News | March 22, 2011

RapidPick Enables Smart, Fast, Ergonomic Order Picking

New Goods-to-Person System Supports Pick Rates of up to 1,000 Items/Hour

Dematic, supplier of logistics systems for the factory, warehouse, and distribution center, recently introduces RapidPick, a new high capacity goods-to-person order fulfillment system that brings split case items to an operator and allows pick rates of up to 1,000 items per hour. RapidPick consists of a highly engineered operator work station that rotates containers of items into and out of the station enabling the operator to efficiently pick items into an order container. RapidPick is typically integrated with an inventory staging buffer, such as Dematic Multishuttle, that stores and delivers the split case items to the RapidPick work station for picking.

"It's all about efficiently presenting items to the picker in an ergonomic environment, and in the desired sequence, thereby creating a high performance process", said Benny Rokni, Product Development Manager at Dematic. "RapidPick offers an ideal way to assemble orders with extreme accuracy at the fastest picking rates available." The operator interface screen provides simple instructions for the worker. Large fonts and color icons indicate quantity to pick. An adjustable height platform is raised or lowered for the operator to allow a comfortable and effective working position.

RapidPick is smart. The operator stays in one place while items are delivered to the pick station in precise sequence…heavy items first, fragile items last, for lot control, by family group or in whatever sequence required. Also, smarter since RapidPick allows ultra high pick accuracy as only one SKU is presented to the operator at a time. Furthermore, the RapidPick workstation accommodates totes and/or cartons of different sizes and facilitates picking directly into the shipping container.

RapidPick is fast. Product for picking flows into the RapidPick station smoothly and consistently thereby allowing employees to be highly utilized. Operator travel time to a dedicated SKU pick face in the warehouse and the need for slotting and re-slotting are omitted. With less than a one second tote exchange time, the operator does not have to wait for a new SKU. Rush orders can be added and prioritized by inserting at the top of the order queue.

RapidPick is ergonomic. The RapidPick workstation is designed for sustained productivity and employee comfort. In normal operation, the operator does not need to move hands above the shoulder or extend arms beyond a comfortable reach. The work platform is adjustable in order to accommodate operators of various heights. The operator screen adjusts for height and angle to minimize neck strain. Loads are automatically delivered to and removed from the workstation eliminating the need for operators to lift or push cartons and totes. The ergonomic design and simple, icon-driven operator screens allows RapidPick stations to meet Universal Access guidelines.

About Dematic
Dematic is a global leader providing an impressive range of intelligent logistics and material handling solutions. With a global knowledge network of more than 4000 highly skilled logistics professionals, Dematic is able to provide its customers a unique perspective in world-class materials handling solution design. Our commitment to product and solution R & D combined with manufacturing plants in the US, Europe, China, and Australia ensures Dematic has the range and capability to provide reliable, flexible, cost-effective solutions globally. Our tremendous track record of success has led to the development and implementation of more than 5000 world-class integrated systems for a customer base including some of the world's biggest companies. Dematic generates a global business volume of $1.2B.

SOURCE: Dematic