Pocket sorting system
Efficient with speed
Ferag is contributing to the automation of logistics processes and the handling of e-commerce orders at shoe manufacturer Crocs in Dayton, Ohio (USA), which also operates in Europe, with a bag sorting system.
The extensive project, in which the existing distribution center will be expanded by over 70,000 square meters, is being carried out under the direction of Bastian Solutions, a Toyota Advanced Logistics company with which the Swiss have been working for some time. In the first phase, the Skyfall facility will be equipped with 33,500 sorter pockets, which will act as a dynamic, constantly rotating circulation buffer thanks to the new U-turn diverter. Commissioning is planned in several stages by August 2022.
40,000 units per hour can be processed
From the perspective of system integrator Bastian Solutions, the Skyfall bag sorter from Ferag proved to be the ideal technology to support Crocs' strategic business and growth plans for the coming years in combination with the upstream AutoStore warehouse. The company was looking for a powerful and precise "order fulfillment machine" that would be able to process up to 40,000 units per hour at peak times. At the same time, the Swiss system won out thanks to its flexibility: Not only can the Skyfall system be scaled as required without great effort, according to the manufacturer, but it can also be used - as planned from the outset in this case - to process returns.
In addition, the Ferag system can be easily adapted to changing purchasing behavior, new order profiles and seasonal fluctuations. Even changes within the Crocs product line pose no problem. These were the main reasons why the shoe manufacturer, which has become known worldwide for its plastic clogs, opted for the solution from the Zurich Oberland.
Jibbitz traded efficiently
With 18 manual loading and 153 unloading stations, 736 switches and almost eight kilometers of track, the latest US order is one of the largest Skyfall pocket sorter projects that Ferag has ever implemented. In addition to its technology, which the company claims is particularly robust and fail-safe, the family-owned company scored points with Crocs with a convincing and ingenious concept for handling the so-called jibbitz. Jibbitz are special pins that Crocs customers can use to personalize and customize their shoes as they wish.
The article appeared in materialfluss 4/22.
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