Americold Upgrades Automation System to Handle, Separate Double-Stacked Pallets
Americold, an Atlanta-based leader in temperature-controlled warehousing for the food and beverage industry, worked with viastore systems, Inc., a material 
handling automation systems and software company based in Grand Rapids, Mich., to modify an existing system implemented at its Indianapolis facility.
Americold is constantly reviewing solutions that will enable greater efficiencies and advancement to meet customer demands, and automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) play an increasing role in improving such capabilities. That’s why Americold identified the need to enhance its current AS/RS to improve case and pallet picking rates.
Americold approached viastore to retrofit software and mechanical changes related to the handling and separating of double-stacked pallets, including de-coupling for single or half-pallet picks that can then be delivered directly to the shipping floor.
Additionally, the design re-purposes the pick tunnels to accommodate pack and hold orders ready for shipment.
For Americold, an effective AS/RS encompasses its strategy to ensure state-of-the-art operations for repeatable value-added services at its facilities.
“This automation retrofit reduces manual case picking by as much as 50%,” says Jason DeLoach, senior director of engineering at Americold. “These changes will increase our overall system effectiveness by reducing cycle time and the put-away of residual pallets.”
For viastore, the Americold Indianapolis facility installation represents the company’s full range of capabilities.
“viastore’s offering of AS/RS, conveyor, software and controls come together at Americold,” adds William Ostermeyer, vice president of sales, viastore. “Our experience in cold storage automation solutions with companies like Americold offers a complete solution from a single source.”
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