Sheet metal picking system in a steel wholesaler

KA 4 Kaczmarek Sp. k. is a dynamically developing distributor of steel products based in Poland. From the very beginning, KA 4 has focused on flexibility, a wide range of products and short order fulfillment times for its customers. In order to constantly improve the quality of services provided, the Management Board of KA 4 has decided to streamline and automate the process of  picking sheets of metal.

Reducing the workload of the picking process

Sheet metal was stored in a traditional way – on the floor and in static racks, and the sheet metal picking process was carried out with the participation of forklifts and manually by operators. Particularly time-consuming and burdensome was the execution of orders consisting of many different assortments of sheets with small volumes (High-Mix, Low-Volume), the share of which is constantly growing. In order to prepare such an order, employees first transported packages of raw material with a forklift, then manually picked the required amount of goods and placed it on a designated pallet. After completion of picking, the stacks of raw material were returned to static racks.

Reducing the participation of warehouse employees in the picking process

Picking carried out in a traditional way – without the use of automation – was labor-intensive and required the involvement of many operators and forklifts, which translated into a high cost of the entire process.

Optimization of warehouse space required for picking

The flooring of the hall and standard static racks used so far did not provide adequate capacity. Maintaining a safe level of raw material stock, ensuring internal transport routes and allocating the space necessary for picking meant that the entire process took up a significant part of the warehouse hall.

Digitalization of information flow

Orders were processed based on paper document circulation, which required the involvement and attention of employees – especially in the case of modification of an existing order or the appearance of an unplanned, priority order during the day. Quantitative and qualitative errors were an inherent element of the traditional picking method, which resulted in a large number of complaints.

“The development of the company and the desire to reach an increasingly wider group of customers require us to perfectly organize warehouse processes in order to prepare orders as quickly as possible and offer a wide range of products”
Łukasz Kaczmarek, President of the Management Board of KA 4 Sp. z o.o. Sp. k.

After analyzing the Client’s process, the hall plan and the challenges posed by automated sheet metal picking, we recommended our solution – SmartPicking System, consisting of a picking module with a vacuum system and an automated storage system. The TwinTower automated sheet metal storage system with a capacity of 103 movable shelves with a load capacity of 3,000 kg each, was installed in a dedicated cover outside the existing building, with the possibility of loading raw material carried out outside the hall. New sheet packages are loaded via a mobile station equipped with a hydraulic depalletizer enabling the storage of sheets on shelves without pallets.

Thanks to the use of elevated locations in the automatic warehouse, it is possible to store completed stacks of sheet metal on wooden pallets – in this way the system acts as a buffer in which previously prepared orders are stored.

The Smart WMS Picking software provided by us is integrated with the Client’s ERP system, thanks to which it is possible to send orders directly to the picking system. Among the many functionalities of the Picking module, 4 picking modes are important, allowing orders to be completed in an optimal way for the Customer. We distinguish picking by size (sheet format and thickness), picking with the order sequence, with reverse order and non-standard, in which the operator determines the order using a simple interface.

• Automation enables 24/7/365 picking without constant operator supervision
• Reduction of storage space and picking zone by over 90%
• Possibility of picking stacks of sheets on an ongoing basis or to a buffer warehouse based on orders received from the ERP system
• Efficient and effective planning and management of the picking process, thanks to dedicated Smart WMS Picking software
• Possibility of future expansion of both system zones – picking and storage