Turnkey robotic company Cimcorp has announced the automation of a Kwik Trip baking facility in the US state of Wisconsin.
The convenience-store chain has automated product handling and order fulfilment at the warehouse of its baking facility, using Cimcorp custom automated solutions.
The installation reportedly enables Kwik Trip to fulfil orders for 53,000 outbound trays daily for over 700 locations.
Cimcorp said the MultiPick robotic order picking system has been designed to be space-saving and high-density for deployment in the 87,000ft2 warehouse.
Eric Fonstad, facility director, Kwik Trip, said: “The warehouse is one of the most critical points in the La Crosse facility’s end-to-end process.
“From receiving to storage, through picking and dispatch, these products have to flow seamlessly and quickly to guarantee their maximum freshness for our customers.
“Cimcorp’s automation is central to enabling this efficient product movement and is therefore pivotal to our bakery business.”
Order data is transferred to Cimcorp Warehouse Control System, which then controls and directs the MultiPick to pick the orders based on store and route.
The MultiPick operates from overhead and retrieves the required trays of products from stacks up to 20 high across the warehouse floor.
According to Cimcorp, the computer control ensures orders are picked with 100% accuracy and a first-in-first-out inventory management model is followed.
As well as eliminating the risks of manual handling and increasing workplace safety, the company said automation improves surge capacity, which is a common challenge in bakery distribution.
Derek Rickard, director of sales, Cimcorp, said: “At the onset of Covid-19, Kwik Trip saw demand nearly triple in a single week.
“But thanks to the rapid handling and adaptability of our MultiPick system, the La Crosse facility was able to maintain the same product flow and level of order accuracy as its normal daily operation.”
