Pesmel has developed its TransRoll™ warehouse technology for handling fiberglass mat rolls used in the construction industry. This work has recently resulted in two major automated warehouse projects integrated to fiberglass mat production where the customer selected Pesmel’s high-bay warehouse technology instead of a traditional manual solution.
Fiberglass mat is an essential element when it comes to manufacturing bitumen roof shingles. The global construction industry uses this material to reinforce waterproofing layers in felt-covered roofs, which is a common roof surface in regions including North America and Europe. Production of fiberglass mat is a continuous and demanding process, where the fiberglass mat is ultimately rolled into large, soft rolls with a diameter of up to 2.4 meters (96 inches). Demand for the product is seasonal, which requires high storage volume. This usually requires an inefficiently large, centralized warehouse at the mill or using a network of external warehouses, which makes the supply chain more complex.
High performance with centralized high-bay warehouse
The traditional way of handling fiberglass mat rolls coming from the production line is from the roll eye using a forklift truck with a pole attachment and storing the rolls horizontally in two or three levels on the warehouse floor. This process is vulnerable to bottlenecks when it comes to buffering, sorting, and storage.
TransRoll™ automated high-bay warehouse for fiberglass mat rolls has high handling capacity and storing density.
Jani Matikainen, Sales Manager, Pulp and Paper
In Pesmel’s TransRoll™ solution the fiberglass roll flow is handled fully automatically from the winder to the truck loading dock. The fiberglass mat rolls are first sent from the winders via the packing line to the high-bay warehouse, where they are sorted and stored in racks by the stacker crane. Gentle handling from underneath eliminates product damage entirely. The fully automated high-bay warehouse can also work as an intermediate buffer for rolls sent to the rewinding or for coating.
System’s handling capacity is based on the stacker crane’s set handling capability. The stacker crane handles the entire winder set of rolls at a time. Length of the roll set can be up to 6 meters (236 inches) and comprise typically two to five rolls. The rolls are handled gently and stored horizontally supporting them from below. The system’s high handling capacity makes truck loading more efficient, and thus loading operations can be done during one shift. The only task left for the forklift drivers is to transfer the rolls from the loading conveyor to the truck, which automatically improves the use of resources and, most importantly, handling and loading area safety.
Enhancing the supply chain
Supply chain efficiency is one of the most important competitive factors in today’s market. Improving the supply chain starts with optimizing in-mill logistics and automating warehouse operations. Pesmel’s TransRoll™ technology brings smooth logistics that connect the production process and storage operations seamlessly and simply without bottlenecks. In addition, it centralizes all storage and shipping functions to the mill area, streamlining the supply chain.
TransRoll™ technology has a strong track record in the paper industry and is fully applicable in continuous fiberglass mat production. Because fiberglass mat rolls can be stored up to 11 levels high, the space requirement for a high-bay warehouse is only one-third of a traditional warehouse making centralization possible. Due to the efficient use of space, the construction costs remain competitive for greenfield projects, which makes finding a plot of land for the new mill easier.
Pesmel’s solution is also suited to brownfield projects, as customers centralize their storage and dispense with satellite warehouses. It reduces turnaround times, as well as inventory management and shipping challenges, with their all too familiar extra rental, personnel, transportation, and handling costs.
Efficiency with automation and IT integration
A high level of automation and correct information technology integration are the keys to fluent material flow. Pesmel’s proprietary warehouse management system (WMS), coupled with a high-bay storage, offers excellent opportunities to improve management of the entire supply chain. It enables simultaneous monitoring and running of several complex systems and is designed to make in-mill logistics and supply chain simple and effective.
The WMS blends connectivity and information-sharing with 100 percent inventory optimization and control. For example, automated order handling lets the central storage feed rolls for further processing according to the just-in-time (JIT) principle. This, in turn, allows producers to serve their customers better with simple and effective dispatch and on-time deliveries. Individual products are picked and dispatched according to customer orders, as the system automatically knows the location of each item. The high-bay storage brings the rolls to the loading area efficiently and automatically. Automation, with its high handling capacity, ensures smoother, faster turnaround times thanks to efficient roll flow and short truck loading times.