Industry
Logistics, pharmaceutical air freight.
Customer story · Logistics
H.Essers: temperature-critical pharma loads, packed the same way every time.
For vaccine air freight, H.Essers uses Arkite to project the correct loading pattern and gel type for every layer, so a wider team can pack insulated shipments to the same standard as its most experienced operators.
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At a glance
Project summary
Process
Packing pallets into insulated double-walled boxes with cooling gel.
Complexity
Up to twenty stacking patterns, varying volumes, two gel types.
Guidance
Projected loading patterns, layer by layer.
The challenge
A packing task that only a fixed team could do
On long routes, pharmaceutical goods are demanding to ship. Vaccines must be kept between 2°C and 8°C, which is difficult to maintain on transport flights across continents. For air freight, the goods are packed and loaded onto pallets, which are placed in large double-walled boxes of insulating material, with refrigerated gel applied between the walls.
The work has to be done meticulously. Two or more pallets must be stacked according to specific patterns, and depending on the product there are up to twenty different patterns. Cargo volumes vary, and there are two types of gel, one frozen and one chilled.
To guarantee a consistent method, H.Essers initially relied on a permanent team of experienced employees. To work more flexibly and deploy a wider team, the company looked for a different approach.
The solution
Loading patterns projected onto the floor
H.Essers deployed Arkite to guide operators through the loading process. The loading patterns are entered into the system, and a projector shows the correct pattern on the floor, layer by layer. The operator follows the projected instructions to place the boxes correctly.
For each layer, the system also indicates which type of gel to use around the goods. The knowledge that used to sit with a small, experienced team is now available at the point of work for every operator.
Implementation
How a shipment is packed
- 01
Select the pattern
The loading pattern for the product and volume is stored in the system.
- 02
Project layer by layer
The projector shows where each box goes, one layer at a time.
- 03
Indicate the gel
For each layer, the system indicates whether frozen or chilled gel is required.
- 04
Complete the load
The operator follows the sequence until the insulated box is fully and correctly packed.
Results
What H.Essers achieved
Quality assurance
H.Essers reports that it can offer its customers consistent quality assurance on the packing process.
Flexible deployment
Operators can be deployed in variable shifts and activities, no longer limited to a permanent team.
Time and efficiency
The guided process saves time and increases efficiency for H.Essers as a logistics service provider.
We can now deploy our operators in variable shifts and activities. It saves time and increases the efficiency of H.Essers as a logistics service provider.
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