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Material Handling Information - Case Studies - Bobson
   
Case Studies - Apparel Industry Application
Bobson
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Application
  • Bobson Apparel Distribution Center -- Okayama City, Japan.
  • Sorts and distributes 10,000 different products for 5,000 customers, including specialty stores, volume sales shops, and department stores.
  • Processes an average of 35,000 items per day, with capacity for up to 60,000 items.
  • Orders received in the morning are shipped out the same day and delivered by the next day.
Key Customer Benefits
  • Reduced inventory levels.
  • Virtually 100% accurate order picking.
  • High-speed sortation of up to 60,000 items per day.
  • Shorter order-filling cycle time.
Material Flow Requirements
  • Provide rapid-response, on-time delivery of jeans and other apparel.
  • Reduce cycle time from manufacturing to sales.
  • Accommodate seasonal fluctuations in product demand.
  • Ensure accurate shipping to 1,300 specialty stores, volume sales shops, and department stores throughout Japan.
Material Flow Hardware
  • 479-ft. cross-belt sorter with eight top-loading automatic induction stations and 388 chutes.
  • 3,280-ft. conveyor system to transport goods to and from the mini load and carousels.
  • Nine-aisle, dual shuttle mini load automated buffer with 28,728 storage locations.
  • Eight horizontal carousels for collapsible totes with 2,800 storage locations.
  • Four horizontal carousels for bulk items with 1,872 storage locations.
Material Flow Process

Input
  • Products come into the distribution center in bar coded, collapsible totes.
  • Conveyors deliver the totes either to a mini load automated buffer or horizontal carousels according to shipping frequency.
Output
  • Paperless order picking improves speed and accuracy.
  • Workers pick orders at both the mini load and the carousels as directed by terminals connected to the inventory control computer.
  • Items are then transported via conveyor to a top-loading automatic induction station, which sends them into the cross-belt sorter.
  • Cross-belt sorter processes up to 11,000 items per hour, sorting orders by destination into 388 chutes.
  • The sorter sends price tags, labels, and invoices all together, allowing all distribution work to be completed at the end of chutes.
  • Workers inspect orders by matching the price tag to the item to ensure accuracy.
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