New virtual warehousing tool for food manufacturers
The warehouse simulation chair and software, which are aimed at all industries, not just the food and drink sector, enables users to explore virtual reality design for new build or redeveloped depots. Briggs Equipment UK is behind the technology, which it offers for clients’ use free of charge.
Customers view the virtual reality warehouse environment through a visor while seated in a chair. The gadget offers true operational costs of various warehouse designs; machine idle and utilisation times; load handling times; hourly flow rates and visual indications of bottlenecks.
Specification
Briggs Equipment UK can then source all the components it needs to meet the design specification that has been determined.
Mark Murfet, the firm’s very narrow aisles (VNA) and warehouse projects manager, said the simulator was designed for “anybody in logistics distribution; warehousing and manufacturing who wants to get a look at throughput and get cost effective solutions to materials flow and handling”.
It can give a complete overview of everything associated with warehouse design, enabling firms to avoid traipsing around various racking, flooring and lighting specialists to get individual quotes and advice.
Restricted space
The kit was particularly good at enabling companies with warehouses that had little room to expand to work out how to optimise the use of limited space.
“So, for example, you can create an additional 18% storage space,” said Murfet. This was particularly useful because the cost of using outside storage facilities was “horrendous”, he said. “We can help you store, say, 10,000 pallets using 40% less space.”
The technology also enabled users to highlight how to avoid unnecessary costs associated with, for example, creating too many docks for incoming goods vehicles or buying too many forklift trucks.
It could also offer more robust evidence to present to company bosses and finance directors when arguing for investment in a particular warehouse design.
