UK based RM Resources picks Swisslog’s Tornado automated crane solution for warehouse

RM Resources, the provider of education resources for early years, primary schools and secondary schools, has selected Swisslog’s Tornado miniload cranes to power its newly build warehouse in Hucknall, East Midlands.

Together with Swisslog and the storage density of its system, RM Resources will be able to consolidate its warehouse operations in the UK, which is currently spread across four different sites. As part of the KUKA Group, Swisslog covers the entire automation value chain with robotic and data-driven automated solutions for forward thinking businesses.

Swisslog’s work on the site in East Midlands will commence in March 2021 and is due to complete at the start of 2022, to allow RM Resources to work on the curriculum line before the following school year.

Transportation throughout the solution will be facilitated by Swisslog’s QuickMove conveyor. Goods will be conveyed to the Automated Storage and Retrieval System, ASRS, provided by a seven aisle Swisslog Tornado miniload solution. The ASRS will store cartons or totes double deep providing dense but rapidly accessible storage.

The Tornado solution will feed ergonomic goods-to-person stations, each allowing up to six open orders to be picked at a time, facilitating an increased hit rate, improved order fulfilment time, and reduced throughput requirement in the system. With a single level pick-to layout, each goods-to-person station will benefit from one-touch fulfilment, enabling RM Resources to dramatically shorten lead times.

Swisslog SynQ software will provide all the necessary WCS functionality, while also integrating with RM Resources’ WMS and ERP systems. SynQ will deliver greater stock accuracy, as well as increased visibility of order progress. It will also provide RM Resources operators with the ability to pick from available new stock immediately as it enters the warehouse.

Swisslog UK’s Head of Sales, Shane Faulkner said, “This project merges four warehouse operations together, while simultaneously allowing sufficient space for RM Resources to expand in the future. Using the one-touch fulfilment concept, only one manual touch is required per order. It is becoming more and more commonplace in the market, particularly for e-commerce due to the speed and efficiency it provides in delivering to the end customer.”

Monique Louis, Managing Director at RM Resources said, “We are delighted to be progressing with our plans to consolidate our warehouse portfolio, which will deliver a number of efficiencies across the business as we move to one automated site. We chose Swisslog because of their proven technology, and the quality of their engagement and look forward to working closely with them in the future.