Swarm Automation at Distrilog: a large-scale automation project implementing 20 AGVs and infeed conveyor
Distrilog Group and Toyota Material Handling Europe have joined forces in a large-scale automation project. Distrilog has chosen to automate part of their warehouse with no less than 12 automated reach trucks (RAE), 8 automated stackers (SAE) and an infeed conveyor for automatic destacking and quality control of incoming pallets.
About Distrilog
Distrilog Group is a modern family business founded in 1991. For more than 30 years, the group combines warehousing and smart distribution with a wide range of logistics services and optimisation options. With over 1600 employees in warehousing, transport and forwarding, 440,000 m² of logistics warehouses and its own fleet of 415 vehicles, Distrilog Group has the capacity to store, process and transport goods for customers in all types of sectors, including retail, FMCG, DIY, food, pet care or chemicals. As a partner of DHB, Distrilog Group also offers an intricate distribution network within the Benelux.
Facts & figures
- Company: Distrilog
- Location: Willebroek, Belgium
- Industry: Transport & Logistics
- Trucks: 20 Toyota Autopilot reach trucks and pallet stackers and approx. 180 manual trucks (pallet trucks, stackers, order pickers, electric trucks)
- Fleet solutions: Swarm Automation, Lithium-ion battery technology
A logistical leap forward with automation
Their latest project takes Distrilog into the future. “We are specialised in warehousing, transport and fine-meshed distribution in the Benelux,” says Philip Salaerts, CEO of Distrilog.
“Starting with a first step into automation means investing in the future, but also boosts our efficiency and service levels.”
The decision to automate did not come out of the blue. “Our customer wanted to automate and had a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve, but we were able to convince them of the benefits of our AGV solution,” Philip explains. “In addition, there’s a chronic shortage of labour in Belgium and Europe, which encourages us to think ahead and focus more on automation.”
Efficiency and predictability as a new norm
The collaboration between Distrilog and Toyota is built on years of mutual trust. “We have known each other for almost 30 years and have built a solid relationship of trust,” says Hugues Van Espen, Managing Director at Toyota Material Handling Belgium. “At some point, the requirements of the customer, Distrilog’s ambitions and our knowledge of their logistics processes all came together. This gave rise to the idea that automation was the perfect solution.”
Distrilog wanted what all customers want today: stability and predictability. “Thanks to automation, they know exactly what’s coming in, what’s happening and when they can deliver what to their customers,” Hugues further explains. “They can make promises that were previously impossible to make.”
Solving the logistic puzzle
Implementing the AGVs in an existing warehouse was not easy. “We had to widen the aisles and install the conveyor and charging stations, which limited the space for manual operations,” says Benjamin Van Ransbeeck, Improvement Manager at Distrilog. “We puzzled with the racks and managed to keep all the space, without causing any disruptions," adds Bart Degoes, Logistics Solutions Services Manager.
Safety was also an important aspect of the entire operation. Manual work involves lots of risk in terms of damage to racks, but with automation, this risk is eliminated.“ The AGVs are equipped with 360-degree sensors and cameras that detect obstacles and make collisions with other objects or pedestrians impossible,” Benjamin acknowledges. Both the automated stackers and reach trucks work with lithium-ion batteries and know exactly when to charge. There are multiple charging stations in the warehouse, so the process runs continuously, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and also at night. The operating time of the machines depends on the intensity and weight of the pallet. An automated reach truck takes about 1 hour to fully charge.
The beating heart: the conveyor system
First, incoming trucks with pallets are being unloaded manually onto the automated transport system. The task of the conveyor is to convert double-stack pallets to single stacks. During this process, the pallets are also thoroughly inspected for weight, height, width and quality.
If the quality of the pallet is not good enough, the pallet is rejected and goes to the so-called Reject Claim zone. If the pallet is approved, an AGV takes it and either puts it directly in the right location on the rack or in the buffer zone with tracing racks.
“The conveyor is the real added value to the solution. It works like a conductor who coordinates his orchestra,” Hugues proudly clarifies.
Teamwork makes dreamwork
The collaboration between Distrilog and Toyota involved daily updates and quick responses to problems. “A project like this requires a superstrong team,” says the project leader. "Thanks to the good cooperation, we were able to react quickly and make adjustments. That was really crucial to its success.” Benjamin Van Ransbeeck concludes: “Yes, we are satisfied with the solution Toyota has provided us. Building on early learnings from the start-up phase at Distrilog and Toyota, the collaboration remained constructive. Through joint efforts, we successfully overcame the hurdles and achieved a robust end result. It was so successful that we are currently evaluating an extension of our solution.