Continuing its investment in its global distribution centre this spring, Mouser will have 120 vertical lift modules (VLMs) installed, the largest VLM installation in the world.
VLMs are essentially giant vertical filing cabinets, complete with shelves and an automated extractor to bring the components to the employee’s workstation.
This increases efficiency and floor space and can reduce an employee’s walking time by 45% or more.
In addition to the massive VLM installation, Mouser’s distribution centre features multiple Ultipack and I-Pack machines — a sophisticated automated system for sealing and labelling shipments that can process up to 14 orders per minute — as well as an OPEX Perfect Pick system for consolidation and an AutoStore system.
“Incorporating the latest in distribution center automation helps us meet our goal of providing exceptional customer service,” says Pete Shopp, Mouser Electronics’ Senior Vice President of Business Operations. “The tools and systems we’ve put in place offer another way we can help shorten our customers’ time to market.”
Mouser’s massive global distribution centre, located on the 78-acre campus of its corporate headquarters in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, handles a vast inventory of more than 1 million unique SKUs for products from over 1,200 manufacturer brands.
Processing tens of thousands of orders weekly — most within 15 minutes — and maintaining a strong commitment to customer service, Mouser employees are handling the technological advancements with great success.
Though the adoption of start-of-the-art automation acts primarily as a means of boosting efficiency, productivity, accuracy and speed, the systems also enable more sustainable operations and improved customer satisfaction.
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