Unmanned Steel-Parts Warehouse for a Major Automotive Assembly Plant
Jisu Logistics (Dedicated Logistics Arm of Major Chinese Automaker), Chengdu
Results at a Glance
The Challenge
The assembly-shop warehouse feeding a vehicle manufacturing plant in Chengdu carries a vast SKU catalogue of small, heavy stamped, forged, cast and machined steel components — every one of which must be at the right assembly station, in the right sequence, at the right time, or the whole line stops. Before automation, the facility ran on manual handling and paper identification: long hours, high labour intensity, picking inaccuracies disrupting outbound sequence, and a recruitment problem only getting worse in the manufacturing sector. The solution had to cope with six different tote sizes, heavy stamped and machined steel content, and just-in-time service levels to an assembly line that measures downtime in dollars per second.
The Solution
A telescopic-lift ACR goods-to-person system was deployed, designed around the specific weight and size mix of automotive steel parts. 31 Telescopic-Lift ACR robots retrieve totes from shelving up to 7.9 m tall — unlocking vertical space that manual picking cannot use. Six different tote sizes (from 300×200 mm up to 800×600 mm, all 280 mm high) accommodate the real mix of steel-part sizes without forcing re-packing. Two goods-to-person workstations, 6 buffer-rack workstations and 2 conveyor workstations allow parallel picking streams tuned to different assembly-line cadences. Up to 8 totes per robot trip dramatically cuts travel per pick. Fast-inbound workstation throughput of 600 totes/hour absorbs bulk put-away peaks during production shift changes. Integrated software handles multi-SKU management and just-in-time kitting for assembly-line delivery.
Systems Used
- 31 telescopic-lift ACR robots
- 6 different tote sizes (300×200 to 800×600 mm)
- 2 G2P + 6 buffer-rack + 2 conveyor workstations
- JIT kitting and multi-SKU management software
- 7.9 m shelving height
Why This Matters for South African Operations
Downstream from primary steel mills sits an enormous industry of stampers, forgers, casters, machinists and sub-assembly manufacturers — all feeding OEM assembly lines on JIT schedules. The pain profile is consistent: huge SKU counts, heavy individual parts, peak-season bulk put-aways, zero tolerance for picking errors, and a labour market that is shrinking year on year. ACR-based goods-to-person automation, tall shelving, multiple tote sizes and parallel workstation types can turn a manual warehouse into a JIT feeder that scales with the assembly plant.
Partner Technology Case Study
This project was delivered using automation technology from Allied Automation's manufacturing partners. Allied Automation supplies, integrates and supports the same technology platforms across South Africa and Africa. The results and specifications shown are those of the original deployment.
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