Mouser has continued to invest heavily in state-of-the-art automation in its global distribution centre to increase order processing, accuracy and speed, assisting customers to further reduce time-to-market.
This year, it has installed 102 vertical lift modules (VLMs), the most at any company in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth largest VLM installation in the world. VLMs are basically giant vertical filing cabinets, complete with shelves and an automated elevator to bring the components to the employee’s workstation. This improves efficiency and floor space and can decrease an employee’s walking time by 45% or more.
Also, the distribution centre features multiple Ultipack and I-Pack machines, a sophisticated automated system for sealing and labelling shipments that can process up to 14 orders per minute. The company is also installing an OPEX Perfect Pick system and an AutoStore system — all of these investments aim to get orders processed, picked, packed and shipped in a short amount of time.
“As automation technologies continue to evolve at a rapid pace, so too do advances in warehousing and logistics,” says Pete Shopp, Mouser Electronics’ senior vice president of Business Operations. “The resulting efficiencies in picking and packing help meet our goal of providing exceptional customer service.”
Though the adoption of start-of-the-art automation acts primarily to boost efficiency, productivity, accuracy and speed, the systems also allow more sustainable operations and improved customer satisfaction.