HelloFresh Distribution Centre
Client: HelloFresh
Location: NSW
HelloFresh is a global leader of meal-kits, delivering fresh ingredients with easy to follow recipes to its customers’ door. HelloFresh’s distribution centre in Sydney required a production line to assemble and dispatch orders as well as a storage solution for its produce and other ingredients. APC’s solution was a custom-made Carton Live Storage module which provides First In, First Out (FIFO) stock rotation combined with a conveyor to further speed up picking and packing operations.
Briefing
APC was invited to provide a design for a custom-made production line and storage solution for meal-kit company HelloFresh. We were selected based on our excellent customer service, design and engineering capabilities and our ability to provide the most fit-for-purpose storage solution. APC’s solution was a custom-made Carton Live Storage module which provides First In, First Out (FIFO) stock rotation combined with a conveyor to further speed up picking and packing operations. APC also provided areas of high-density storage, installing Drive-In and Double Deep Pallet Racking.
Challenge
In order to deliver fresh ingredients to its customers, HelloFresh required a production line to assemble and dispatch orders as well as a storage solution for its produce and other ingredients. The production line and storage system had to provide FIFO stock rotation and ensure optimal working conditions for employees. Additionally, the storage solution had be installed within a tight project timeline.
Solution
APC designed a custom-made Carton Live Storage (CLS) module with a conveyor incorporated into the system to further speed picking and packing operations. Operating on heavy-duty plastic castor wheels, the CLS navigates the goods down a channel to employees in the picking aisles. When a carton is removed, the carton behind gently rolls into the position at the front, ensuring automatic FIFO stock rotation and constant availability of fresh ingredients. The FIFO method means food with the nearest best before or use-by dates are used first, maximising freshness and minimising wastage. The conveyor allows for the packaging boxes to be moved along the production line for assembly through to dispatch. By reducing the distance pickers need to walk, when assembling orders, minimises the impactful workload of employees allowing them to correctly pick and pack longer without risk of injury. APC also provided areas of high-density storage, installing Drive-In and Double Deep Pallet Racking. APC’s Drive-In Racking was a perfect fit for HelloFresh, allowing a large variation of SKU’s to be stored and picked in a FIFO stock rotation once more. Drive-In Pallet Racking allows for forklifts to enter the rack, to both unload and retrieve goods, maximising the utilisation of storage space, as an area used for aisles results in lost storage potential.
Result
APC’s storage solution maximises space, ensures a FIFO stock rotation and provides fast access to goods for picking and packing, allowing HelloFresh to provide thousands of Australians with fresh ingredients.
To find out more about HelloFresh, click here.