Manufacturing Plant

Kaizen leads to cost-effective automation of tool crib

RoboCrib eliminates stock outs, pays for itself within 6 months

Problem:

The mid-size manufacturing company had a significant problem with inaccurate inventory levels on hundreds of items. This created shortages and work stoppages on the production line. The tool crib was manned only on the day shift. As the crib was open on second/third shift, it was very difficult to get workers to record what was taken, when users could come and go as they pleased.

During a Kaizen, the company concluded that automating their tool crib could free up precious resources, while reducing inefficiencies related to the tool crib. The challenge was to accomplish this with a minimum amount of cost and labor.

Solution:

AutoCrib's RoboCrib carousel system was installed to replace the manned tool crib. RoboCrib provides secure access to over 1500 different SKUs in less than 10 seconds - with 100% accountability. The touch screen user interface lets the users search for products they need by item code, description or class. And, when that isn't enough information, workers can also see a digital picture of the item before they dispense it.

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