Calbee Co., Ltd. (Develop and build the Higashi Matsuyama Warehouse/Distribution System)

In 2006, we introduced a Toyo Kanetsu sorting system and palletizing robot in an old warehouse where we sort, store and deliver products from the adjacent factory at high speed. Just in the past 10 years, the volume of just potato chips, for example, has increased 1.5 times by weight. Not only has the variety of small bagged items increased but the number of SKUs has vastly increased, pushing the old warehouse to its limits. In 2012, we built a new warehouse add-on with additional space of 8600 square meters which would provide some necessary redundancy to support the factory line and allow for uninterrupted operation in case there is some issue with a conveyor. High-speed sorting was absolutely critical for this new warehouse in order to keep up with the proliferation of SKUS and increase in production from the factory. Moreover, the additional capacity provided backup in case of equipment trouble while the improved logistics operation contributed to improving the pressure on our workforce. We fully expect volume to increase, making it more difficult for staff to keep pace. In this environment, the system must be reliable above all else.

There are two reasons why we chose Toyo Kanetsu for this warehouse project. First, we have had a relationship with them since the system was built in the old warehouse. The other was the very professional and positive demeanor of the very capable team of engineers. They performed a very detailed analysis of our operations, and surveyed strengths and weaknesses in order to propose a system that was solidly based on their wealth of experience in the industry. Although the concept for the new warehouse was several years in the making, it took the expertise of Toyo Kanetsu to develop the layout and system configuration that would adapt to a future increase in production. The team of engineers looked at the product order mix and performed various simulations using 2, 3 and 5 palletizing robots in order to achieve the optimal efficiency. In the end, we introduced 2 robots with the option to add 2 more at a later date. Without the hard work of Toyo Kanetsu, this would not have been possible.

With the new warehouse, we have reduced our risk to the operation presented by potential failures of aging equipment. Product from the potato chip factory flow into the old and new wareshouse lines where they are sorted and palletized. The systems are linked and can be switched from one to the other, building in redundancy in the case either system stops. The ability to produce and ship products according to plan is, of course, a given. Having some redundancy that would allow us to recover in case the old line stops has been reassuring to our operations.

We also now have excess capacity when it comes to throughput. There is a SRS Sorter and 3 palletizing robots on the new line. With this additional capacity, we can now process a total of 8,000 cases/hour including the 5,000 case/hour capacity of the old warehouse. We can now handle an increase in volume but also an increase in the number of SKUs. This is especially important when a new product is launched because it must be delivered at a large volume to stores all at once. Now that capacity has gone from 5,000 cases/hour to 8000 cases/hour, we will have no problem keeping up with additional volume coming from the factory.

Diverting and conveying of products is much better as well. Because of limited space, we had to install a SRS Sorter at right angles but since the products we handle are lightweight and unstable, this presented some challenges. Engineers at Toyo Kanetsu adjusted the guide width, experimented using rollers with different friction coefficients and through the process of trial and error, were able to arrive at a configuration that worked perfectly.

The use of the pallet conveyor and the automatic binding machine made it possible to consolidate pallet picks into one area, dramatically reducing effort required of forklift drivers.

With room to add two more robot palletizers, we are well poised to further respond to an increase in demand in the future. Moreover, we will probably also consider replacing the old warehouse line 10 or 20 years down the road, which will further boost productivity. Good logistics operations take time and effort to develop. One has to consider the cost, efficiency, and labor in the overall optimization of warehouse operations, and Toyo Kanetsu did more than just meet the goals of the project, they exceeded our expectations. Thanks to advancements and improvements over the years, the new equipment is much quieter and has a high level of durability compared to the old equipment installed 11 years ago. Over the past decade, we have seen these incremental steps in innovation, driven by the efforts to constantly improve and enhance the equipment. I believe Toyo Kanetsu will be a good partner for our future intralogistics needs.

*Source: Based on an interview conducted February 2017. Data, organizational departments and personal names appear as they were at time of interview.