Shown: one of the five automated modulesAutomated Outbound Retrieval for a Fortune 50 Distribution Center
Fork truck operators were pulling pallets one at a time from a five-module storage system and stacking them by hand. Han-Tek automated the outbound side with stacker cranes, spur conveyors, pallet stackers and its own warehouse control software.
A Fortune 50 consumer goods company stores pallets in a high-density automated system with nearly 100,000 pallet positions across five modules. Storage was automated, but outbound was not: fork truck operators picked each pallet from the rack, stacked loads by hand and drove them to the trailers.
Han-Tek delivered a turnkey outbound system for all five modules: ten Dambach stacker cranes, fifteen spur conveyors with automated pallet stackers, a safety-rated control system and a custom Warehouse Control System tied to the customer's warehouse and trailer loading software. Each module was commissioned in turn while the building kept shipping, and the system has since moved more than two million pallets.
Automated storage, manual shipping
The storage rack delivered pallets to its face, and from there everything was done by people on fork trucks. Operators drove to any of 108 pick positions in a module, pulled pallets from the second and third levels, stacked them and loaded each trailer. A typical 45-pallet trailer took about an hour.
Labor that kept growing
Outbound volume grew more than 20% a year. Turnover was high, training was costly, and more than 15% of operator activity added no value.
Safety and quality
Picking at height up to 20 feet strained operators and caused spills that shut down an area for hours, plus daily safety incidents and missed scans.
No room for downtime
All five modules had to be upgraded while the building kept shipping, with live links to two enterprise systems.
The goal: at least 150 pallets an hour from every module, without stopping the shipping operation to get there.
Cranes, spurs, stackers and the software to run them
Han-Tek supplied and integrated every piece of the outbound system, from the cranes in the aisle to the software that sequences each trailer. Here is how a pallet moves now.
- 1
Retrieve
The WCS takes the order from the warehouse system and sends one of two cranes in the aisle to get the pallet. Each crane runs about 72 to 75 cycles an hour.
- 2
Stage
The crane sets the pallet on one of three chain-driven live roller spurs, where six conveyor sections hold a queue for the dock.
- 3
Stack and load
An automated stacker builds stacks two to five high in the order the trailer load plan calls for, and the operator loads them from one spot.
- Custom Warehouse Control System: Han-Tek's web-based WCS links the warehouse management system and the trailer loading system, so every pallet is authorized, sequenced and logged without double entry.
- Safety built in: each module runs on an Allen-Bradley 5580 GuardLogix safety PLC, the safety design meets PL d, Category 3 per ISO 13849, and each module passed a third-party field safety evaluation before going into production.
- Works with the existing safety system: a safety-rated link to the customer's existing safety PLC confirms each crane is parked before any personnel door opens.
- No trailing cables: each crane talks to the end-of-aisle panel over a Leuze optical data coupler along the full 280-foot aisle, and anti-collision lasers keep the two cranes apart.
- Maintenance without a shutdown: a later aisle safety upgrade split each aisle into three zones with two automatic doors and guarded garages, so one crane keeps shipping while technicians work on the other.
More pallets per person, and none on the floor
| Measure | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Pick positions per module | 108 | 3 |
| Pallets per operator, 12-hour shift | 200 to 400 | Over 1,100 on top shifts |
| Throughput per full-time operator | Manual baseline | 3x |
| Request to dock-ready load | Manual baseline | About half the time |
| Pallet spills and stacking damage | Regular | Zero |
- Rate met everywhere: all five modules hit 150 pallets an hour at commissioning.
- Less driving: operators pick from 15 positions across the building instead of 108 in each module.
- Better use of people: with stacking automated, operators moved to dock, loading and exception work.
- Visibility: later WCS additions brought a live performance dashboard, a fault log, dock monitors that show each stacking sequence, and a 180-day audit trail of every pallet move.
- Still partners: Han-Tek continues to supply spare parts, field service and support for all five modules.
Questions about outbound pallet automation
Can you automate the outbound side of an existing storage system?
Yes. Here Han-Tek added cranes, spurs, stackers and controls to an existing proprietary storage system and tied into its existing safety PLC without replacing it.
How does a WCS work with a warehouse management system?
The WMS sends retrieval orders. The WCS picks the crane, routes the pallet and sequences it to the trailer load plan, then records every move.
Can a module keep running during maintenance?
With the aisle safety upgrade, yes. Zoned doors, onboard safety scanners and guarded garages let one crane run in automatic while technicians work on the other.
Can a system like this be installed without shutting down?
It was here. Han-Tek commissioned the five modules one at a time while the rest of the building kept shipping manually.
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