Factory Motor Parts

The Client

FMP is a multi-generational, family-owned company that prides itself on providing premium original equipment and name brand automotive parts, serving as a total resource for independent service centers, dealerships, fleets and wholesale customers.

The Challenge

Due to explosive business growth and a planned DC relocation in the Charlotte area, FMP wanted to modernize and automate their new facility. The goal was to design and build a new Charlotte-area distribution center to better serve their customers in the southeastern US. They needed to maximize space in the new facility and fulfill eCommerce orders more quickly, with optimized labor productivity.

The Solution

FMP partnered with KPI Solutions™ to design and build a 240,000 square foot greenfield site with new automated solutions that leverage multiple material handling and robotic technologies.

An AutoStore system was deployed to boost part storage capacity and increase order fulfillment speed. In a small footprint, the AutoStore system consists of 90,000 parts storage bins, running 68 R5 robots with 4 inbound carousel parts and 5 outbound carousel ports.

Six Modula Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs) further expand storage and picking capacity for automotive parts that exceed size limits for the AutoStore bins. At 31 feet tall, these VLMs provide 82 storage trays per unit with an internal window in the rear for loading and an external window for picking, maximizing space and productivity.

Traditional conveyor moves products from the picking areas in AutoStore. If picks are also needed in the Modula VLMs the conveyor uses pick and pass right angle transfers to route orders to the correct tower for those picks. From picking, the conveyor makes additional stops at consolidation, packing, hot shot, counter pick up, and shipping. The packing area is split in two groups to manage different order types. It has inbound product on one side and uses a shared outbound in the center. There is also a shared empty tote outbound conveyor line in the center as well. These empty totes are then routed via conveyor back to the AutoStore and VLM pick areas so they do not have to be taken back manually and pickers always have a fresh supply of new empty totes.

The entire system is powered by KPI Solutions’ Opto Warehouse Execution Software (WES) that provides all communication to/from their onsite host software. Opto also handles all messaging to KPI Kommand to run the AutoStore, as well as to run the Modula VLMs and the conveyor PLC. KPI Solutions’ Ignition software provides visualization screens for fast conveyor diagnostics.

The blended technology solution has been a tremendous success and resulted in a 6X increase in productivity for order picking and putaway tasks.

The Value

• High-density storage allows an expanded number of variably-sized SKUs in less square footage.
• Labor productivity has increased 6X in picking and putaway.
• Order accuracy has increased resulting in fewer errors and less time correcting errors.
• Fewer FTEs are required.
• Improved worker health and safety due to ergonomic picking port designs and conveyor movement of large, heavy auto parts.
• Order turnaround time has decreased.