BEUMER Group ensures maintaining deep-freeze chain - Tilt tray sorter distributes for Cuisine de France

In the field of sorting frozen foods the highest possible demands are placed on machinery. At temperatures up to -30°C, the strain on materials, electronic parts and general engineering technology is particularly great. The ability to function smoothly is also of the utmost importance in this field since breakdown interrupt the entire process and can entail considerable losses. It is not for no reason that foodstuff industry logistics are subject to strict legal regulations in regard to maintaining the refrigeration chain in order to ensure that the latter is maintained through and through. With more than 20 years of experience in this sector and renowned references the BEUMER Group knows what it takes to construct installations for deep-freeze logistics.

Numerous foodstuffs are frozen as soon as possible to preserve them in order to maintain minerals, vitamins and taste. From production to storage and up through distribution to the end consumer the deep-freeze chain must be maintained. Many frozen foods such as cakes, vegetables and pizzas may only be subjected to a temperature of +4°C to 5°C for a brief period of time without suffering damage.

Special know-how for the deep-freeze field

Particularly in the deep-freeze field with its extreme temperatures the demands placed on components used in installations are very high. Special know-how is therefore indispensable for the manufacturer in order to adapt the mechanical components to prevalent temperatures. For automated sorting and distribution of products in the deep-freeze segment primarily tilt tray sorters are used since they mainly consist of temperature-resistant metal parts. The BEUMER Tilt Tray Sorter meets all the requirements for ensuring smooth sorting in the deep-freeze sector.
With considerable investments in research and development for installations as well as constant dialogue with machine users, the BEUMER Group is constantly at the cutting edge of technical options. The company’s engineers and developers applied themselves to the optimum solution and individual requirements. Complex test procedures, the latest technical developments and extensive simulations are an essential component of BEUMER’s competency.

Lasting and reliable sorting technology

This specialist in future-oriented intralogistics installations has with the BEUMER tilt tray sorter developed reliable and lasting models that function without a hitch and with minimum maintenance even at temperatures up to -30°C. The conveyors used in this context are made of a particularly elastic material that avoids temperature related wear and breakage from the very beginning. Besides the mechanical components, it is particularly the electronic parts that suffer from temperatures below zero.
Special insulation protects the electrical wiring in BEUMER sorters.
As temperatures sink the flow properties of lubricants change as well. In order to offer a high degree of availability the BEUMER Group has tested different oils under extreme conditions for their quality and viscosity and in that way determined suitable oils with optimised flow properties for each temperature range.

Numerous well-known companies have for years relied on the BEUMER Group’s experience in the deep-freeze section, leading BEUMER to install sorters in the deep-freeze division for, among others, Eskimo Iglo, Migros and Coldstar. Depending on the specific requirements the various different installations were adapted to their specific conditions and optimised.

Migros deep-freeze order picking automated by BEUMER

The Migros distributor firm Neuendorf AG (MVN) possesses Switzerland’s largest and most modern deep-freeze warehouse. Every day, more than 400 of the 600 Migros branches are supplied with frozen food products and about 1000 branch-sorted frozen products are delivered. Completing the more modern and automatic order-sorting installation for frozen products was done in collaboration with the BEUMER Group. In that way, by integrating the BEUMER Tilt Tray Sorter® into distribution logistics it was possible to improve humanisation of the workplace to a considerable extent. In the order-picking warehouse at 30 degrees below the number of employees was reduced as well as the amount of time they spent there. Simplified work steps and improved ergonomics in the workplace supported by automation from BEUMER resulted in a considerable reduction of labour costs. In addition, the system’s high speed and reliability brought further advantages with it of maintaining the closed refrigeration chain until shipping to the branch can take place.
Thanks to automation from the BEUMER Tilt Tray sorter several orders can be put together at one time, quickly and uncomplicatedly, without labelling of the items. For this purpose all incoming IT-recorded orders from branches are grouped into batches and processed in parallel. This procedure has the advantage that the item’s storage place only has to be approached by the picker once for collecting for a batch. Via a mobile terminal of the order information system in the pick aisles the location of each item can be determined. At the corresponding warehouse position the warehouse assistant can then be informed by monitor of the quantity of goods to be withdrawn. Volume control is accomplished by a counter device directly after individual dumping onto the pick-up belt. Allocation of the goods to the various different branch orders is taken care of by the tilt tray sorter fully automatically and in a single work step.
The 132-metre long BEUMER Tilt Tray Sorter® distributes up to 7,500 trade units per hour at a speed of 1.6 metres per second. All items find their way into the sorter on a total of ten induction lines and, in doing so, a maximum of 3,500 sorting units per batch can be moved in an hour. By means of guided and longitudinally oriented discharge the fragile item is sorted carefully into the predetermined destination.
Each of the 27 target points consists of belt conveyor technology with an integrated turntable. This arrangement allows for short-time stacking of merchandise without accumulation pressure prior to withdrawal and loading of the branch pallet. On site the shipping documents are printed out and attached to the pallet that then be led automatically to the goods issue by conveyor.

BEUMER’s first deep-freeze sorter in Ireland

Currently the company with its central operations in Beckum, Germany, has an order from Cuisine de France to install a sorter in Ireland. IO Systems Ltd, Ireland’s leading company in the field of materials flow technology, is in charge of expansion of its in-house logistics. For delivery of a tilt tray sorter IO Systems turned to BEUMER. BEUMER got awarded the assignment with a total volume of about 1 million euro thanks to the technical potential of the BEUMER tilt tray sorter which can provide the required performance, even at a temperature of -28°C. All engineering for BEUMER’s tilt tray sorter was tested in an environment of up to -30°C.
The delivery order also included a BEUMER BS25 tilt tray sorter with a total length of 110 metres, 58 drop-off points and two automatic feeders. Its sorting speed comes to about 6,800 trays an hour. In this case baked goods and deep-frozen products packed in plastic bags and cartons are sorted for order picking.
After the assignment was awarded in September 2007, assembly of the installation will already been completed by February 2008. Initial commissioning is being undertaken at normal ambient temperatures directly after installation. Only then will the entire building be cooled down to -28°C, something that may take up to eight weeks. The ultimate “cold” commissioning will take place in July.
Besides the technical requirements, the BEUMER Group’s worldwide presence was also a crucial factor in deciding on the award since active servicing of customers is part of BEUMER’s central corporate tasks. Specialists regularly service the installed equipment, conduct training and are available for emergencies on a 24-hour basis. Service employees operating worldwide can on demand provide quick and smooth repairs of any eventual failure problem.