Tokyo Printing Ink Utilizes AS/RS In The Production Of Plastic Colorants To Improve Reaction Time To Urgent Delivery Requests
Tokyo Printing Ink Mfg. Co., Ltd. was established in 1916. The company manufactures specialty chemicals including printing inks, color and additive concentrates and coloring compounds in the form of plastic pellets.
In May 2006, the company purchased a single aisle mini load Automated Storage & Retrieval System (AS/RS) with one crane serving 126 locations and transport conveyors for its Yoshinohara factory. The project goal was to improve efficiency, safety, and quality of the production lines.
AS/RS incorporated into the process of producing plastic colorants
The mini load AS/RS was introduced exclusively for small lot lines. For "master batches," colorants and additives are mixed and pelletized at high concentrations. The color blending process is diverse because the colorants vary by product in fields such as automobile, home electronics, sundries, and agriculture. With proprietary knowledge, the company blends several kinds of raw materials for large and small runs.
Before the AS/RS was introduced, blended materials were placed into paper bags, stored on the floor, and then supplied to each line according to the production schedule. Because all operations were manual, employees would carry and lift materials (up to 25 kg) by hand to a hopper. An additional challenge was locating the correct bag from the storage area; this feat often proved time consuming.
Automated systems improved efficiency of production
In the new production lines, interbay transportation was dramatically automated. Materials placed into containers in the blending area are conveyed and temporarily stored in the mini load AS/RS. They are then automatically transported by conveyors to the designated lines once a retrieval order is requested by Daifuku's inventory management software (in this case e-Automated Warehouse Controller (eAWC), available in Japan). Thus, the materials are quickly supplied to production lines.
In addition, workers have more time to focus on readying the lines for the next project. For example, they have more time to devote to overseeing the washing process, which occurs 15 to 25 times on each line daily, significantly increasing productivity. The company produces about 120 brands per day and must process some products for same day delivery.
"An automated system has improved accuracy and contributed to a more efficient operation. Plus, we have reduced our environmental impact by eliminating the use of disposable paper bags in our operation," says Hideo Iwasaki, general manager of the Plastic Chemicals Production Department.
