United States Cold Storage (USCS), Camden, N.J., opened a 5.1 million-cubic-foot freezer addition at its warehouse in Lebanon, Ind. The expansion includes an approximate 3.5 million-cubic-foot section with an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) as well as a 1.7 million-cubic-foot section for conventional storage.
 
USCS Lebanon is located along US Interstate 65, just 30 minutes northwest of Indianapolis. The new operation primarily supports a customer whose products are housed in both the automated and conventional storage areas for both full-pallet and case-pick load preparation. The finished addition houses 15,724 pallets, including 5,898 conventional locations and 9,826 slots within the AS/RS warehouse.
 
USCS selected Westfalia Technologies, Inc., York, Pa., to provide AS/RS technology, including a high-density storage system that includes storage and retrieval machines (S/RMs) with double-load handling capability, unique satellite load extraction devices, integrated warehouse management system (WMS) control software and a triple-rail support AS/RS rack structure. The system is then integrated with USCS Lebanon’s order fulfillment, pallet flow systems, conveyors, palletizers and case packing and handling equipment.
 
After USCS receives customer product loads, those pallets are tagged and entered into the WMS system. Pallets then convey automatically into the enclosed AS/RS room, where machines select, lift and carry them to specified pallet locations. Later, the same machine will select and retrieve those pallets, which are placed on a separate conveyor leading to the outbound shipping staging area. Westfalia’s system in Lebanon utilizes a double-mast storage and retrieval machine that can reach horizontal speeds of 650 feet per minute as well as vertical speeds of 260 feet per minute.
 
“I’m extremely excited for the opening of the first USCS automated warehouse,” says David Butterfield USCS regional vice president, Midwest.  “It is an honor to be on the forefront of using automation to provide top quality service to our customers. I’m equally proud of our Lebanon team’s approach, management and determination to make this project successful.”