Project
Installation of a conveyor network, scanner arch and sorting comb
Installation of a conveyor network, scanner arch and sorting comb
MERCK
Lyon, France
Merck is a multinational company specializing in healthcare and the manufacture of cutting-edge medicines and technologies. In France, the company employs around 3,000 people and generates sales of over €22 billion. In addition to its production and research centers, the group owns several warehouses that handle the processing and distribution of goods to its network of partners and customers.
Merck called on Transitic to fit out its 35,000 m² warehouse in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier. With its 50,000 part numbers, this site plays a crucial role in managing both logistics and some of the Group’s administrative services. Orders are placed here mainly for R&D centers and laboratories.
With a view to improving order processing, Transitic automated its processes by installing a network of conveyors, an arch of scanners and a sorting comb to optimize the flow and scheduling of orders to the dispatch area.
The handling of pharmaceutical parcels, in a variety of formats and potentially fragile or dangerous, represents a complex logistical challenge. To meet this challenge, our teams designed a conveyor system capable of handling cartons from 10 to 60 cm in size, while ensuring their integrity. Particular attention was paid to the design of the conveyors to limit shocks and vibrations.
The installation comprises a 20-metre-long belt conveyor serving 12 workstations. This is grafted onto a network of roller conveyors, including directional modules and belt sections in 90° curves, guaranteeing smooth carton movement.
An automatic strapping machine is positioned at the beginning of the network, before being sent to the shipping area. A gate has also been installed to facilitate operator circulation around the installation.
Thanks to inclined rollers, packages are teased on one side of the conveyor just before passing under the scanner arch, to improve the label reading rate and reduce the rejection rate. They are then dispatched according to the carrier to one of the 9 outlets of the sorting comb.
The overall system has enabled Merck to increase its production capacity and reach its target of 400 parcels per hour.