W alk into any bar across America and there’ s bound to be a bottle or two of bourbon, rye or vodka produced by Buffalo Trace Distillery. Today, Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational distillery, as well as a National Historic Landmark. However, when it came to the distribution of its fine whiskies, Buffalo Trace Distillery found that its historic buildings were simply not built to handle modern materials handling processes.
CHALLENGE
Buffalo Trace Distillery was using approximately 240,000 square feet of conventional warehouse storage, which mostly consisted of bulk storage with limited pallet racking. This included 50,000 square feet of off-site contractor space, and seven floors of space for bourbon barrel storage aging. The distribution center was replenished from seven on-site locations and an off-site contractor location. Yet, the replenishment process included more than nine movements of the same pallet from the production line to loading the customer outbound trailer. Pallet movement was by trailer and often consisted of moving pallets from second floor storage via floor openings to the loading dock. This was not efficient in terms of time, cost and risk associated with inventory damage during movement.
In need of improving its storage capacity and streamlining its materials handling processes, Buffalo Trace Distillery sought to build a new, conventional warehouse with a traditional rack system. However, when it found that available space was limited, the distillery looked to an automated warehouse with an automated storage and retrieval system( AS / RS).
SOLUTION
Buffalo Trace Distillery selected Westfalia Technologies, Inc., to spearhead the construction of a new 83,000 square-foot facility. Westfalia first thoroughly analyzed Buffalo Trace Distillery’ s current business and warehousing operations, and then developed an automated warehousing system with the right balance of throughput and storage to support the company’ s projected growth needs.
Simulation software played a key role in developing the overall solution, allowing efficient use of automation technology and the ability to prove the capability of Westfalia’ s design to meet sustained system throughput rates.
RESULTS
Within the new distribution center, Westfalia’ s AS / RS occupies 46,574 square feet and contains three storage and retrieval machines( S / RMs), or cranes, which operate in three aisles, serving storage lanes five deep, and storing pallets six levels high. Each crane can induct / output 55 pallets of finished goods per hour with a total of 165 pallets moving within the system. The AS / RS contains 20 pallet-staging lanes which can hold 180 total pallets. The AS / RS is integrated with Westfalia’ s Savanna. NET ® warehouse execution system( WES), which directs, controls and optimizes internal material flow, order picking and inventory management. The technology is linked with Buffalo Trace’ s enterprise resource planning( ERP) system, providing real-time inventory accuracy and streamlining order processing.
One of the first spirits suppliers to use an AS / RS, Buffalo Trace Distillery is now more efficiently and effectively managing, moving, storing and retrieving pallets of finished goods. It is able to verify that the right products are retrieved at the right time to satisfy outbound orders. Plus, Westfalia’ s systems’ design ensures the secure storage of products. All pallets are triple-supported within the rack structure, eliminating pallet deflection / breakage and product loss.
In addition, Westfalia’ s solution is built with the flexibility to expand, supporting Buffalo Trace Distillery’ s future growth and warehousing distribution needs, ensuring sustainable, long-term growth.
FEATURES:
Size
• 83,000 square foot facility
• AS / RS occupies 46,574 square feet
• Stores pallet loads 6 levels high, 5 pallets deep
• 4-aisle solution based on the flexibility of expanding to accommodate future growth
• 10,621 pallet rack positions
• 18 truck staging lanes
Capacity:
• 3 S / RMs operating in three aisles
• 20 pallet-staging lanes, holding 180 total pallets
• 55 pallets per hour per S / RM, with 165 pallets moving within the system
Technology:
• High-density AS / RS
• Savanna. NET ® Warehouse Execution System
• S / RM using Satellite ® technology
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