JBS-Swift & Company

Project Background

JBS-Swift and company was using an older conveyor system in their two level pick module with a manual sort for their shipping system in Marshalltown, Iowa. A plan was developed to implement a new automatic sortation system that would also automatically manifest cases for each order and sort the boxes to the appropriate shipping door.

Project Objectives

• Consolidate all picking to a single outbound pick lane with a common sorter.
• Pick as many orders simulataneously as there are outbound destinations available.
• Automate the case sortation to the shipping doors.
• Build the Manifest for each order by logging the case data for each box.
• Reject any incorrectly picked boxes.
• Increase throughput to speed order fulfillment.

Solution Benefits

Peach State added a new pick conveyor system with a high speed wheel sorter. All cases are automatically scanned, manifested, sorted, or rejected to a manual handling area. Order accuracy was increased as well as overall throughput allowing for less overtime and weekend work. The footprint was very tight and the wheel sorter solution was the best means to handle the required case rate and box types present in this meat processing facility.