could be brought to bear during peak periods; the slowest moving items remained on the shelving but located back and out of the way of the main order picking stream.