A Digital Sorting System for Automotive Repair Parts and Accessories
- Customer
- Volkswagen Group Japan KK (VGJ)
- Industry
- Automotive
- Contec products
- VPC-1000 series FA computer, PT10 series panel computer (IPC-PT/SV10DC1-4J)
- Goals
- Cost savings, Work efficiency improvement, Enhanced customer service
Contec expanded and upgraded the digital sorting rack system at Volkswagen Group Japan’s Toyohashi parts depot, raising sorting capacity by about 50% and saving 20 to 30 million yen.
Overview
Volkswagen Group Japan KK (VGJ) imports and sells about 3 million repair parts and accessories a year through more than 350 dealers in Japan. Its 178,000 m² Toyohashi Import Center in Aichi Prefecture handles genuine parts for Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley and other group brands. The parts depot ships an average of 9,000 parts a day with same-day shipping, and keeps three months of inventory because sea freight from Germany takes about two months.
Challenge
The depot has used sorting racks since 1993. Products are scanned at a station, a light shows the insertion position, and workers place each item and touch the display to turn the light off. When a lane holds a complete order, a display lights on the shipping side for packing.
The original system sorted about 50,000 item types across six zones and 192 lanes. As vehicle sales grew, more shipment destinations left too few sorting points, and display malfunctions and disconnections disrupted operations.
Solution
Contec led the expansion of the sorting shelves and the upgrade of the management system. The management computer is a Contec VPC-1000 series FA computer, chosen for reliability in operation 350 days a year, and the station terminals are compact PT10 series panel computers. Control software from Contec Software Development Co., Ltd. added four zones with 128 lanes, and all displays moved to LAN connections to reduce wiring. The upgrade was completed in October 2010, and each lane now serves a single destination, which significantly shortened work time.
Results
- About 3 million orders can now be processed each year
- Cost savings of 20 to 30 million yen
- Sorting capacity up about 50%, according to Tsuyoshi Nakamura, Section Manager, VGJ Toyohashi Parts Depot
- Fewer equipment malfunctions and a smoother workflow
- Daily integration with Volkswagen’s large parts system at its head office in Germany
Contec products used
- VPC-1000 series FA computer
- PT10 series panel computer (IPC-PT/SV10DC1-4J)
Originally published by Contec Co., Ltd. at contec.com.