The latest vertical lift module (VLM) by Ferretto Group helped Weatherford increase its order fulfillment productivity by a whopping 70%. The Vertimag units also enabled the leading wellbore and production solutions company to fully utilize its existing facility height, resulting in a 30% reduction in required floor space.

The existing Weatherford 1300 square foot facility was rapidly running out of floor space, putting pressure on productivity and overall operations. The company’s key objective was to free up much needed room, while also increasing productivity, simplifying the picking operations, and improving the traceability of stock – all leading to an enhanced customer service experience.

“We recently expanded two of our departments and have grown significantly. We were continuously running out of space and were facing issues with traceability of material and inventory management. The reorganization and optimization of our processes became imperative”, commented Mr. Sekhar Harrish, R&M Supervisor at Weatherford.

After an in-depth analysis of the operation and close coordination with Weatherford team, SPAN proposed that the answer laid in maximizing the facility height. Accordingly, SPAN recommended that Weatherford transition from a traditional storage system to an automated storage and retrieval system that could better make use of the vertical space. The recommended solution included the introduction of multiple VLM units which not only ensured efficient space utilization but also allowed for better management of stock, reduced order picking time, and increased accuracy.

Technical Features:

The new Vertimag is capable of managing material of most formats, weight, and size allowing it to meet the needs of various industries and sectors. It is primarily comprised of two shelf fronts containing metal trays served by a high-performance lift that picks up the requested trays from their location and places them on the picking bay(s) directly in front of the user; effectively providing a Goods-to-Man solution.

Weatherford is now filing orders faster than ever. Productivity has increased from 25 lines per hour to 115 lines per hour resulting in a 70% increase in productivity. 390 square foot of floor space has been saved allowing it to be diverted for other operating activities, while achieving the goals of increased picking efficiency and accuracy.

By choosing Vertimag, Weatherford has revolutionized its logistics system. “It was a complete transformation from a manual picking environment to a semi-automated process,” commented Usama Al Kahaleh, SPAN Territory Sales Manager.

Added Value:

• Optimization of available storage space and reduction of floor area by 30%, allowing it to be used for production instead
• Reduction of errors due to the built-in laser pointer that enables operators to know exactly which items are to be picked
• Improvement in picking efficiency enabled by the built-in laser pointer, as well as the user-friendly software
• Continuous traceability of handling operations and stock due to the introduction of the VLM inventory system
• Increase in efficiency and order preparation thanks to the sliding console that is always within reach of the operator during picking and placing activities
• Drastic reduction in picker travel time

VLMs can provide an answer to control warehouse and logistics costs, maximize productivity within an allocated footprint, and meet growing demand.        Contact us today and one of our Consultants will help you evaluate if this solution is right for you.