European Conveyors Systems has completed the installation of an automated system for the order picking and despatch areas in a new 6000m distribution centre opened by Icon Live at Burgess Hill, West Sussex. The company, a leading supplier of fashion and costume jewellery to over 2000 stores throughout the UK, had out-grown its previous warehouse, where staff picked orders into cartons that they moved around the building on trolleys.

In order to keep pace with the increasing number of outlets selling its products, Icon Live decided to expand storage capacity and automate picking and despatch operations.

Carton flats for orders are assembled on the mezzanine floor of the DC and sent on a decline belt to the ground floor where they are placed in plastic trays with unique bar codes so they travel automatically to the correct picking points and despatch lane.

Five conveyor loops, each servicing three pick spur destinations, are fed by switch-sorters from the main conveyor, and once orders have been completed, each tray and order box is routed automatically to one of four packing and despatch lanes.
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At either end of the ground floor picking area an elevator and lowerator link the system to the mezzanine floor above.

ECS has used Gebhardt zero-pressure accumulation conveyors extensively throughout the system to ensure the trays are fully buffered.

A two-tier allocation conveyor with tilted shelving allows for new product launches to the retail stores.

ECS designed the installation for a throughput of 3200 cartons per day, with additional in-built capacity for future business growth.

The equipment used is based on a modular design, to easily facilitate future expansion.