Automated cross docking system for national distribution center of OFSA (Cofares)
Ofsa is a Spanish distributor of pharmaceutical products, part of the Cofares group. In February 2002 Ofsa awarded Vanderlande Industries the contract to design and implement an automated cross-docking system in their new distribution centre in Guadalajara, Spain. The facility is responsible for the distribution of pharmaceuticals to all of the company’s regional warehouses in Spain.
Products arrive on pallets in the exact amount to be distributed/cross-docked. Products are de-palletised at one of twelve workstations. Each carton is re-labelled automatically and transported over one of two belt collectors to be pre-sorted by a VERTISORTER automated sortation system. The label contains the storage information at the destination warehouse, including the exact storage location in the rack. After pre-sorting products are sorted on 2 POSISORTER sliding shoe sorter systems and then assigned to pallets according to their final destination. After sortation, products are manually palletised. Broken case orders are picked at the mezzanine level and consolidated with the full case part of the order.
Main benefits of the automated cross docking system:
- High level of control over all sorted products. This is important because of the high value of the products handled.
- Centralized reception of incoming goods for the whole company
- Improved efficiency
- Lower costs per unit handled