Streamlined logistics processes in corporate fashion thanks to Deniway

PenCarrie sells over 95,000 products and more than 80 brands of high-quality workwear, school clothing, sportswear and functional clothing. The product portfolio includes chef’s jackets, trousers and aprons for the catering trade, bathrobes for hotel guests, safety vests, padded outdoor jackets, jogging trousers and rugby shirts. The UK’s leading corporate fashion wholesaler also sells textile promotional items, such as bags, backpacks, laptop cases, umbrellas, wallets, college hoodies and baseball caps. The ongoing development of the services on offer, expansion of online trade and the wish to serve demanding corporate clients even quicker required significant investments in the modernization of logistics processes. In addition to optimization of order picking times, the reduction of manual work and an improved connection and synchronization of warehouse and shipment areas were at the top of PenCarrie’s wish list.

Deniway fits into existing buildings perfectly

When it came to the new technology at the distribution centre at company headquarters in Willand, Devon, management at the family-run company – which was established back in 1991 – chose a combination of two Deniway loops from Ferag, with one in the shipment area and one in the warehouse. The tried-and-tested plate chain conveyor system from Switzerland’s Zürcher Oberland region is extremely robust and reliable thanks to its maintenance-free design, which was well received by the decision makers at PenCarrie from the outset. The comparatively low running costs and high energy efficiency of the roller bearing system also offered compelling arguments. Once it became clear that the Ferag technology could also handle all the relevant logistics processes at the B2B wholesaler, the deal was almost cut and dried. Only one obstacle remained – the Ferag engineers had to demonstrate that their system concept could still work while taking all the restrictions of the existing building into account, without the need for significant structural modifications. This is where the Deniway technology was able to play on one of its greatest strengths, as all conceivable layouts and designs are possible thanks to the completely modular system. This means it can be incorporated in virtually any building structure. In the case of PenCarrie, there was also the issue that the logistics area is divided up across several zones on different levels. The conveyor technology has to be able to negotiate this reliably, as the plastic totes measuring 60 x 60 x 40 centimetres have to be transported from the warehouse to the pack benches in the shipment area and back again.

One unit for all logistics processes

What is special about the system – which has now been operating smoothly for over a year – is that not only order fulfilment with order picking and packing is possible using the two Deniway loops, but also the storage of incoming goods and returns handling. The 315-metre-long warehouse loop and 167-metre-long pack loop work as a seamless conveyor unit. The loops are connected via two transfer zones, each equipped with four pushers that work in both directions according to the respective requirements. The different warehouse levels and areas are connected by the longer Deniway loop via three spirals with heights of between 3.1 and 3.3 metres. Utilizing this height is ideal for covering longer distances such as the ones seen at PenCarrie. In this way, the bottleneck resulting from multiple separate consolidation zones as seen before the conversion has also been resolved. Furthermore, the optimal synchronization of the conveyor technology means that peak loads can be handled better as fast-rotating goods can be distributed flexibly between several zones. The Ferag customer also saves valuable space as the Deniway system primarily runs overhead. The floor space underneath can then be used for other purposes, such as additional storage space or for the staff working in the warehouse to move around.

Streamlined order picking process

While the Deniway conveyor has resulted in a significant reduction in manual work, staff still have to prepare the products at the PenCarrie warehouse. An order picker takes the article from the rack, scans the barcode with the handheld scanner and places it into one of the totes – each of which has a maximum capacity of 30 kilograms – according to the respective order. Using a simple order picking trolley, this tote is then transported to the next aisle on the list, where further articles from the order are added. At the same time, the warehouse employee fills the other totes that are also found on the trolley. This process continues until all totes are filled with the corresponding articles. The order picker then moves their trolley to one of the nine forwarding stations positioned across the warehouse. The totes are then passed onto a feeder belt that takes them to the first Deniway circuit, the warehouse loop.

An efficient path from warehouse to shipment

The warehouse loop is the first main step so to speak on the path towards feeding the pack benches located on the ground floor. The loop can also be used as a simple buffer and sorter, meaning a tote can make two or three circuits of the system before it is ready to be transferred to the pack loop via the aforementioned transfer zone on the ground floor. The pack loop is the second main step for the totes on the way to the pack bench. Intermediate buffering is also possible on this Deniway loop, with totes belonging to an order remaining on the loop until they can all be ejected in quick succession to the defined pack bench. Here, a member of staff is on hand to prepare the contents of the container for shipment.

Conveyor works in both directions

The shipment area is divided up into four sectors, each with six delivery stations and pack benches. A belt conveyor system running in parallel to the pack benches ensures the finished packages are transferred to the lorry loading system. Incoming goods and returns can also be sent from here to the hall in the opposite direction. Two feeder belts installed here then feed the unpacked goods into one of the emptied totes and transfer it to the Deniway circuit running next to it. In other words, the two loops now work as a storage system. For this purpose, a total of eight delivery stations are found in the respective warehouse zones, through which the conveyed goods are transported to the corresponding rack sections in the same way as they are unloaded. Empty totes are also returned in this way.

Test passed with flying colours – next order already made

In this way, the Deniway conveyor not only underlines its versatility and flexibility, but also its outstanding efficiency. The system overcame the challenges of the busy Christmas period – which is particularly important for PenCarrie – with flying colours, after which the company ordered another Deniway system for a neighbouring building. It goes without saying that PenCarrie was extremely satisfied, with project manager Ben Gratwicke praising the outstanding professionalism of the Swiss partner: “Installing a new conveyor system during ongoing operation in a warehouse where 180 employees are getting ready for the busiest time of the year is a nightmare for any project manager, but Ferag dealt with this with aplomb.”