Logistics automation specialists Swisslog is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Vectura system, the organisations automated stacker crane for pallet warehouses.
“We are very proud of this success story. We built the first crane in 1969. Over the decades, many committed employees have continued to enhance and optimize it – all the way to today’s Vectura system, which is still a top seller in our portfolio,” Dr. Christian Baur, CEO of Swisslog said.
Worldwide, 575 logistics projects in 35 countries, with a total of 3,870 Vectura stacker cranes have been installed. The Vectura has also grown, from a 10m hydraulic crane to today’s modern high tech cranes, 20 per cent more efficient than rivals, reaching up to 50m and equally at home in frozen stores.
The first Vectura cranes arrived in Australia in 1989, installed at Woolworths’ Minchinbury distribution centre and are still running today. Since then, the number of customers, and applications, have grown. Australian examples include Woolworths, Coca-Cola Amatil, Laurent Bakery and Blum.
Laurent – Food Manufacturing, Cold Store
Laurent is a French artisan bakery manufacturer in Melbourne. They initiated a project aimed at increasing on site storage, reducing staff exposure to the minus 28 degrees C freezer storage environment, and delivering end to end stock visibility and traceability.
They chose a Swisslog solution that included two Vectura stacker cranes, operating in the minus 28 degrees C high bay store with capacity for 5,000 multi depth pallet storage locations, linked to an automated conveyor system. The Swisslog warehouse management system also controls voice picking, order allocation and integration with Laurent’s host system.
The increased local buffer capacity on-site allows Laurent Bakery to optimize their production cycles and achieve synergies across the entire supply chain. The design eliminates the need to work in -28 degrees, which will greatly improve the overall site operational safety. The voice picking solution keeps the operators’ hands free and improves pick efficiency.
Blum – Building Products, Distribution
Furniture fittings company Blum was already using an automated pallet store, when in 2016 they decided to increase the size of their Swisslog system to expand their Sydney site, consolidating Australian operations.
Blum originally installed three Vectura stacker cranes with Swisslog. After seeing firsthand the operational benefits, they extended the site to accommodate an additional two cranes; along with conveyors, an additional picking station and installation of an upgraded shuttle car that improved safety measures for staff. At the same time, Blum took advantage of the new project to upgrade to the latest SynQ warehouse management system.
The project illustrates the ease of expanding and upgrading existing automated warehouses.
“Swisslog secured the project against strong opposition. Their team work stood them apart from other providers along with their ability to demonstrate strength in depth both locally and internationally,” said Brett Ambrose, Managing Director, Blum.
Swisslog is still developing and installing Vectura stacker cranes 50 years after the first. The system has three major core attributes: Sustainability, plug & play capability, and reliability. Compared to similar products, Vectura stacker cranes are extremely energy-efficient, in part because of their lightweight construction and innovative mast design.
Plug & play capability means that each Vectura crane is prewired, parameterized and tested prior to delivery, which speeds up installation and commissioning at the customer site. Vectura’s reliability is based on superior product quality using proven standard components, low-wear operation, and ease of maintenance.
“In recent years, our company strategy has focused primarily on future-proof data-driven logistics solutions for the light goods sector as well as robotics. At the same time, our pallet technology continues to play an important role. It’s the backbone of our company, and that won’t change. We’re excited to see what the next 50 years will hold for our pallet technology,” Christian says.