European video games retailer, Game Group has enlisted UK manufacturer Axiom to design and install a 216 destination pop-up roller sorter at its Basingstoke distribution centre.
The facility already had an automated sortation system, but Game required more capacity following its takeover of GAMEstation which has some 250 stores.
The Axiom machine was ordered through Vanderlande.
Vanderlande then integrated it with the existing warehouse management system which it had originally designed.
DVDs or CDs are loaded into six induct feederswhich take up to 100 items. They then pass under a barcode scanner, the WMS determines the destination, and they are pushed to merge onto the mainline process via two takeaway conveyors into the sortation system.
Rollers pop up, spin and place each item into one of 216 destination bins, which are positioned on either side of the two sorter lanes.
Adam Myer, head of distribution centre operations, said: “with the extra volume we were anticipating the sortation work was going to take around 18-20 hours each day on the existing Vanderlande machine. We considered this would be a risk to the business. The decision to purchase a second sorter was made to process volumes more quickly during our peak season.
“We chose to invest in an Axiom system because its pop-up sorter is quite a small machine for its capacity; it uses straightforward technology and has a simple construction.”
