Storage systems

Gone are the days with one eight hour manufacturing shift, many automated facilities today run production machines through the night with very few machine operators, making machine maintenance and repair a valuable operation. Kardex Remstar automated storage and retrieval systems increase production machine uptime by improving technician efficiency, increasing accountability and eliminating part shortages in metalworking maintenance operations.

Having maintenance and repair parts in stock and readily accessible at all hours is critical. Every minute a machine is down is a minute of production time that cannot be recovered. The ability to react quickly to repair the machine and minimize downtime can have a major impact on the bottom line. Using a Kardex Remstar Shuttle VLM or automated drawer carousel, maintenance and repair parts can be inventoried, stored and retrieved from one location providing accountability and increased efficiency.

Typically, maintenance technicians diagnose the problem then spend time searching through rows of shelving or drawers for the required part while the machine remains inoperable. Using a Kardex Remstar system, the maintenance technician can find the part, clean and ready to use within seconds, and get back to their repair work, increasing their efficiency. Scheduled maintenance is an important step in preventing machine failures. A Kardex Remstar system can store all parts required for the maintenance together as a "kit." The scheduled maintenance kit ensures that technicians have all the parts required before they begin, preventing stopping half way through to search for an additional part. Implementing FastPic5 Inventory Optimizer (IO) with a Kardex Remstar system requires technicians to login before retrieving a part. By scanning an ID badge or entering a user identification number, the software can track exactly what parts were used by which technician. This improves technician part accountability and ensures technicians only take what they need.

Further, FastPic5 IO can also provide real time inventory reports providing an up to the minute view of your repair parts inventory. Reorder quantities can be set by part number. When the part quantity dips below the reorder quantity, purchasing is alerted to reorder the part, eliminating part shortages. Parts are kept clean and in usable condition eliminating part waste due to part damage or rust. Many organizations today are focused on cost center accounting. FastPic5 IO can provide reports that detail parts used to repair a specific machine. Accounting then knows which cost center to apply the part cost to, making cost center accounting easy.