MDS take delivery of Scallog robots

MDS take delivery of Scallog robots

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

MDS, a specialist in book distribution, has decided to implement a novel solution in its automated supply chain with the aim of streamlining and speeding up the chain while also increasing the reliability of the preparations for its low-rotation orders.

According to MDS CEO Bruno Delrue, the expectations of B2B customers have been modified by the practices employed by the giants of e-commerce. More small orders must be managed, a process which requires a lot of references and mobilizes the resources of the company. A race against the clock that can only be resolved by robotics to speed up the processing of orders.

The site has 32 km of linear storage space and covers 35,000 m2. It is based on automation solutions provided by Savoye who are expected to deliver a 4th generation solution in September 2020. MDS has therefore equipped its logistics platform with a robotic solution. The MDS platform, located in Essonne, Dourdan, will be home to a Goods to Man robotic logistics system provided by Scallog.

The French manufacturer Scallog proposed a solution composed of robots, ergonomic workstations, mobile shelves as well as software applications. The book distributor was seduced by its scalability, its agility as well as its capacity to interface with other WCX, WMS, transitic tools from MDS.

The solution, which has been operational since May 2019, consists of 20 Boby mobile robots which move from the 250 shelves to 3 stations where operators replenish and pick the goods.

Since the robotics project was set up, Scallog has observed an increase in optimization in replenishment operations and a doubling in productivity in terms of order preparation, that is to say an increase of more than 200 lines per hour.

Ultimately, the solution will have to include 45 robots, 500 mobile shelves and 6 stations, including 2 for replenishment and 4 for order preparation.