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FILA STEPS OVER PRODUCTION HURDLES With A Schmidt Mezzanine In 1997, Fila Sports, Inc., found itself faced with exploding demand for its line of sports shoes and apparel. Fila saw its sales skyrocket from $60 million to $600 million and needed to compensate for the jump in sales by expanding or building additional facilities. To manage the demand, the company built a brand new distribution center in Baltimore to provide efficient and consistent shipments to retail outlets worldwide. The 330,000 square-foot facility boasted impressive size, however Fila still needed to increase floor space in order to maximize efficiency. Fila accomplished this by incorporating a mezzanine that could coordinate with the existing conveyor system. Fila employed Conveyor Handling, Elkridge, Md., to assist in the engineering of the system. The executives at Conveyor Handling recommended Schmidt Structural Products, Horsham, Pa., the leaders in materials handling solutions. Together, the three parties, Fila, Conveyor Handling, and Schmidt, constructed a floorplan featuring a two-tiered custom-built Schmidt mezzanine.  The two-tiered custom industrial mezzanine was an integral component of the conveyor and sortation system. It also provided space for product picking and palletizing and increased the space where Fila centered its most active orders and activities. Within Fila's spacious facility, a receiving area on the ground floor accepts product in full case quantities. The product's barcodes are then checked against assigned shipping notices for errors. It is conveyed to a case sortation area on the second level of a built-in concrete mezzanine. Fila sorts and places the palletized product at pallet gates at the edge of the mezzanine. Forklifts operating from the first floor remove the product from the gates and stages them at the ends of racks for put- away. The Schmidt mezzanine is replenished with product from the bulk rack locations. When customer orders are sent down from Fila's corporate headquarters, they consolidate into waves based on customer shipment. The waves are then picked up in both case and piece quantities. This pick operation is concentrated within the Schmidt two-tiered structure. Fila's two-tiered mezzanine is 40 feet wide by 386 feet long. The ground floor beneath the mezzanine contains pallet flow rail, while the two mezzanine levels are fitted with carton flow. The ground floor is used for newest releases and easily replenished in bulk quantities. The mezzanine levels are split among new and older releases and are used for piece picks. All levels of the mezzanine tie by barcode to the case sort mezzanine or shipping label application area. The product destined for piece distribution passes through the case sorter, arriving at a piece sorter on the third level of the mezzanine. The piece component of the customer shipment consolidates on the third level. Product travelling from the mezzanine to the shipping label area in full case quantities have labels applied, then pass to the case sorter and travel to shipping lanes. Product consolidated from the piece sortation area passes through its own shipping label area and travels through the case sorter to the shipping lanes. Fila's Manager of Facilities Robert H. Clark, assumes responsibility for the smooth operation of all equipment, including conveyors, forklifts, wire-guided vehicles and sortation systems. Even though there's so much activity and automated equipment operating in the facility, troubleshooting did not involve a great deal of Clark's time. In fact, Clark maintains a calm manner. "The system performs well. We had a good start-up on the mechanical systems and have experienced little downtime since the facility became operational eight months ago," noted Clark. Conveyor Handling worked closely with Fila in engineering the operation from an objectives-directed perspective. They made all the material handling systems recommendations accordingly. Conveyor Handling also serves as the distributor for Schmidt, who provided the two-tiered mezzanine. However, Schmidt's contribution did not end at the edge of the mezzanine. They also installed Corral Gates on the second floor concrete mezzanine. These unique gates safely enclosed pallets of product while guarding employees from falling from the mezzanine. Personnel on the mezzanine transport palletized product to the mouth of the Corral Gate. To accomplish this, they must open the gate on the mezzanine side, which closes the outboard side of the gate. When the product is secured and placed inside the gate, personnel close the gate on the mezzanine side. This allows forklifts operating at ground level access to the product. Upon unloading, the gate lifts up on the mezzanine side, dropping the gate over the edge of the mezzanine. This allows for the safe maneuvering and transportation of the pallets. The Corral Gate was designed so that at any given time, only one side of the gate raises, providing maximum personnel and materials protection. The Corral Gates at Fila needed some initial adjustment, but performed to satisfaction once modified to their specifications. W.A Schmidt also provided Fila with several protective Barrier Rails, installed throughout the facility. They protect rack fronts and conveyor edges, allowing for safe passage while around the conveyor's mechanical, shifting mechanisms. A final notable contribution by Schmidt included two custom built induct platforms for the tilt tray sorters. Each platform was built precisely on a 25-degree angle, to accommodate Fila's production needs. Clark expressed his appreciation for Schmidt's quality products. "Schmidt makes a quality mezzanine. I'm sure that's why Conveyor Handling recommended them on this facility. With so many complicated automated systems integrated in one facility, engineering the installation had to go smoothly," said Clark. "The mezzanine construction was a joint effort by all three companies. Conveyor Handling's John Clarke put in an extraordinary amount of time to make sure everything was correct, right out of the box. His efforts, as well as another Conveyor Handling colleague, Jeff Jensen, were very valuable." Schmidt's installation crew erected the mezzanine over a two-week period. Handrails were installed later, after all the final conveyor openings were determined. The mezzanine incorporates a polyethylene surface over plywood for extra durability, extending the life of the floor surface over traditional plywood. Fila has benefited from the expertise of Conveyor Handling and Schmidt and plans to continue working with them on future projects. |
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