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Apologistics – based in Markkleeberg,
near Leipzig – began its pharma
e-commerce business model in 2004.
It processed just 50 orders a day
using a completely manual warehouse
operation. As the business grew, the
firm investigated various automation
options and in 2006 took delivery of
an autopicker from Knapp to take care
of its fast-movers, along with other
automation equipment and manual
fulfilment stations.
Fast forward to 2013 and the number
of orders processed daily had risen to
7,000. Apologistics wanted to automate
the picking of its slow-moving SKUs in
order to fulfil its promise to customers
that medicines ordered online would
be delivered to their homes within 24
hours. In response, the team at Knapp’s
headquarters in Graz, Austria, came
up with a robotic solution based on
an ASRS concept. Modular in design,
the system can be used in conjunction
with automated systems for fast-mover
picking – such as A-frame ‘autopicker’
solutions with a central belt – or with
manual picking areas.
Grippers
The KNAPP-Store features two storage
robots that operate from a mast that
runs along rails secured top and bottom
on each side of the store, much like mini
cranes. Goods are not stored in bins but
multi-deep directly on glass shelves, the
distance between which is variable to
suit the product range and to achieve
maximum storage density. On entry
to the system, products are manually
positioned on a conveyor before being
scanned from six sides – capturing key
data such as expiry date and lot number
– and then automatically stored. Items
– including boxes, bottles and pots in
various dimensions – are then picked
using a system of two grippers which
can move independently of each other,
with picked items being placed in
picking boxes that can be accessed
from outside the store. The picked items
Automatic picking
for pharma e-tailer
are either consolidated with manually
picked orders or can be fed directly
from the picking boxes onto a central
belt autopicker system.
The KNAPP-Store solution – which
was installed at Apologistics within just
three months and without disruption
of ongoing operations – has met
the client’s requirements in terms of
efficiency, performance and storage
density. The system currently features
two KNAPP-Store modules, each 17m
long, 2.5m high and 2.5m wide and
storing some 32,000 articles. With
aisles up to 20m long and 3.6m tall, a
KNAPP-Store has a maximum storage
capacity of 57,000 items. The solution,
which can perform up to 600 picks per
hour, is suitable for pharmaceutical
wholesalers as well as hospitals
and larger pharmacies. Installed at
Apologistics at the same time were extra
conveyor sections, new carton erectors,
a weighing scale and the latest version
of the autopicker control system (ACS).
Knapp’s KiSoft WCS control software
takes care of stock management for the
KNAPP-Store, enabling current stock
levels to be visible on the management
system. The KNAPP-Store also has
a cleaning function, available at the
press of a button, for optimal hygiene,
with storage locations automatically
optimised during this process.
Following successful operation since
going live and with deliveries now
up to 8,000 per day, the system at
Apologistics will be expanded by the
addition of two further KNAPP-Store
modules. Another planned development
for the future is the introduction of
Knapp’s robotic fulfilment solution, Pick-
it-Easy Robot.
When a German pharmaceutical e-tailer sought an automated way to pick slow-moving
and hard-to-handle goods, it was offered a state-of-the-art robotic solution.
46
Logistics Business Magazine | February 2016
ROBOTIC HANDLING