United Biscuits, the umbrella brand for household names such as McVitie’s and KP have been using Logistex to implement and maintain automation at their Midland Distribution Centre in Ashby-de-la-Zouch for over 20 years.

To this day they continue working with Logistex to continue to improve and develop operations ensure automation gives them on-going value.

The History

The United Biscuits MDC was built in 1992, when Logistex was chosen to provide the initial stage of 11 automated pallet cranes with our unique universal platen to handle GKN pallets on standard APR racking without top hats.

The first highbay at United Biscuits, holding 21,780 pallets, represented Logistex’s first fully integrated highbay. At this time the site was handling 1.3 million pallets per year.

In 1995 Logistex converted a second highbay from manual VNA trucks to automated. Initially three cranes were installed with four more being added in 1999 and a final four in 2001 to form an eleven crane highbay with a 14,036 location capacity giving the site an automated storage capacity of 39,204 pallet locations. The site was then handling 3 million pallets per year, a 130% increase.

As well as the automated highbays, the site also has traditional VNA areas and mezzanine floors with various packing and display material preparation activities.

Site Overview

• 24/7 Operation
• Residential team of five Logistex Engineers and five Logistex Assistant Engineers
• 22 fully automated 18m high automated pallet machines
• 1,800m conveyors with 9 lifts and 11 turntables

Logistex and United Biscuits have worked together as a team from the initial project in 1992 and continue to do so.

The most recent project to be taken on by Logistex is Project Topio which will automate the pallet in and out feed to their manual VNA system.

Currently there are two levels, a ground floor and a mezzanine level with a transfer car on each. Fork lift truck drivers carry pallets from the conveyor and place it on the pick and deposit points on the end of the aisles.

Logistex will be installing a conveyor system to carry the pallets and therefore remove the fork lift trucks from the operation.

The project has a demonstrably excellent return on investment.

This is an additional project awarded to Logistex, the most recent project previously being Darwin, that project was delivered on time, to budget and to tight deadlines over the Christmas period and has been hailed as a great success.

Topio is the latest of successful projects- that’s why they keep coming back!

In July 2012 eight Logistex employees took part in the Extra Mile Challenge to raise funds for three different charities that sit close to us as a company.

The Extra Mile Challenge is a sponsored cycle relay through rural France. The challenge is for teams of four to ride this spectacular 500+ mile route in relay. Each cyclist will cover about 45 miles per day, typically in 4 or 5 stages.

Logistex had two teams in 2012 which both completed the course and were able to raise a fantastic £4193 for charity.

Team Reflex in 2012

This year we have some new faces to the teams and a new charity to support. The route is also different, here are the details.

DAY 1

Starting in Troyes. the teams head south-west for about 160 miles on the first day’s ride, through mainly forested countryside finishing at Beaune, capital of the Côte d’Or.

DAY 2

Beaune will be the base for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
The Saturday ride takes the teams westwards into the Morvan, half a million acres of natural park with huge forests, rolling hills and lakes before looping back to Beaune. The terrain on Saturday is slightly more challenging than the other days.

DAY 3

The final day’s cycling is a tour southwards from Beaune around the Charolais region,and finishing back in Beaune.

And here are our teams:

Team Jerryhatrex:

Jerry Woodhouse       Managing Director

Derek Kay                   Business Development Director

Andrew Pilkington       Senior Solutions Design Engineer

David Robson             Account Development Manager

Team Reflex:    

Bernie Ryan                Systems Manager

Adam Allwood             Solutions Design Engineer

Kevin Bradley             Systems Upgrades & Enhancements  Manager

Pete Withey                Senior Systems Engineeer

To follow Team Jerryhatex and their training log onto the blog: Jerryhatrex.wordpress.com

We’ll update regularly on their progress and fundraising!

Logistex’s Stand at IMHX

The team here at HQ have been very busy the last two weeks, with two exhibitions on we have exhausted our feet, backs and brains while exhibiting and hosting a demo suite on our Logistex stands.

First the team headed to London, to the Retail Business Technology Exhibition (RBTE) on at Earls Court. It was our first time and the show and we were pleasantly surprised by the mix of retailers that were represented at this prestigious show. After snow attempted to hold us up on the Monday we successfully managed to get down and set up in time for an early start of Tuesday.

By the end of the show we had done many a demonstration of our Warehouse Management System, LWS Reflex, where visitors to our stand could order from our online web shop, pick their desired items, pack them and then despatch the goods, giving the client a true feel of the system and the efficiency that installing LWS Reflex could add to their operation.

After a busy two days at RBTE, we all established that sitting down at our desks five days a week comes at a price, as when we finished standing, lifting, loading and walking for three days solidly, we were totally exhausted and needed rest back in the office for the rest of the week.

Our relaxation was short lived and on the following Monday we were back in the van and heading North this time to Birmingham’s NEC where we were to exhibit at the tri-annual International Materials Handling Exhibition (IMHX).

IMHX is the UK’s most comprehensive materials handling and logistics event with over 400 exhibitors and approximately 20,000 visitors over the four days the show is open.

The show was open to visitors on Tuesday and right from the word go we were busy telling potential clients about our vast range of services, from complete integrated automated warehouse projects, engineering support services, hotline and support and of course our WMS, LWS Reflex.

The demo suite was live once again and visitors were enjoying having the reality of warehouse picking at their fingertips on our 35 square metre stand.

If the sound of our LWS Reflex demo suite sounds like something you would like to see for yourself, contact us at reflex@logistex.com to discuss a demonstration at our head office in Kettering. Alternatively we will be attending the E-Commerce show in October and hope to see you there.

IMHX is not all about the selling but also a fantastic networking opportunity for the industry and much of our time was spent catching up with acquaintances from present and past.

Logistex is a member of AMSHA (Automated Material Handling Systems Association Ltd) which opens a door to numerous opportunities including a speaking spot at the AMHSA Pavilion which hosted ‘Meet the Experts’ talks throughout the four day event. Our Business Development Director took to the stage with his talk ‘Does Cloud Reign’ which discussed the future of Cloud based WMS and automation. If this is something of interest, be sure to log onto the blog in the coming days for the slides and article.

As well as the serious stuff of exhibiting and seminars, the team also took part in the AMHSA five-a-side football tournament, held at the Lucozade Powerleague football centre in Yardley. Four teams were there and geared up for the challenge, including AMHSA, Logistex, Swisslog and Caljan. It was a cold night and the spectators were few and far between, who really wants to spend an evening after exhibiting all day in the freezing cold watching five-a-side football I ask?

The teams played each other in the first round and the two top teams went through to the final. After some close, and some not so close, matches the final was down to team Logistex and Swisslog. The match was close, with possession being dominated by Logistex but at the final whistle the score was 2-2. It went straight to penalties, with each team scoring all the penalties, so after play and penalties the guys were all tired and called it a draw, how sporting!

Swisslog and Logistex take joint first place

Thursday morning of the show started with a lot of sore muscles, deep heat and limping, nothing another day exhibiting couldn’t fix.

All in all IMHX was a successful and eventful show where we met with some great businesses who we hope to be speaking with again very soon.

The annual fun run is on, we’ve been waiting for the weather to improve, but it doesn’t look like it will ever happen this year, so it’s been decided to take a punt on Thursday 26^th July.

It’s not far (3.4 miles) and the terrain is flat, so even at a modest walking pace it should take no longer than 50 minutes. More importantly there will be a BBQ and drinks afterwards, we will be supplying the usual fare of juicy sausages, succulent burgers and fluffy baps.

The emphasis of this run is to celebrate our team ethos, so all Logistex employees are encouraged to participate and to bring along any partners, family members or friends that would also like to take part.

You will find Logistex at stand number 17 at this years Logistics Link South which will be held at Sandown Park 21st and 22nd February 2012. This follows on from the previous highly successful Logistics Link North.

Continue reading →

The Automated Material Handling Systems Association (AMHSA) has revealed detals of its latest offering of the highly successful ‘symposium’ events ,which will be in May.

Taking place on Wednesday 2 May 2012 at Silverstone racetrack, the symposium – entitled ‘Future Material Handling – Getting on track to win’ – will bring together company owners, CEO’s, directors and senior management to discuss the likely developments in material handling over the next five years and the key role that automation and software will play. Continue reading →