Heaven Hill Brands Selects Westfalia to automate bardstown Facility
An automated storage and retrieval system ( AS / RS ) integrated with a layer pick system will optimize storage and processing of full pallet layer-picked orders of liquor products .
W estfalia Technologies , Inc . has been selected by Heaven Hill Brands to automate its Bardstown , Kentucky , facility . Using Westfalia ’ s automated storage and retrieval system ( AS / RS ) integrated with a layer pick system , Heaven Hill will optimize the storage and processing of full pallet and layer-picked orders of liquor products .
Founded in 1935 , Heaven Hill is the nation ’ s largest independent , family-owned and -operated spirits producer and marketer and the world ’ s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon . With an increased sales volume , a warehouse operating at full capacity and limited expansion options , Heaven Hill turned to Westfalia for a solution that would meet its throughput requirements , provide buffer storage for top SKUs and offer the operational efficiencies to sustain continued growth .
Westfalia designed an AS / RS that will maximize storage capacity within Heaven Hill ’ s existing site – the spirits producer will be able to store pallet loads nine levels high in a high-density , conventional building configuration . The rack structure will cover three aisles with more than 27,000 pallet rack positions , serviced by four tandem-pallet storage and
retrieval machines ( S / RMs ). The system will feature storage blocks of multiple storage lane depths , including two outside storage blocks that can hold up to six pallets and middle storage blocks that hold up to 10 pallets . Heaven Hill will have the flexibility to configure the middle storage blocks with varying lane depths based upon inventory levels of each SKU .
The combination of the AS / RS and layer pick system will allow Heaven Hill to seamlessly convey pallets from palletizing to storage and to truck staging lanes , thereby streamlining the entire order fulfillment process . Westfalia ’ s Warehouse Execution System ( WES ) Savanna . NET ® will direct all activities in the warehouse and provide real-time inventory visibility and tracking .
Dan Labell , president , Westfalia Technologies , said , “ One of the key benefits of a high-density AS / RS is its ability to improve space utilization in an existing facility without the need for costly expansion , new construction or off-site storage . This is especially appealing to the wine and spirits industry as many producers and distributors , like Heaven Hill , are operating at maximum capacity while handling a growing number of SKUs .” www . WestfaliaUSA . com The Satellite Review 5