Speedier component storage and retrieval operation at BA

Citation

(2003), "Speedier component storage and retrieval operation at BA", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 75 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2003.12775caf.005

Speedier component storage and retrieval operation at BA

Recently, the Excel Automation group combined the skills of its Storage and Conveying divisions to carry out the design, build, installation and commissioning of mini-load systems comprising five cranes and an extensive conveying operation for British Airway's new logistics centre at Heathrow. The result is described as a streamlined, faster and more easily managed worldwide distribution facility that ensures BA aircraft have spares instantly available for routine maintenance as well as incorporating an emergency component call-off with parts ready for despatch in less than 2 min.

BA's new logistics centre is managed by Bax Global, who were also responsible for overseeing the overall build programme including planning, construction and total rationalisation of existing operations. This included bringing together three separate warehouse and logistics operations for BA's aircraft support operation under a single roof at Heathrow.

Once the new building was constructed, Bax Global called on one of Britain's largest independent materials handing group, Excel Automation to undertake rebuilding and construction of all material handling operations.

The extensive conveyor system is largely constructed using the Excelvayor 500UB series of powered roller, accumulation conveyors that link goods – in to the quality inspection centre, a parts reject station, small parts storage or onto the automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS). The ASRS is a major component store holding in excess of 70 per cent of the 200,000 different part types at the centre.

Apart from a proven competency of delivering highly efficient logistic solutions, Excel reports that it proved to Bax Global that they were buying the quietest powered accumulation conveyor available. Warehouses are not known for their acoustic values therefore noise transmitted by any conveyor can create waves of annoyance. The totally enclosed, single belt drive of Excel's 500UB series is said to alleviate this constant problem. Another influencing factor in using the UB series conveyors is that they feature, as standard, accumulation that is made possible by a special clutch arrangement embodied within each roller.

Scope of Excel conveyors at Bax Global

Right from the receipt of supplied goods Excel conveyors are in action. Once documentation has been checked, the products and accompanying paperwork are transferred to a waiting tote box. Each box has an unique bar-code label, this is "mated" on Bax's warehouse management system (WMS) prior to the tote being fed onto a chain transfer spur and then onto the main 500UB series accumulation conveyor line. The tote is conveyed to one of the eight stations predetermined by the WMS, or to an alternative discrepancy or despatch spur. The tote bar code is scanned and information relayed to a programmable logic controllers (PLC) supplied by Excel as part of the conveyor's control sequencing operation (Plate 1).

Plate 1 The tote bar code is scanned and information relayed to a PLC supplied by Excel as part of the conveyor's control sequencing operation

Once a correct verification signal is reached between PLC and the WMS, the tote is automatically transferred to a feed spur where quality inspection takes place. From here the tote is transported by a combination of Excel powered roller and belt conveyors to one of the following areas.

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  Reject area – here goods are removed from the tote boxes, the empties are conveyed to the receiving area for reuse.

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  Small part storage – products are delivered to one of four aisles on feed spurs and moved by man-rider VNA trucks to locations within the aisle and putaway. All routing and inventory is dealt with via the Bax Global WMS system.

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  ASRS – products that arrive from one of the two conveyor outfeed spurs are removed from the tote box and manually transferred at a loading point for automatic placement in the appropriate bin locations.

The ASRS programme

Excel Storage was the main contractor for relocation of all storage equipment and systems into the ASRS section of the new logistics centre. The handling specialist dismantled four existing miniload systems and racking at another site, relocating them to Bax Global's new logistics centre as well as building a new fifth crane. Build of the new miniload crane was carried out at Excel's Worcester factory and was the first to be installed at the new centre.

In order that Bax Global were able to ensure stock availability to BA aircraft at all times, Excel Storage began a cyclic process of dismantling, relocating and rebuilding one crane at a time followed by transfer of some stock into the new centre, this operation repeated four times until all four cranes had been rebuilt and commissioned. During the relocation programme Excel Storage also increased aisle lengths to accommodate additional stock.

During routine component selection tote bins are removed automatically from one of 11,500 designated locations, brought to front-end transfer conveyors and routed to one of ten packers. Once the required number of components has been selected the tote bins are returned automatically to their correct rack location via Excel's conveyors and crane operations. Completed orders are manually moved to a routing conveyor system that automatically takes components to an allocated exit destination ready for transfer on-board a flight to worldwide locations (Plate 2).

Plate 2 During routine component selection, tote bins are removed automatically from one of 11,500 designated locations, brought to front-end transfer conveyors and routed to one of ten packers

Time is a valuable resource, especially if an aircraft on ground (AOG) situation occurs at Heathrow. The warehouse has a fast track capability developed by Excel conveyors to enable tote bins with required parts to be quickly selected by the storage/retrieval cranes. They are brought to one of two specially allocated selection points and made ready for despatch in less than 2 min.

A very high degree of control sophistication is required for governing movement of the miniload cranes, movement of tote bins on the front-end conveyors both during normal and emergency operations, in fact, all routing of tote boxes throughout the entire logistics centre – from goods in to final despatch area. To achieve a totally co-ordinated operation IEA – an IT solutions provider worked in partnership with the Excel, developing control configuration and software technology that optimises all materials handling operations.

IEA provide the Windows NT based supervisory computer control system software and hardware, plus the electrical controls for the project, together with associated installation and commissioning. A series of computer terminals oversee a network of over 20 Siemens PLCs which carry out the real time control of the crane and conveyor movements. Management reporting is also provided by the IEA custom NT software which will give instant access to 140,000 bins.

Details available from: Excel Group. Tel: +44 (0) 1905 721500; Fax: +44 (0) 1905 721539; E-mail: kevin.staines@excel-automation.co.uk; Web site: www.excel-automation.co.uk