Conveyor Systems Ltd completed a major installation supplying an extensive pack and sortation conveyor solution for global online retailer Wiggle Ltd. Operating as the UK’s #1 online Cycle, Run & Swim retailer along with being recently voted the Which? recom- mended #1 online outdoor & leisure shop. In 2015, due to the continuous growth of the business, they took the decision to relocate the Operation to a larger, consolidated Fulfilment Centre (320,000 sq.ft.) in the West Midlands from the multiple small sites operated in Portsmouth.

After a rigorous tender process, CSL’s ability to provide a well demonstrated solution was key to meeting the brief and winning the contract. This included using the latest 3D CAD drawing software to help visualise the system as a lifelike operational representation in the new building.

The brief was to combine packed consignments from 3 pick/pack areas over 3 floors and sort them down 12 lanes into 4 dispatch zones for separate carriers and services. The system needed to cope with up to 90 boxes per minute of varying sizes and weights, from very small parts and clothing up to large boxes of bicycle wheels!

The conveyor system which was specially designed by CSL at over 900mm wide, was engineered in detail after taking into account all comments/ suggestions made by both management and operators at Wiggle together with fully recognising their requirements, considering the vast array of shapes and sizes of products whilst overcoming operational issues.

The mezzanine consists of 2 upper floors which along with the ground floor form three independent pick/pack zones and sortation areas which were designed specifically to avoid issues caused when one combined system is stopped for maintenance/Repairs.

Once an order is picked, packing operatives check the order then pack into an array of outers ranging from poly bags to large cardboard boxes prior to applying carrier despatch labels. The consignment is then placed on a section of zero line pressure (ZLP) accumulation roller conveyor which starts the transit to the sortation area on the ground floor. This type of conveyor is used widely on the system to ensure noncontact queuing due to the wide variety of sizes, shapes and weights causing damage to each other and potentially initiating jams along the system.

The upper mezzanine floors use 2 powered Ambaflex spiral lowerators (almost 100 units supplied by CSL throughout the UK to different customers), to safely and continuously bring the boxes down where they are then barcode scanned to determine, by way of state-of-the-art scanning arrays on each line, which carrier despatch lane they require. When the packages reach the correct despatch lane they are diverted off at 90 degrees using high speed switch sorters. Depending on the source pick floor, they either decline down a grip top belt to an ergonomic picking height or transit on a horizontal roller conveyor to the discharge area where a despatch operative removes and places them onto a pallet or into a wheeled cage ready for carrier collection.

Definition of the task

A manufacturer of batteries for electric vehicles joins together individual round cells to make battery modules. The manufacturer would like these round cells to be inspected fully automatically in the goods receipt area. To this end, it requires a pallet circulation system with different interfaces. A robot removes several individual round cells as a set from the packaging and places them on the conveyor technology. The cells first need to be separated in order to ionise them against electrostatic charge. They are then to be placed in individual compartments of a tray. Along the circulation system, the individual cells undergo various inspections. The trays need to be stopped at the stations and positioned in such a way that the inspections can be performed automatically. The circulation system also needs a mechanism by which to separate defective parts. A tray holds 14 cells and must have run through the compete circuit within 15 seconds. On account of the many test and robot stations along the circuit, the space available on site is very limited.

Solution from mk

An mk ZRF-P 2040 timing belt conveyor was used to implement this pallet circulation system. Index stations allow the trays to be positioned within an accuracy of +/- 0.2 mm. This ensures that the automated checks can be performed reliably. A ramp feeds into the conveyor technology. The robot places the cells onto this ramp. They are separated and then slide into the individual compartments of the tray. Due to the short cycle times and limited installation space, a shuttle was constructed to transfer the trays to the pallet return. The conveyor technology transports the trays into the shuttle where they are then quickly transported to the parallel conveyor system for the return journey using a linear unit. At the end of the line, the cells are removed from the trays so that they are available for loading again.