Boston Scientific: Zone picking system for medical devices for 1,750 order lines per hour
Boston Scientific provides medical devices which offer alternatives to major surgery and other medical procedures that are typically traumatic to the body. Today, with more than 29,000 employees and 26 manufacturing, distribution and technology centres, Boston Scientific is the world’s largest medical device company dedicated to less-invasive medicine.
For its distribution centre in Kerkrade, the Netherlands, the company selected a zone picking system. The system includes an assortment of 7,200 SKUs and has a capacity of 1,750 order lines per hour. The system is spread over two floors. The ground floor has 14 pick zones, one induction point for normal cartons and one induction point for large cartons. The mezzanine has 10 zones and one induction point. The system is supported by RF terminals. It is a pick/pack operation; articles are picked directly into shipping cartons. The cartons are sorted by a shipping sortation system.
The company uses a wide variety of carton sizes. The system therefore has special curves and transfers to allow cartons of up to 1.72 m long. In-line weighing scales as well as a verification station after picking ensure accuracy.
Main benefits for Boston Scientific are:
- Higher productivity, shorter walking distances
- Better in-house order management
- Ability to consolidate orders
- Flexibility to accommodate future growth
A video about the zone picking system can be seen on www.yourlogisticstv.com
