A £550,000 goods handling system at Mothercare’s 30,000 sq m national distribution centre in Northamptonshire has been completed by European Conveyor Systems.
The NDC, which is operated by DHL Exel, has about 14,000 pallet racking locations and operates 24 hours a day five days a week to supply all Mothercare’s 227 stores throughout the UK.
ECS was appointed to design and install a conveyor system to deliver in-coming boxes to the storage and racking and also to install a number of goods lifts to move products from floor to floor. Provision has been made for cardboard cartons and plastic tote boxes in various sizes and weights up to 25kg.
Goods-in are unloaded from delivery vehicles using eight boom conveyors in the loading bay area, some of which are linked to pivoting luffing sections that direct cartons to the lines serving the ground or first floor, as appropriate. Four lines serve the ground floor and four the first mezzanine level. The nominal capacity of each unloading conveyor is 500 boxes an hour, and parts of the main system include sections of accumulation conveyor to provide buffer capacity.
See also:
Mothercare chooses DHL to manage UK distribution centres
DHL plans for growth
BAA renews consolidation centre contract
DHL WEEE live
DHL Exel pins down Staples deal
