Facility sets standard for chilled DC. When this dairy manufacturer decided it was time to consolidate distribution from 14 manufacturing facilities into one national distribution center, it produced a state-of-the-art facility that could accommodate aggressive growth. This distribution center continues to set the benchmark within the chilled dairy market.

When looking at centralization, the company's plans for market growth, both in terms of increasing existing product sales and brand acquisitions were also factored in.
 

This seven-aisle automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) is served by two storage and retrieval cranes, which can transfer between aisles via two mobile transfer bridges running across the front of the racking. The cheese product can be retrieved and transferred to an output conveyor spur via a shuttle car, ready for dispatch to the cheese cutting and packaging facility. Incoming pallets are transferred from truck trailers to infeeds on automated receiving conveyors via ride-on powered pallet trucks.

250,000 cases are currently shipped daily. More than 12,000 pallets of finished goods are maintained in the ASRS.
 

The finished goods ASRS area offers over 12,000 pallet storage locations, spread across five aisles, each of which is served by a high capacity, double-pallet handling storage and retrieval machine. Typically, goods remain for no more than a few days before being transferred via the monorail to the picking hall.
 

A Five aisle ASRS replenishes the picking aisles automatically. Order pickers are guided by RF devices to product pick locations, while traveling around the area on ride-on pallet trucks.